Treasure can be found anywhere

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I have just returned inside from pottering in the vegetable patch. Its a lovely warm spring morning. I have just been pulling up oregano and mint which has decided to take over the little garden bed. The divine smell of the herbs drifts with the warm breeze, oh if you could only smell it too.

While I was gardening my young toddler was captivated with a piece of old goose egg shell and an avocado seed he had found amongst the compost. I observed his little finger prodding and poking the treasure. He was so engrossed in this new find; without any hesitation he found and invented several ways to put this new treasure into use. The avocado seed became a ball, the egg shell got stomped, crushed, mixed with mint leaves and dare I say tasted!

Back inside now, my little man now tucked into bed for nap. I sit and begin to read Caring Spaces Learning Places. Children s Environments That Work ( Greenman, 2007). ( Greenman, 2007) writes that children need to be permitted to explore their environments; he goes onto say that there is a world full of things for all children to interact with. So true, in the case of my own son, treasure was egg shell, avocado seed and mint leaves.

Something else that struck me as I read today was ( (Greenman, 2007) words describing people as being more similar to each other than different, we all have dreams, we all have challenges and we all develop a sense of self esteem when we accomplish something. My son certainly was engrossed and excited about his accomplishment of smashing egg shell and mint leaves together. This made me think that exploration of natural environments and using items found in the environments we come from may be a great way to source educational resources and investigate ways to use them.

When I think about education in the global context, I wonder if lessons could be developed using materials that can be found in the environment. For example in a refugee setting could rubbish be turned into treasure by children? Could the things found in the environment be used for topics of investigation and enquiry? Could children's well-being, self esteem and self efficacy be developed by giving them an opportunity to develop something for the community using what they find?

The things they find may well not be egg shells and avocado seeds. But there will be something, stones and sticks, plastic bags and bottles, something, anything. Just imagine the great things they could invent and create. Just imagine how in the most challenging of environments a child's sense of worth, well being and self esteem may be improved by having an important investigation to solve, an adventure and a mission to accomplish! Yes, treasure can be found everywhere and anywhere!

Reference

Greenman, J. (2007). Caring Spaces, Learning Places : Children's Environments that Work (Rev. ed.). Redmond, W.A.: Exchange Press.