Food as Phenomena: Pandemic Era Reminders About the “Significant Educational Value of Learning Through Observation”
By Dr. Amber Strong Makaiau
In his 1891 Talks on Pedagogics, one the most important thought leaders of the progressive education movement, Colonel Francis Wayland Parker, asserted, “observation as a mode of attention, its relations to the central subjects of study, and its place in teaching, has significant educational value” (p. 107). A foundation of progressive philosophy and pedagogy -- careful and first hand observation of self, society, and the natural world -- is critical to a meaningful education. After all, explained Parker (2001), the motivation for lifelong learning “can only come to the one who gains some apprehension of the boundless knowledge and the depths of truth by actual personal experience” (pp. 128-129).
Observation, and the more complex concept of “kilo” is also central to Hawaiian ways of knowing, teaching, and learning. Pukui (1986) defines kilo as “stargazer, reader of omens, seer, astrologer...to watch closely, spy, examine, look around, observe, forecast” (p. 151). At Hanahau’oli School’s founding in 1918, using kilo to learn about phenomena in the natural world was central to the teachers’ progressive philosophy and pedagogy. Former Head of School Louisa Palmer recounts this in Memories of Hanahauoli (1968).
Mrs. Cooke’s daughter, Dora, from her memories of that first year, adds: “Science (nature study) as well as Mathematics was taught in practical ways. We measured daily growth of a banana leaf from a plant growing by the front steps and, as I remember, the growth was six inches or more! We also had a hive of bees with glass on one side so we could watch them”
Hanahau‘oli School students’ learning garden in the early 1900s
Today, as it will be explored in the upcoming Natural Scientists: Children in Charge workshop, Hanahau’oli School continues to carry out a progressive approach to early childhood STEM education -- an enduring practice centered around the idea that children learn best when teachers allow understanding to emerge from a student's play, hands-on explorations, and dynamic discussions stemming from interactions with the natural environment.
So, how can we ensure that more students have the opportunity to learn through observation, especially of the natural world? It seems that one of the silver linings of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic era is that it challenged educators to revisit pedagogical approaches, which engaged students in the observation of their natural environment, particularly in spaces and modes that were close to and accessible from home. Among them was The Curriculum Research & Development Group of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa (CRDG) and the Center For Getting Things Started (C4GTS) who partnered with 10 master teachers in Hawaii and Guam as well as Farm to School leaders across the region to develop and distribute place-based agricultural science distance learning materials funded by USDA. Interested in addressing one of the most visible and pressing issues to surface during the pandemic--the need for remote island communities to carry out agricultural science education aimed at addressing important regional issues of food security and sustainability--this hui of educators created, distributed, and is now implementing low-technology distance learning resources for agricultural science education.
On July 23, 2021 the Hanahau’oli School Professional Development Center hosted a community workshop for educators so that they could learn more about how to utilize the collection of teaching resources produced by this Food Experiences for Agricultural Science Teaching (FEAST) project. This workshop was specifically designed for teachers in grades three through eight who teach in learning gardens or who teach science. At the workshop, participants explored the learning materials available from the FEAST project, which included a student workbook with eight lessons and supply kit, a teacher guide, and a family guide for each of two different grade levels, 3-5 and 6-8. Participants also learned about the design of the lessons and how to implement them from the researchers and teachers who co-developed them. Together, the group investigated lesson topics, which addressed issues important to island living and food sustainability, including the effect of moon phases on crops, growing food, reducing waste, and the importance of eating local foods. Check out these resources to learn more about the workshop:
At the end of the workshop, participants created a group poem using the chat. I offer their words as inspiration and as an important reminder of the significant educational value we must all place on learning through observation and engagement with the natural world.
Green onions for all
Field trips to meet the farmers, the farms, and the foods that our feeding people on our island
Hands-on Ag to get teachers involved
Buy, grow, cook, eat local
Eat more local food!
Home Gardens
Hands-on application
Plant seeds and observe how they grow
I will encourage my students to start creating their own gardens
Engage curiosity
Taste, cook, plant
Teach students about locally grown foods!
Your future empowerment depends on what you do now!
I will introduce the curriculum and ask for their feedback
I'm looking forward to everyone's excitement about growing their own food!
Responsibility, respect, and care for our shared resources
Take care of your aina and it will take care of you
As the poem alludes, increased opportunity to learn from outdoor play, nature study, hands-on exploration of natural phenomena, and dynamic discussions stemming from interactions with the environment are critical practices for educators who want to find meaningful ways to integrate issues of climate change into the K-12 curriculum and work towards a more climate conscious future. With a renewed focus on learning through observation and engagement with the world right outside our students’ doorsteps, teachers have the power to “provide important opportunities for students to become engaged in real world issues that transcend classroom walls. [So that they can] see the relevance of their classroom studies to the complex environmental issues confronting our planet [and so that they can] acquire the skills they’ll need to be creative problem solvers and powerful advocates” (Project Learning Tree, 2019).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Amber Strong Makaiau is a Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Director of Curriculum and Research at the Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education, Director of the Hanahau’oli School Professional Development Center, and Co-Director of the Progressive Philosophy and Pedagogy MEd Interdisciplinary Education, Curriculum Studies program. A former Hawai‘i State Department of Education high school social studies teacher, her work in education is focused around promoting a more just and equitable democracy for today’s children. Dr. Makaiau lives in Honolulu where she enjoys spending time in the ocean with her husband and two children.
Works Cited:
Palmer, Louisa F. Memories of Hanahauoli: The First Fifty Years. Honolulu: Unknown, 1968. Print.
Parker, F. (2001). Talks on pedagogics: An outline of the theory of concentration and other writings. The Francis W. Parker School.
WHY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT. (n.d.). Project Learning Tree. https://www.plt.org/about-us/why-environmental-education-is-important/