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INTRODUCTION: LET'S GET STARTED! 5
Exploring Nature in Winter e-Workshop
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0-1: Welcome! Important Things to KnowLecture1.1
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0-2: A Note From Victoria 30 minLecture1.2
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0-3: Key Reflective Questions 30 minLecture1.3
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0-4: Set Goals for You and Your Winter Program 30 minLecture1.4
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0-5: Become a “Winterscape” ResearcherLecture1.5
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Module 1: PREPARE & PLAN TO TEACH OUTDOORS IN WINTER 6
10 Nature-Based Activities
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1-1: Begin with Proper Outer Gear 30 minLecture2.1
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1-2: Discover Your Winter Teaching Routines Outdoors 30 minLecture2.2
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1-3: Make a Winter Garden Journal 30 minLecture2.3
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1-4: Create a Winter Themed Children’s Library 30 minLecture2.4
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1-5: Enjoy Wet Cold Weather OutdoorsLecture2.5
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1-6: LIVE SESSION: Natural Learning Outdoors in WinterLecture2.6
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Module 2: WINTER INSPIRED TEACHING AND LEARNING 6
10 Nature-Based Activities
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2-1: Transform Your Cold Weather Outdoor Classroom 30 minLecture3.1
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2-2: Let’s Play! 10 Nature-Based Winter Activities 30 minLecture3.2
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2-3: Behind the Scenes with Nicole Pelletier 30 minLecture3.3
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2-4: LIVE SESSIONS 30 minLecture3.4
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2-5: Inspire Outdoor Play & Learning in WinterLecture3.5
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2-6: Explore The Four Types of Gardens in WinterLecture3.6
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Module 3: YOUR COLD WEATHER OUTDOOR CLASSROOM 6
Winter Themed Children's Books
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3-1: Explore Water Research in Cold Weather 30 minLecture4.1
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3-2: Let’s Play! Ten Nature-Based Winter Activities 30 minLecture4.2
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3-3: Behind the Scenes with Peter Dargatz 30 minLecture4.3
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3-4: Establish “Moments of Science” in Winter 30 minLecture4.4
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3-5: Stay Outside LongerLecture4.5
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3-6: LIVE SESSIONLecture4.6
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Module 4: COLLABORATION & EMERGENT WINTER CURRICULA 6
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4-1: Learn through Reflection 30 minLecture5.1
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4-2: Let’s Play! Ten Nature-Based Winter Activities 30 minLecture5.2
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4-3: Build Collaboration Skills 30 minLecture5.3
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4-4: LIVE SESSION 30 minLecture5.4
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4-5: Emergent Curriculum with Megan GesslerLecture5.5
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BONUS: LIVE SESSION for GraduatesLecture5.6
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39 Comments
Happy Winter!
My name is Tricia, and I work at a small mixed age preschool Henny Penny Nursery School in the small city of Salem, Massachusetts, about 25 miles north of Boston. Our program is owned by a church in one of the many downtown neighborhoods. I’m excited to take another class with Victoria and find ways to explore nature during the colder months.
YEA!!! Tricia, I am thrilled that you are back! Welcome! Can’t wait to see what you do next.
Hello! I am an Area Manager for four Head Start/GSRP classrooms in northern Michigan. It’s really chilly (-15windchill), but looking forward to tomorrow when it returns to the low 20s! My goal is to learn how to help my teachers see past the conventional playground and “recess” idea and grow to a natural playground and “outdoor classroom” idea.
Welcome Lisa!! Thrilled to have you here. Wow! -15 windchill is mighty cold! Can’t wait to see what you pull from this class. Looking forward!
Dear All,
I am Timi Meszaros from Budapest, Hungary. I was working with 3-5 years old kids earlier, now I am a kindergarten assistant teacher. Our learning is reggio inspired at our school, we spend many time outside by observing and enjoying the nature with the kids.
I would like to improve my knowledge and extend the joy of learning outdoor!
I am excited to be here!
Hello everyone! My name is Emese, I am joining you from Hungary. I am an assistant teacher at the American International School of Budapest where I teach 5-6-year-old Kindergarteners. I am excited to do this course together with my colleague Timea, who is also an assistant teacher in our Reggio inspired kindergarten team. We both chose outdoor learning as our professional inquiry topic this year so this course is a perfect opportunity for us to get inspiration from. I am hoping to learn new ways of connecting children and nature and to get fresh ideas in providing authentic outdoor learning experiences for our kids.
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! I am thrilled that you are here and can’t wait to learn more about your program how you incorporate this class into your professional development inquiry. Due to the time difference, I am happy to add 2 more virtual calls that you both could attend. Just let me know.
Hello! My name is Michelle and I am so excited to be joining this amazing masterclass as an “alumna.” I am a play-at-home mom of 3 kids, ages 5, 2, and 8 months old. I spent about a decade teaching inside an ECE classroom and felt I’d outgrown the walls and ceiling so now I run a nature based outdoor playgroup in my community here in Richmond, VA. Looking forward to getting out and learning!
WELCOME BACK!!!
Hello everyone. I am joining this class via the “alumni pass,” and looking forward to digging deeper and learning from this group.
Welcome back Julie! Looking forward to an eventful Winter in our cold-weather outdoor classrooms!
Hi Everyone, I am really happy to be here learning with all of you. My name is Jeannette. I live in Peabody, MA and work as a field teacher at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. I am also starting a community farm with farm-based educational programing here in Peabody. I am excited to start this class and learn some new activities and ways of engaging our students with nature all around them. It is really fun to share an activity with our students and see where it leads.
Welcome! You are right around the corner! I’m in Beverly. Love Ipswich Wildlife Sanctuary and can’t wait to learn more about the community farm program. Wow! 🙂
Greetings everyone! I work at The Cooperative Nature Preschool at The Trustees Moose Hill Farm in Sharon, MA. It is a gorgeous farm property with about 400 acres of hiking trails, woodlands and wetlands to explore. This is our first school year (We opened in September 2018) and we have only missed going outside once and that was due to the danger of ice, everything was coated in ice and made walking and exploring dangerous. We have 2 classrooms-25 children currently enrolled. Teachable moments and activities are abundant and ongoing, our challenge is making sure the children are getting a balance of outdoor educational experiences as well as exposure to formal school readiness activities. Our goal is to spend at least 50% of our day outside.
Welcome! I am thrilled you are here and can’t wait to learn more about you and your program. Very exciting!
Hi everyone! I work for Salt Lake City Trails & Natural Lands to engage Salt Lake audiences with their public land, and we do a lot of stuff toward that goal in the warmer months, but would like to work on getting people and kids especially outside during the winter.
Yea! I’m so glad you are here. Can’t wait to see how this Master Class weaves into your program. 🙂 Welcome!
Hello everyone! My name is Lindsey. I am a Montessori teacher in Beverly, MA working in a classroom with ages 3-6 some who love being outdoors and some not so much. Our school is currently working on our outdoor classroom space. I’m so exited to start this class and apply some of these activities with my children (even the ones that don’t like the cold – it will be nice to see them start to enjoy the colder months if they have fun nature-based activities to do). Im also taking my Montessori Training and my year long project is Nature-based so hopefully this will give me lots of good ideas :). Thank you Victoria!
Welcome! I am thrilled you are here! I can’t wait to see how this class inspired both you and the Harborlight Initiative. So excited!
Hello,
This is my first year working in a nature based preschool classroom. The childcare I am working in is still transitioning to bring nature into and plan more nature activities into our curriculum and play. I take my class outside to our side yard which is a field and a small tree line where they are able to play and climb the trees. I am excited to learn more ways to bring the outside in and creating more learning opportunities when we are outside.
Welcome, welcome, welcome! I am excited to learn how this class will help you transition into your program. Keep sharing! Lot’s of goodness coming your way.
Hello! I’m a former outdoor education/backpacking instructor and current Montessori teacher. I’ve always loved being outside in nature and hope this class can help steer me back in the direction of spending more time outside with students. Our school is currently working on an initiative to cultivate outdoor spaces which I’m so excited about. I have two children and hope to bring a little of what I learn into our own backyard as well! 🙂
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome! Thrilled that you are here and can’t wait to see how your outdoor education/backpacking experience weaves into this material and Master Class. 🙂
Hello all! My name is Amanda. I’m a Mama from Vermont with 2 little girls ages 4 and 2. I’ve been teaching for nearly 10 years, and for the past 5 I’ve been at a Reggio Emilia inspired play-based preschool where we enjoy a large quantity of our time in our outdoor classroom! Snow, rain, mud or shine we are out daily, oftentimes for hours on end. We have two classes, one composed of 3-4 year olds and another of 4-5 year olds. Over the past two years I’ve been really inspired, both as a teacher and a Mama, to incorporate nature and outdoor exploration in not only my classroom but my home life with our girls. I’m passionate about instilling a deep love for exploring this big beautiful world in my children and students and have primarily focused my professional development on this. I believe in getting muddy, always asking why and taking risks. I am so excited to build on my previous knowledge and soak up every ounce of inspiration, insight and wisdom offered here in this Master Class! Thank you, Victoria!
Welcome, Amanda! Thrilled that you are here. I love Vermont and Reggio! What a wonderful combination! Lot’s in store for you in the coming weeks! 🙂
Hello! I’m Michelle, a mom of 2 kiddos, 4.5 and 22 months with another little one on the way this Spring. Before spending my days as a play at home (and outside) Mommy, I was an ECE for about a decade. I also founded and run a local nature based playgroup in my community for families and caregivers interested in engaging with their children outdoors. I’m so excited for this master class and am eager to sew and grow the seeds of inspiration gained here. Thank you so much to Victoria!
Thrilled that you are here!!! It will be fun to try out the activities with your kiddos! 🙂
Victoria thank your for sharing this amazing Winer Master Class, for me is amazing because I am from México and lived in Spain Several years. 7 years ago my family and I moved to United States and I have been learning to enjoy outdoors so much, my daughters are my teachers and my husband love to be outside. I am the Spanish Teacher at Harborlight, I love to share nature experience with my Children as soon as the Spring arrives, I want to learn more about Winter experiences, thank you again. Katya
Welcome, Katya! So exciting that you are here and joining us. I hope you can share some of your experiences in Spain and how you may bring your Spanish classes into Harborlights outdoor classroom. Looking forward!
Hello everyone – my name is Julie and I am a family childcare provider in West Bridgewater, MA. I have just begun my 19th year providing early education and care in my home to a mixed age group (currently 6 mos to 5 years). Over the last several years, I have increased our time out doors and truly we have a year around outdoor classroom where we spend a good chunk of each day. In the summer, this is easy. In the winter, that’s where this class comes in! I just know in my heart of hearts that children need to spend more time connecting with nature. We see firsthand how behaviors and anxiety, even from some of my fragile students, are reduced with fresh air. I am embracing the mud and learning to plan ahead so that some of our lessons can be successfully completed outdoors. I can’t wait to hear from this group on ways to do this better!
Welcome Julie! I am thrilled you are here and know you will find lot’s of goodness in this class. Can’t wait to learn more about yur program.
Hi I’m Jackie and I teach a mixed age group of preschoolers in East Providence, RI. We are a small community and our philosophy is guided by the Reggio Emilia teachings. We spend lots of time outdoors and I am always interested in learning new ways to bring children and nature together.
Welcome, Jackie!! Yea! I am thrilled you are here and delighted to know your preschool community is guided by the Reggio Emilia teachings. One of my favorite! We have a lot of Montessori teachers in this class, so it will be interesting to compare notes. 🙂
I am not sure if last comment posted. I am Helen and I live in Minnesota. I teach preschoolers in a Reggio Inspired Learning Center. We love outdoor play and spend a large portion of our day outside, even in the winter.
Welcome Helen! Thrilled that you are here.
Hi Victoria,
My name is Carol and I work at Hilltop Nursery School in North Reading with 3,4 and 5 year olds. I’m hoping to find some exciting and engaging activities to do with our children this winter. We have done the ice, snow, making letters with sticks, etc. but I’d like to share some new ideas using the outdoor classroom activities with my co-teachers (who tend to like it better inside!). I’m thrilled to have found your website.
Hello Carol! I am so happy you are here! Are you getting the snow blizzard today in North Reading? A snow day for us and a perfect time to be planning for some winter activities outdoors. Please let me know if you have any questions. Happy Snow!
Hi,
My name is Rebecca and I work at Messiah Moravian Preschool in Winston-Salem, NC as the Outdoor Classroom teacher. I have a degree in horticulture from UGA and a certificate in Horticultural Therapy from the Horticultural Therapy Institute. I typically work with up to 162 different preschoolers each week, Monday thru Thursday, but have focused my Nature Enrichment activities on the 3s, 4s, and Readiness classes (roughly 100 students). It has been wonderful to work with the kids and see the excitement of nature through their eyes. Since we are soon returning from Winter Break, I am eager to see what ideas and plans this workshop will inspire so that I can help keep the students engaged throughout the season. Looking forward to it!
Welcome Rebecca! I am thrilled you are here. Your work sounds wonderful and how lucky your program is to have you. It is cold here in Massachusetts! I hope you find some engaging “seeds of inspiration.” Please let me know if you have any questions. Welcome!