If I ran my own school, it would be at the beach, with set times for internet access, and most lessons held in the open air. I am often concerned about the amount of time young people, and I mean the very little folk who are dear to my heart, spend in front of iPads, iPods, Androids, mini DVD players and other devices, or ‘vices’ of the technological kind. I’m not being a hypocrite here: I’m also quite fond of the internet and this post on my blog is testimony to that attachment. But as an educator, I am concerned about the current trend towards technocentric learning. At the School by the Sea, learning takes place in real time, is activity based, and includes social interaction across a range of ages, exploration of spatial relationships, play, trial and error, and the mastery of new skills. Writing letters in the sand, counting the shells placed on a castle wall, looking at maps to explore new secret beaches. Sharing. Taking risks.
Time spent at the beach each weekend provides one of the best environments for children to learn new skills and discover new interests, and in some cases, for their fathers to take time out to play with their children. There are lessons in geography and mapping, nature and the environment, history and language. Physical dexterity, along with give and take, occurs naturally as the children experience more freedom to run amok together in a safe space. They climb trees and stay up late to feed possums, copy the call of the kookaburra or the wattle bird, play soccer on the sand at sunset, wait for the tide to go out to explore sand bars, dress up or get dirty.
The screens have finally been put away. Each child looks forward to their weekend visit, to meet up with their newly made beach friends. They are perennially hungry and no longer fussy eaters. I am one happy matriarch.
ALMOST ITALIAN 
Yes, yes, yes!!!!
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Seriously delightful. It was not until I had my own child that I began to really appreciate my rural upbringing. I expressed my appreciation to my Mum recently and she seemed dumbfounded. She’s a country girl and has probably never considered she would raise a child any other way. Terrific post Francesca.
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I can tell that you had a wonderful upbringing Ardys.
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I so agree, Francesca. I often observe my own grandchildren each enclosed in their own techno-bubble. Just getting them out of the house for a stroll down a quiet and garden-lined street provides a lovely opportunity to listen to them and just generally talk – “vices” of whatever shape and size don’t encourage communication.
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It’s true Jan- those ‘vices’ stop the world from entering their bubble, stop communication, and can lead to a kind of social dysfunctionality. Grandmothers Unite!
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Francesca I bet the kids will remember their time at the beach longer than their time on their iPads.
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I grew up at the beach and we were given free rein to run and play. I loved it! I collected stuff, dug holes, ran up and down sandhills, built huge castles and generally had a great time. I still love the beach. I feel sorry for kids who don’t look past their IPads.
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Now that’s what I call life education!
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I so agree!
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I’d put my hand up in a flash to be your Business Manager at your School by the Sea! What a lovely time it looks like you had together. Is that Sorrento back beach? I love that big rock pool there that is like a natural pool. I think I’ve mentioned before how I think kids who camp have a much better approach to life. So many ways for enlightenment and education.
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yes, it is Sorrento back beach and the boys went snorkeling there. Then they went to Cape Schanck and another wild spot coming up this weekend. When I used to take year 10 kids down to Cape Schanck for a geography unit on coasts, I was surprised to find that many hadn’t ever been down that way with their parents. They found it boring- so sad.
If you are going to be my Business Manager, we must have real food for lunch and wine at 5 pm.
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What a fantastic way to learn. When I have kids I want them to have an outdoor community based education. Hopefully by then there are more schools who agree with the outdoor classroom approach.
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Love these shots Francesca .. So good! And yes I can see you teaching at the beach! Can I come? 😃
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Yes you can come if you could teach photography, flowers and old wood. We need a little veggie garden at our school too.
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Done! 😄
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What a wonderful place for learning about nature.
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Yes, nature, and so much more too.
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It will be vert interesting to see how this generation copes with things. They’re such naturals at technology and so adept at anything to do with it but I’m wondering if there will be a cost to it all.
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