Evaluating the Process – A Complex Endeavor

by Tammie Hachey-Bell, ECE Instructor, New Brunswick Community College

The journey of Outdoor Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education: From Colleges to Communities has brought many ebbs and flows throughout the process. This journey has provided new insights, learnings, challenges, and skills. Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? What am I doing well? What can I do differently? How can I see things from multiple perspectives? The evaluation process continues to help me reflect upon and act upon, my past, present and future endeavors in outdoor pedagogy.

I Saw…

Throughout the two days of the evaluation process, I saw the art of relationship building and storytelling afford the learners, evaluators, project instructors, management, and community members, share genuine connections, commonalities and distinct uniqueness' in their journey of this project. I saw our outdoor space provide opportunity for wonderment and storytelling to come to life. The learners intentionally planned and provided a space for building relationships, wonderment, and curiosity to share their thoughts, ideas, and stories as they build upon their outdoor ideologies.  This process of evaluation allowed opportunity to evaluate in the outdoors. It was inclusive of each participants views and ideas, versus a test of right or wrong answers.

I Heard…

This evaluation process allowed for many voices to be heard. We brought together project participants, learners, management, early learning directors, community members (indigenous elders, instructors from other departments etc.) to share their unique perspectives, ideas, and challenges faced over our two-year experience. Laine, one of our evaluators used the term “ecological perspective” to describe the evaluation process– “Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory views child development as a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment, from immediate settings of family and school to broad cultural values, laws, and customs.” (Guy-Evans, O (2020), pg. 1). This evaluation process encompassed the many people, layers and complexities of change required for outdoor pedagogy to evolve from “colleges to communities”.

A few comments from leaners and participants during this process included:

Lily (learner) said: Before everyone arrived, Lily demonstrates great curiosity in setting up her provocation - “I wonder if they will play with my provocation?” “I don’t think I have enough set up for my provocation?” “How will they know what to do with my provocation?”

After the experience - “It has helped me understand the joys (and challenges) of being outdoors. I believe this experience was way more enjoyable outside than it would have been inside. Being outside and doing anything with nature makes me feel grounded and connected to the outdoors.”

Lindsey(learner) said: “This experience was totally terrifying as we were setting up our provocations in a newly designed space for “children” that we didn’t know. We took advantage of using the environment as a third teacher and engaged in teachable moments by using lots of loose parts. I took great pride in knowing that everyone really liked our provocation.”

Karen (Dean at NBCC) said “It was a very important day for all of us to share the unfolding of a big idea to the implementation stage.  The campus outdoor space is beautiful, created with collaboration of many and led by few.  This learning space is just what our students and faculty need to grow. Beverlie, your visionary passion for this project has been integral to the growth of professional experiential learning for our faculty team.   Much thanks for your work with our team and freely sharing your learning framework with our students.”

I Feel …

This process has had many heartfelt trials, tribulations, and joyous moments. It has been through all moments and feelings that change can happen – “Trusting the Process”.  My discomforts and challenges are like a caterpillar struggling to get out of its cocoon - growing pains in the complexity of growth and learning as I emerge into a new butterfly. I feel the site visit, storytelling, and participating in and with the environment offered unique opportunities to understand many perspectives for authentic discoveries in evaluating this project – the many complex systems involved to create change. I felt honored to share my space and story.  I felt joyous to hear my learners question their learnings and to be able to co-construct, mentor and coach newfound ideologies and opportunities to grow. I look forward to seeing and hearing these stories guide us in our next phase.