Archive for October, 2007
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“The Centre for Ecoliteracy “is dedicated to education for sustainable living. In the words of CEL cofounder Fritjof Capra,
We do not need to invent sustainable human communities. We can learn from societies that have lived sustainably for centuries. We can also model communities after nature’s ecosystems, which are sustainable communities of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Since the outstanding characteristic of the biosphere is its inherent ability to sustain life, a sustainable human community must be designed in such a manner that its technologies and social institutions honor, support, and cooperate with nature’s inherent ability to sustain life.
The processes and patterns by which ecosystems sustain themselves have evolved over billions of years. Designing human communities that are compatible with nature’s processes requires basic ecological knowledge, which is one of the key components of ecological literacy.”
Please take a few minutes to read and be inspired.
Community
Systems Thinking
Competencies
Sustainability and Schools
Exemplars
Thank You Betsy for the beautiful new autumn banner illustration that is currently gracing the top of this page and for the inspiration you give me.
One peek into Betsy’s art studio, two years ago, and I was hooked. Hooked on the soft vibrant color palettes she chooses, the dream-scapes she cleverly creates and the way her characters peek my imagination. She is my absolute favorite artist of all time and I am not just saying that because she is a good friend 
“After a few years in a few cubicles, Betsy Walton has made a break for it. She now works full time as an artist and illustrator from her studio in Portland, Oregon. Her recent work explores the possibilities of visual narrative. With a background primarily in printmaking and drawing, Betsy experiments with layering, detail, and color in her works on paper. When she is not painting and drawing, Betsy might be found wandering through the library, or exploring the forests and beaches of Oregon.”
Betsy has an Etsy Shop. YAY!
I have been following the photo journal of designer Alison Garnett for a few years now. Last winter while in Toronto, I had the pleasure of meeting Alison and her muse, Leah, in their home. It was fun to share a couple of hours with them both and to be face to face with the little girl whose whimsical expressions I have grown to adore.
I asked Ali to give us some tips on photographing children and documenting “childhood”.
1. Allow the child to come up with some of their own ideas for poses
- that makes it more of a fun and creative exercise.
2. Use props and dress up clothes – they can add an element of
nostalgia.
3. Shoot at their level. If you aim down, children appear less
empowered. If you shoot at their eye level, they appear larger than
life.
4. Talk away while you take pictures to add a level of distraction.
That way the photos appear less posed.
5. Don’t fix up there hair and clothing. Keep them looking
natural … children aren’t perfect, which is what makes each one of
them unique and special. Those are the memories you want to hold on to.
Ali —– You do such a lovely job! Leah’s memory of childhood is going to be enhanced by your captures and cherished by everyone who comes to know her.
I suspect that many of you are familiar with Canadian author, Robert Munch, but did you know that on his website you can listen along while he tells stories? “Mud Puddle” is one of my all time favorites.
“Mud Puddle was the first story that I ever made into a book. I made it up one very wet Spring in 1976 when I was working in a nursery school.
The playground had turned into a large mud hole and the children always got very dirty whenever they went outside, but there wasn’t really very much the kids could do about it.
I got the idea that the kids might like a story about mud; so I made up a story about a mud puddle that jumped on kids from out of trees. The kids thought it was a great story. The first time I told it they went out into the playground and looked up in the trees for mud puddles. They thought that mud puddles living in trees would explain why they got dirty so much. I decided that it was a pretty good story.”
The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools, by Prakash Nair and Randall Fielding, “is a seminal work because it defines a new graphic vocabulary that synthesizes learning research with best practice in school planning and design. But it is more than a book about ideas. It is also a practical tool and a must-have resource for all school stakeholders involved in planning, designing and constructing new and renovated schools and evaluating the educational adequacy of existing school facilities.”
To view excerpts from the book, reviews or order a copy – click on the links in the right hand column. I am going to pick up a copy while I am in the US later on this month. I have a few others on my list, which I will share with you soon.
Innovative School Designs + Sharing Ideas in a Global Forum = DesignShare
“With over 150,000 visitors a month, DesignShare is the central address for the very best in educational facilities and their impact on the learning process. DesignShare provides an invaluable service as a facilitator of ideas and resources about best practices and innovation in schools from early childhood through the university level.”
Artists Taylor and Wood, “designed Frames. It’s a completely interactive wallpaper – you decide what you want it to be – whether you want to put up your youngsters art, paint directly in to a frame, or put up family photos – it’s up to you!”
Thanks for the inspiration! All we need is a pencil and a ruler to turn a wall in our school into a gallery, open to artists of all ages and abilities
originally viewed at swissmiss