LTA Connect: The Learning Landscape from UHI to Canada: Creating connection, understanding and collaboration in our virtual learning environments

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LTA CONNECT

In 2021 the early learning and childcare team were contacted by Graduate student, Valerie Neaves from the University of Victoria, Canada about undertaking a Practicum placement at UHI to look at the landscape for learning, looking at how we learn through the land, ancestral heritage, language and culture within the early years, with particular interest in our Forest Kindergarten award and our own cultural heritage within the UHI landscape.

This session will look at the experiences from the staff at UHI and Valerie and how COVID shaped the delivery of this practicum placement and how through various blended delivery methods we were able to host sessions from Valerie to face to face, blended and fully online cohorts of students.

This time will also be spent to touch briefly on the main themes of knowledge sharing in this placement: Cultural humility, Canadian Indigenous Reconciliation, Cultural and Landscape and Early Learning and Care’s Western lens in diverse learning environments and the students view of the differences noted.

We will also be looking at how we will learn through this and move forward with further collaborations with international practicums can help create cross cultural connections, real time knowledge sharing and increased understanding to widen the experience of our students and staff alike.

Presenters

Valerie Neaves, Julie Jones, Angela Cameron, Emma Sinclair, Alastair Davidson

Valarie Neaves: Val has been an adult educator in various roles for 20 years with diverse populations in Canada. She has her Undergraduate Degree in Canadian Studies, an M. Ed in Educational Policy and is currently pursuing a Graduate Degree in Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria in Canada. She is currently doing Graduate Studies in Child and Youth Care and looking at how newcomers to Canada in the Childcare profession relate to Nature Based /Forest Kindergarten Programming when the landscape, culture and language is new to them.

Julie Jones: Julie Jones is the Programme Leader for the Graduate Apprenticeship BA Early learning and Childcare (GAELC). Julie supported Val through the early stages of her practicum and made links to the team within Inverness College and the wider UHI network.

Angela Cameron: Angela has been a lecturer on several Childhood programmes and is current Programme Co-Lead on HNC Childhood practice. Angela supported Val to make links with participating classes to encourage dialogue on the concepts of cultural humility.

Emma Sinclair: Emma is Co-Lead for the HNC Childhood Practice and FE lecturer in Childhood Practice. Emma supports a range of senior phase students undertaking the Skills for Work: Early Learning and Childcare course and the Foundation Apprenticeship in Children and Young People.

Alastair Davidson: Alastair teaches across several programmes in Childhood Practice with a particular interest in outdoor learning. Making cultural connections with Val’s work we explored the link between First Nation and Gaelic approaches to land and landscape.

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