Author Information
Camilla Maria Aviles, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, ItalyEléna Sofia Paoli, Reggio Children Foundation, Italy
Abstract
In outdoor learning, children have the opportunity to make visible their curiosities, interests, glances, but also to demonstrate specific skills and creativity in providing hypotheses and finding solutions. Nevertheless, education in nature is not to be considered in opposition to media education, as both are characterised by their “ecological” aims in promoting balance and awareness, both in the biosphere and in culture, triggering a possible dialogue between technology and nature. This contribution highlights the results of a didactic and educational pathway, aimed at the study of spontaneous plants in a school garden, with the objective of problematising the concept of “nature,” co-designed with the Reggio Children Foundation and the teachers of the primary school “M.M. Boiardo, I.C. Einstein” in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Qualitative analysis of the collected data shows how direct experiences with the natural environment and the use of digital technologies offer possibilities for meaningful learning, which can facilitate, support and promote understanding and knowledge construction. The experience also returns an image of a competent, capable, curious child, who asks legitimate questions, seeks answers, makes attempts, exercises the right to make mistakes. The research offers reflective insights to promote a critical and aware approach to technology, combining it with a projectual and effective use of outdoor and indoor environments, in order to create a continuous connection between contexts and knowledge that encourages different modes, tools and languages in learning processes.
Paper Information
Conference: BCE2025Stream: Teaching Experiences
This paper is part of the BCE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Aviles C., & Paoli E. (2025) “How Did This Weed Get Into Our Garden?” Explorations and Connections Between Nature and Digital ISSN: 2435-9467 – The Barcelona Conference on Education 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 145-157) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435-9467.2025.13
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435-9467.2025.13
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