A nice complement to this report has just happened down under - Celebrity chef Stephanie Alexander has been named Victorian of the Year. Ms Alexander is the creator of the Kitchen Garden Foundation, a program that shows primary school students how to grow and prepare their own food. After nine years, the program is now operating in close to 140 schools across Australia. see http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/01/2942220.htm?section=justin
Professor Annette Gough
Head, School of Education
RMIT University
(220.4.33)
PO Box 71
Bundoora Victoria 3083
Phone +61 3 9925 6580
Fax +61 3 9925 6639
Mobile +61 400 816 129
www.rmit.edu.au/education
AUSTRALIA
Chair, Victorian Council of Deans of Education
Director, RMIT UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre
Celebrating 51 years of teacher education at RMIT (1959-2010)
>>> "Dillon, Justin" <[log in to unmask]> 30/06/2010 22:31 >>>
New research by the Royal Horticultural Society Gardening in Schools - A vital tool for children's learning published this week shows the enormous impact gardening plays in a child's wellbeing, learning and development. Commissioned by the RHS from independent researchers the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), the report highlights how schools which actively use a garden, develop 'resilient,' 'ready to learn' and 'responsible' children - 3R attributes that make up well-balanced, happier, healthy, rounded individuals. The RHS believes these 3 R's can be learnt when gardening is used as a teaching tool, not just an extra-curricular activity.
The NFER surveyed a selection of 1,300 school teachers and studied in-depth 10 schools belonging to the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, from a large urban London primary to small village school in Yorkshire, to discover that gardening in schools encourages children to:
* Become stronger, more active learners capable of thinking independently and adapting their skills and knowledge to new challenges at school and in future;
* Gain a more resilient, confident and responsible approach to life so they can achieve their goals and play a positive role in society;
* Learn vital jobs skills such as presentation skills, communication and team work, and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit;
* Embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle as an important tool for success at school and beyond;
* Develop the ability to work and communicate with people from all ages and backgrounds.
To see the research report Gardening in Schools - A vital tool for children's learning please follow this link: http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening/teachershome/news/researchonschoolgardening.aspa
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Professor Justin Dillon
Professor of Science and Environmental Education
Head, Science & Technology Education Group (STEG)
President, European Science Education Research Association (ESERA)
Co-editor, International Journal of Science Education
Department of Education & Professional Studies
King's College London
Waterloo Bridge Wing (Room 1/7)
Franklin-Wilkins Building
150 Stamford Street
London SE1 9NH
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 20 7848 3096
Fax: +44 20 7848 3182
Mob: +44 7785 330536
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