Centre: Lucknow Kindergarten
Lucknow Kindergarten has a strong philosophy of environmental sustainability. Wherever possible, they 'make their own', starting with the raw materials. This spotlight highlights their philosophy in action, exhibited in a regular bread making activity. By asking the question, "what opportunities does this activity provide for meaningful learning?", extensive learning beyond just making bread was found.
ICT and equipment used:
- Digital camera
- Video camera
- Computer
- Software: Comic Life, iMovie
Promoting sustainability is an important feature of Lucknow Kindergarten's programme, not only because the centre is situated in Havelock North in the Hawke's Bay, an area very dependent on agriculture, but also because the environment is recognised as the "third teacher (Reggio Emilia approach). This drives the decisions made by teachers in the kindergarten, from choosing appropriate containers for storage, to organising a celebration, or ordering new furniture. Most importantly, it enriches the teaching and learning opportunities that are provided for children.
There are many examples which show Lucknow Kindergarten's respect for and philosophy of environmental sustainability. Some examples of how sustainability is embedded in the centre’s philosophy are:
- children regularly recycle old paper to make new paper in the big barrels located outside
- storage containers are made of flax - the kindergarten now grows sufficient flax to make their own baskets when they need replacing
- a large inside area is dedicated to collections of natural materials that children can explore
- ongoing development of the outdoor environment includes many native plants providing homes for birds and insects
- produce (eggs, fruit and vegetables) is collected and used in baking and food preparation.
As a natural progression from growing food, preparation of food has become an important part of the learning at Lucknow Kindergarten. Children pick mandarins, apples, walnuts, feijoas and blueberries from the trees, lettuce, tomatoes, peas and pumpkins from the garden, and collect eggs from the hens. Then, together, ways are found to incorporate this produce into baking.
A regular activity for children is baking homemade bread with hand-ground grains. Although there is not sufficient wheat in the garden to harvest for grinding, there is enough for children to understand the process and appreciate the change in seasons. In this case, ICT has been used to highlight the rich learning experience which has become part of this kindergarten's culture.