Dr Sandra Duncan on Lessons from Nature

In this session we discuss how Dr Duncan has been inspired by nature for a long time, after she’d written an article called ‘lessons from the Bower Bird’ on classroom design. We’ve chosen 4 different chapters out of the 28 in the book to discuss.
· July 1, 2022

Dr Sandra Duncan has over 45 years of experience and a doctorate in education, and a wide and varied background at the national and international level in early childcare and education.

She has extensive experience in working with young children and parents, teaching at the university level (doctorate students and early childhood students), designing and writing professional development programs for practitioners and creating a new line of preschool furniture called Sense of Place.

Dr Duncan has authored several teacher resource books including Inspiring Spaces for Young Children with Jessica Deviney, Sara Harris, Mary Ann Rody and Lois Rosenberry and – Through a Child’s Eyes: How Classroom Design Inspires Learning and Wonder with Jody Martin and Sally Haughey.

Her newest book is called The Honeycomb Hypothesis and is published by Exchange Press.

In this session we discuss how Dr Duncan has been inspired by nature for a long time, after she’d written an article called ‘lessons from the Bower Bird’ on classroom design. We’ve chosen 4 different chapters out of the 28 in the book to discuss:

What the pumpkinseed fish can teach us about personalities and classroom design
How horses can help us rethink learning environments
How butterflies can inspire metamorphic design
What the ‘smell of a hug’ can mean for young children

These inspirations from Nature have been cleverly woven into different aspects of effective classroom design, improving spaces for young children and inspiring learning.

Links:

Dr Sandra Duncan’s website is: sandraduncan.com

https://www.gryphonhouse.com/our-authors/author-detail/sandra-duncan

https://positivepsychology.com/attention-restoration-theory/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inspiring-Spaces-Children-Jessica-Deviney/dp/0876593171

Honeycomb Hypothesis video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUrCXN8Iu0U

Honeycomb Hypothesis book can be ordered here: https://www.childcareexchange.com/eed/issue/5697/

Lessons from the Bower Bird:
https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/clatter-in-the-classroom

Dr David Sloan Wilson research links:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David-Sloan-Wilson/3

Practical Horseman, Stall Vs. Pasture, December (2017). https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health-archive/stall-vs-pasture#:~:text=Various%20studies%20link%20pasture%20time,stress%20levels%20and%20improved%20trainability

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