Or read below for more specifics. This case study examines a group of 10-11 year-olds participating in a nature-based educational role-play adventure program called Wild Craft Play. The facilitative approach used mirrors some of the characteristics of the hummingbird, and thereby is affectionately referred to within these pages as The Hummingbird Approach. In this approach, once the facilitator has set … Read More
Book Jamie Black
Jamie Black MA Play Specialist, Earth Advocate, Guide, Consultant, and Producer (aka HummingBard). Jamie has been educating and guiding people since 2000 in many walks of life. Identifying as Jamie/she/them, Jamie specializes in play, storycrafting, entrepreneurship, running outdoor programs, digital story production, and igniting Wild Craft Play for people. Scroll down to see a list of topics, or simply reach … Read More
Guided Drum Journey with HummingBard
4 Week Online Guided Drum Journey with Hummingbird (aka Jamie Black) Sundays from 11-1:30 pm Register and Donate by emailing Jamie HERE CLICK HERE to find a Sunday Start Date that works for our next intake, space is limited. Thank you for considering donating. For this first experience, we will be ironing out the kinks of online journeying. Any feedback … Read More
Archery breeds Philanthropy in Nature
What a gift it was to go out into Nature with this extraordinary new friend, Conan. I was blessed to be taken to his favorite spot in Nature, and we camped out and did archery, then had sausages with home-made sourdough. Mmmmm. While out on this adventure many things happened, including deep conversations about what I am doing on this … Read More
Letting Go and Trusting the Process
Now there’s a loaded statement “Let go and trust the process.” Right. Just let go. That sounds easy enough. Am I the only one who has a hard time letting go? Yet, once I let go of trying so hard, and finally give in to trusting that things will work out as they are meant to, **Bing, I get a … Read More
Jamie Black as a child in nature: An autobiography
Jamie Black as a child in nature: An autobiography. “Why can’t we build a fire here?” I would ask mom. “Good question!” she would reply, and then provide space for hands-on learning to ingrain the awareness and the knowing that my actions have consequences, and that nature needs to be protected. Being nature aware is second nature to me because … Read More
This day couldn’t get any better
“This day couldn’t get any better could it?” asks 8 year old Paula, as we walked barefoot in the rain in the woods in October. Then she says “or could it?” Just then I hiked up my skirt, and said “let’s run!” She let out a gleeful squeal, igniting my inner child and we splashed through the puddles in our bare feet. There … Read More
“I smile” by Jamie Black
It is time that I slow down, and be in gratitude. Gratitude for all that is, all that was, and all that will be. This past weekend, I had a very grounding journey in a friend’s VW Westfalia. I just know that someday soon a Westfalia will be gifted to me, so that I may do my masters … Read More
The Essence of Exploration in Nature vs MineCraft
The essence of exploration lies in the unknown. August 30th 2014, my sister, mom and I embarked on an adventure to Jedadiah Island, in this great archipelago near Nanoose Harbour off Vancouver Island. Although it was a short three day, two night outing, the essence of exploration became apparent in regards to my research proposal. I have decided to start blogging about my … Read More
Seeing Mind Traps as Opportunities as a Director
Seeing Mind Traps as Opportunities as a Director is a skillful way to affect change. In environments involving human interaction, traps and miscommunications are inevitable. We may go into an environment with the best of intention, and yet our own motives may skew our view of a common goal. Meadows (2008) defines these traps and offers the way out that … Read More
Simulation Models for a simple mind
What is situational modeling anyway? When I was reviewing the class notes and learning about situational modeling, I didn’t understand why anyone would want to graph what they were graphing. I didn’t understand how you could turn something into data related to an X and Y axis that was worth looking at and deciphering. Maybe this makes me simple-minded, but … Read More
Nature is my meditation… my medicine.
Yesterday, my head was spinning from all the worry, the change, the anxiety, the uncertainty the embarrassment and the fear. Something reminded me to go outside, into the unknown, the unimpeded beauty of nature. So I went to James Bay in Victoria and walked this beach. Ocean crashing… … Read More
Who am I being that your eyes are not shining? Ben Zander
Who am I being that your eyes are not shining? Just in the past couple of days I have watched the sparkle leave your face. What have I done? I do not want to live that way! Ben Zander’s TED TALK has tickled my senses and I feel more aware: helped this concept hit home for me, and I am … Read More
Compassion for Schizophrenia
Today I was reading my class readings in my Masters of Arts in Environmental Education and Communication, for EECO 504 Course, Systems with Pille Bunnell. Her website is http://www.sympoetic.net/Cognition/coordination.html and this week the topic is Cognition as Coordination Closed Nervous system Relational domains Emotioning Boy are these ever striking a painful cord in my heart. Cognition. Nervous Systems. Relation/Relating. Emotions. And then … Read More
Why can’t we call it Magic?
Why can’t we call it Magic? Why does it have to be scientifically proven, or based on a belief structure. Why can’t the magic of nature be just that? Why am I on this journey of a Masters to “prove” the magic of nature, and how it alters lives? With over 13 years of experience in the field, I have … Read More
Empathy shows itself to me yet again… maybe I should listen.
I woke up this morning reflecting on a pickle that I experienced at work. And it wasn’t the pickle that hit home so much, or the fact that I felt incompetent and embarrassed. What it all came down to was, how I dealt with this pickle, and the honest feedback and reflection that I received that smacked me in the … Read More
Jamie Black is learning Advanced 2 Beat Weave from Play Poi
My online learning experience with Intermediate Poi. After fending for myself for years with awkward online learning, I fell in love with this approach from Play Poi: Watch this video of Jamie in practice. 1. As a learner, I found PlayPoi’s teaching methods very inviting and effective. I attained the results I was looking for, and appreciated that … Read More
Mommy is learning how to belay through Guided Discovery
Today my Mommy is learning how to belay through Guided Discovery. I am so proud of you Mommy! For the past week, I have spent a few hours using a Guided Discovery teaching style to teach her how to belay. Mom has got a new set of climbing gear and wants to come climbing with me, but before I can … Read More
What is the core of a pedagogue?
I am seeking the answer to what Pedagogue means to teachers alike, and to educators like me. Upon writing a gratitude letter to my new mentor Hilary Leighton I was drawn back to the notes that I took while sitting in a conversation with her in July. It was about my Thesis, and my direction of focus for my … Read More
A Sensé once told me “You are Master of NOTHING!”
It is true, he did say “You are Master of Nothing”… and I believe he said this to me to inspire me to Master something. At the time I was training in Kung-Fu. My Sifu was training me privately to become a teacher for him, because I was good. I was so good that he wanted me to continue the … Read More
Until I am as good as I want to be.
I am taking voice lessons to improve my voice, until I am as good as I want to be, to get my songs recorded… what are you learning right now? I’m watching a youtube video about how to learn anything in 20 hours. I’m skeptical, and yet VERY curious. If you want to watch first on your own, check it … Read More
What kind of learning style do I have?
I am learning about what kind of learning style I have. In my Masters of Arts in Environmental Education and Communication at Royal Roads University, I am taking EECO 508 “Learning Theory and Program Design” taught by Professor Milt McClaren. So far I have found Professor McClaren’s style and resources very intriguing. I can tell that he is catering his … Read More
Surrendering to a dying deer
Yesterday, as I road my bike home, I peddled past a deer that had been hit by a car and was immobile, and yet still alive on the side of the road. I at first saw it’s doey eyes staring up at me, and thought nothing of it as I peddled, but then soon realized that it was injured, I … Read More
Campaigning AND Social Media AND Disconnection
What an interesting experiment this whole Social Media Campaigning is. Our asignment is to use TransMedia and Plenitude in a way to inspire some sort of campaign to engage. Now I have been doing social media, studying social media, learning by doing, and am starting to see a pattern. Likes are just likes, once they like it they may never … Read More
Going down the rabbit hole of Experiential Education with John Dewey
As most of you know, my interest is in Experiential Education, Guided Discovery and Coyote Mentoring. My topic of interest for my Environmental Communications course at Royal Roads is in bringing more Experiential Education into the school system. I feel humbled by knowing that John Dewey back in 1938, had it right in emphasizing “That we must understand how experience … Read More
Peter Parker picked a peck of pickled peppers… so who is Peter Parker?
Henry Jenkins uses “Peter Parker” as an example of aka Joe Blow, to demonstrate teen’s use of media and where we are at now. There is a communication shift as more and more young people are becoming involved in society through their interaction with the internet. Jenkins shares his views on TEDX: History Culture or Participatory Culture 1920’s amature radio … Read More
Do It Yourself’ers at “Trout Gulch” a Hobbit Movement
DIY means Do It Yourself. There are people labelled “DIYers” in an area called Trout Gulch who are in a Hobbit Movement… it makes me think of Erringtonians and the like-minded interest of being able to do it ourselves in a communal kinda way! There are some interesting stories being told about people who milk their own goats, and live … Read More
“Scholarly Monologue gives way to Collegial Dialogue.” ~ Em Griffin
Today I study “What makes interpretive theory good?” I have a paper due in a couple of days, and I need to choose a topic to do a literary review on and review it in the context of communication theory. It has been an interesting process to define what theory relates to my personal topic of interest. My topic has … Read More
It takes a village to convocate a MAEEC Student!
The MAEEC program has become my village, and the students have become my family. The professors, my mentors much akin to me, and the laboratory of 260 hectares of marvelous beauty is willing me to do more, be more and educate more. Today was a wonderful day of exploration and appreciative inquiry as we stepped across the multitude of tide … Read More
July 12, 2013 Daily Journal Blog
Today was a beautfiul day…. and I was inspired by the Peacocks. Cheryl inspired me to think about the symbolism of what it all means… it means; Renewal, and the gates of paradise were guarded by two peacocks. And I am definitely in paradise! And not only that, but I am surrounded by a blessed group of fabulous people who … Read More