Open AccessLearning from the Fields
Author(s) -
Dorothy Lichtblau
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
critical social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1543-9372
DOI - 10.22329/csw.v11i3.5830
Subject(s) - experiential learning , narrative , period (music) , natural (archaeology) , perception , psychology , field (mathematics) , outdoor education , pedagogy , social psychology , sociology , aesthetics , history , art , archaeology , literature , mathematics , neuroscience , pure mathematics
This paper is composed of a series of linked narratives that examine and reflect on the experiences and findings obtained during the initial period of my research, which was a self-study. I began this project to learn whether attending to the natural world would deepen my ecological awareness and how this shifted understanding might inform who I was as an educator and researcher. Beginning with experiences that occurred during the research period (the latter half of 2008 to the first few months of 2009) these stories move backward and forward in time to illustrate the recollections and connections these explorations instigated and how they influenced my perceptions of the world around me.
The findings of this study are relevant to the field of social work because they imply that human growth and well-being are related to understanding ourselves as connected with and significant to our bioregional homes. This study also demonstrates that critical experiential learning is key to professional development.