[00:07] Speaker 1: Welcome to All Learning Reimagined, the podcast that defines convention and redefines the purpose and practice of education. Here we venture beyond institutional boundaries. Whether you're a parent, educator, or curious mind devoted to lifelong growth, this is your space to challenge assumptions and co-create a more humane and intuitive approach to education. Let's reimagine what education can be.

[00:46] Speaker 2: (laughs)

[00:48] Speaker 3: (laughs)

[00:48] Speaker 4: G'day, g'day, g'day (laughs) . Uh, welcome to All Learning Reimagined. I'm your host, Tariza, bringing you a little ray of sunshine, as together, we're reimagining the future of education one inspired story at a time. And welcome back for all my regular listeners. Um, thank you so much for everybody who's reaching out and giving feedback, and who are enjoying all of the articles and the resources that I've been publishing each week. It's, um, it's really great to hear from you, so thank you so much for that. Um, today, we're going to do episode three out of eight. Um, in, uh, basically what I would call an All Learning Reimagined, uh, like a framework, I guess. It's like that, um, uh, a framework for living learning. And so episode one, which was two weeks ago, we did language awareness, which is talking about how words shape our reality.

[01:47] Speaker 4: And episode two, which was last week, which on relational learning, really like relational literacy, um, which is really about connection before teaching content. Um, and today, we're going to expend, expand on that with, um, episode three, which is called The Learning Field, and that's really more the emergence and flow, um, and learning emerges through, um, through people and that connection with people, um, and consciousness. So it's that relational field where the learning actually lives between us. Uh, it's a little bit different, I know, but after d- decades of knowing h- how to do this, and people questioning, um, you know, why I have so much success particularly connecting with, um, challenging students or learners. Uh, I believe it's because of, uh, building relationships, number one, but also, I have quite a good grasp on the learning field and how to use this, um, and work with the learning field, with the learner.

[02:56] Speaker 4: So I'd like to share with you what, what it is, what little (laughs) experience that I have so that you can ponder on it yourself and reflect on what it is that you know, and please reach out and share if you have, um, ideas and things to share as well. Um, so anyway, here we go. Uh, okay. So the first thing that I really wanna talk about with, um, learning as a relational field is that it really isn't just delivered from one person to another. It's, um, we have a field around us. We know we have an aura. We know we have an emotional body. We have a mental body. Um, many different, uh, cultures believe we have up to 108 energy bodies, actually. Uh, that's a whole nother conversation we could go down. But there's definitely a field around us, and you can feel it when you work, walk into a space.

[03:48] Speaker 4: When you walk into a busy shopping centers with the fluoro lights and the, um, you know, the techno music and, and the frequencies are pumping out at you with all the EMFs and things around you, that's a really different field than if I'm walking through a rainforest or standing on a beach. So that field and that energetics around us really, um, influences how we learn, and, and how that learning connects into our, into our body and into our space, not just our brains, because learning is not just intellectual. It's, (laughs) it's, um, it's a whole body experience really, and it really emerges through that connection and the environment, and that shared experience, because the learning isn't necessarily just inside the child, or the teacher for that matter, or the parent, grandparent, uh, guide, whoever it happens to be. It's sometimes, it's also in the space that's between them. Sounds a little bit sci-fi, but, uh, it's true. Some people might call it quantum.

[04:52] Speaker 4: If you're in Star Wars, you probably call it the force. Um, there is a little bit of truth in a, in a lot of these different things that we're talking about. So, I mean, knowledge is cr- co-created. Some theorists would argue that knowledge is co-created and not transferred, although I do know that there are, um, many indigenous cultures who do talk about knowledge transference. So I guess that could be argued against the point depending on your perspective. And I know that today, it seems to be quite popular for people to say, "Oh, I've downloaded information," as if they're a computer. It's like, it always makes me wonder, why do you say download? Like, where is it downloading it from, and who's the, who's sending you that information if you're talking this way? Um, or, or y- or are you uploading it, like uploading it from within you if it's knowledge that you had, um, from within you? I don't really know. Like, uh, and I don't have the answer.

[05:47] Speaker 4: I'm just literac- literally putting questions out there around the way that people are talking these days, particularly if you go on something like YouTube and they're discussing, saying, "Oh, I got a download the other day." Okay. Where did you get the download from? Uh, where did that information come from? Did it come from the field?... perhaps. Uh, did it come from yourself? Did it come from another person? Was it beamed to you? Because there is technology and patents for technology out there to put, um, uh, thoughts, you know, I think it's skull technology, like, you know, thoughts to skull technology, and they've been using it for years, um, in many different places. So, that's a whole nother conversation as well. Um, but when it comes to, like, the social constructivism, uh, there is a theorist called Vygotsky. Uh, well that's how I pronounce his name. I hope that's how you pronounce his name.

[06:36] Speaker 4: But, I've been, um, looking at his work for many, many years, and it really is talking about learning that happens through interaction and dialogue, and really shared meaning-making. And, the theory that I really liked about Vygotsky, was that zone of proximal development, which is really thinking about if a child particularly can- it can be anyone, a learner, has something that they need to learn but is, um, something that they cannot necessarily do on their own. They need, um, guidance, it might be too difficult on their own at first, they need encouragement from an experienced person or a knowledgeable person. So, for a young child, it might be learning to walk or learning to ride a bicycle. And, you know, the parent holding the handles on the bicycle, which is sort of like the scaffolding, until the parent doesn't need to hold it anymore and the child can do it for themselves.

[07:31] Speaker 4: So it's that, um, guidance and collaboration, and also sometimes peer interaction which can, um, can enhance, uh, the comprehension, understanding, and also the retention of the information or the skill or the knowledge that they are learning, because you build it together, I guess. So socially, you can learn and do it together. Uh, I really love this, and I've been working in this space for a long time where you can have a group of learners, any number, even if it's just a pair, and they are collaborating and working together in order to work things through, to solve a problem, um, to learn. It's a very powerful tool, and I feel that this fits in with, uh, learning as a relational field, because it's that shared space between the two people and wha- what it is that they're creating. So I did wanna bring that up today as, um, a talking point and something to stop and think about.

[08:29] Speaker 4: I know that, uh, you know, there are so many retirees, um, who are no longer n- necessarily in the workforce, but they have so much to offer and so much to give and so much to teach and share. And, personally, I feel that there would be a, a huge valuable resource of knowledge, um, in our schooling spaces, and, uh, that would always be really a dream of mine. I know I've talked about bartering barns before, but, uh, you know, getting the community involved in a school, uh, so that the school is not a standalone setting that's so disconnected from community, um, and building those relationships. And I feel that that, that's something that, um, can be tapped in here, tapped into here. So, the zone of proximal development, um, uh, Vygotsky would be probably the, I mean, there's a few people that do talk about this, but he would be probably the number one, um, theorist that I would go to, with ...

[09:31] Speaker 4: And the theory really is, essentially, there's a space between what the learner can do on their own, and what they can do with the support of someone else. And let's face it, as adults we're exactly the same thing. You know, if you, if you wanna go and learn how to cook or do woodwork or metalwork or do a mechanic's apprenticeship, it's, there's, um, there's always something that you need to have that guidance, um, and stepping into that space. Uh, the next, um, point that I'd like to ponder is that the environment shapes our learning field. And I know I have discussed this before, I did actually, um, talk about this a little bit in episode two last week. The physical and the emotional environment directly impacts our learning. If children are not feeling (laughs) safe, particularly that psychological safety, um, then they will withdraw, um, some of them will use excuses or do whatever they can to get out of that environment if they don't have that safety.

[10:33] Speaker 4: But that physical and that emotional environment really is, um, key. And, of course, it links to your nervous system. Um, having a deregulated nervous system causes all sorts of problems for learners, and it's certainly something that is, um, very important for the educator or the guide or, you know, the parent that is leading the learning or creating, or in charge of the learning environment. I always like to co-create my learning environments with students. I get them to help work on displays, we talk about how we want, um, our classes to run. And they have lots of input, um, and lots of say, which also means they have lots of responsibility on, um, the layout and how things are going to happen. But the classroom climate, you know, really is a strong com- uh, there is a cr- strong correlation between the environment and our academic outcomes. I can personally attest for that. I have seen it time and time again over years.

[11:34] Speaker 4: Uh, you know, calm, connected environments, um, really increase engagement and creativity, particularly when, um, children, if you're talking about children or teenagers, have that ownership of the space. Because I d- I don't feel like the environment is a backdrop, it's actually part of the learning. And so I consider things, when I go into a learning space, I, I consider things like sound, um, smells, the lighting, is there natural lighting? Um, the textures, even the textures of the seats that they're sitting on, or carpet if there's on the floor, or beanbags, or whatever the, the furniture is that you do- you're making do with. Um, also the energy of the room, the feel of the room. Sometimes I, I go in and I, I, you know-... do the whole feng shui thing, I- I rearrange things so there's better flow of energy in the room.

[12:24] Speaker 4: Um, and then, I also am quite sensitive to electricity, so I look at, you know, are there lead lights and electrical points, and, or are there electrical, um, boxes or something on the outside of the wall of where it is that we're teaching? All of these things do have, um, an impact on the learner, and- and subcon- subconsciously, they might not even know, they might not even realize. But as soon as you rearrange, it can even be the color, because colors hold frequency, but when you change some of these things subtly in a room, you can actually shift the energy in the room, um, to help the nervous system of the learner, and that- that emotional environment really does seem to settle and to calm. I mean, I don't know about you, but if I have, uh, I don't know, a messy office or a desk, or even your bedroom, if you- if it's not clean and tidy and you've got clutter everywhere, it certainly subconsciously affects, um, you know, how you operate.

[13:25] Speaker 4: And it's the same thing when it comes to a learning environment. Uh, you know, it- also things like a- a fear-based environment, you know, if you have a fear-based environment where the children do not feel safe, then they will not contribute. They will just withdraw. They will comply, possibly out of fear, but it doesn't mean that they're going to want to increase their participation or their risk-taking, or innovation, which is what we want our learners to do. We want them to innovate, um, and we definitely want them to participate, because we want them to contribute. And that curiosity's not going to be there if we don't consider that, um, environment. And then, that links back again to something that I mentioned last week in episode two when I was talking about, uh, relational learning, and I was discussing that the educator, uh, parent, mentor, teacher, whatever label you wanna put on it, um, is a field stabilizer.

[14:19] Speaker 4: I mean, we anchor in this, um, this feeling, and if you're tired, children pick up on that. If you're angry or cranky, the learners in the room will sense that. I mean, uh, we- we're animals at some stage, you got- we have those animalistic senses, and it certainly does trigger our fight or flight subconsciously, um, because we can pick up on that presence of, um, the educator, I'm just gonna say educator, uh, that is setting the tone, really, for the learning. So, if the educator's excited, if you're listening to a guest speaker and they're excited and they're passionate, you get swept up in that emotion and that tone and that, um, it's the same thing when it comes to the learning. That regulation, that intention, that presence, um, is really, really important, because the educator isn't just there delivering content or possibly teaching a skill. Um, in my opinion, and m- in my experience, we're holding the field.

[15:20] Speaker 4: We're really holding the field, and I'm so conscious of this when I am working on workshops with adults, um, or of course, teaching, um, children, um, guiding, coaching, whatever it is that I happen to be doing. I'm also very aware of, how am I showing up and how am I holding the field? To make sure that none of my stuff, if I'm, you know, if I'm tired or I've- I've had a day, um, influences the learning environment. So, you know, who we are in that space really does matter, as much as it is, uh, with how we teach, and the routines and things like that. It's definitely something, and it's a part of- it's a part of education that's not really often talked about and discussed. Some people say, "Oh, you know, that's a little bit woo-woo. It's not- it's not tangible," and yet- and yet, it's essential. It's a concrete, um, foundation to set up, um, the learning environment.

[16:18] Speaker 4: And, you know, I have discussions with this with my learners as well, and I really like to play on popular culture to make that bridge so that they can sort of understand where I'm coming from, and I find that the young, um, the young learners pick it up really quickly. They seem to get it. It's- it's us oldies that have been around the block that sometimes question it, because it's not how we were taught or we didn't necessarily have to consider it. But, you know, the idea, as I mentioned before, in stories such as T- Star Wars when they talk about the Force, well, I wouldn't say Force, it's almost like a source, like energy, um, but it's that field that exists between all living things. I mean, we know that trees communicate with each other. Animals can communicate with each other, um, whether it be under the ocean or- or not. Um, it's not something owned by one person. It's just this living system, and it's a field.

[17:09] Speaker 4: It's like it's the ocean that we're swimming in with this oxygen in the air and the field that's around us, and it's something that you can tune into and you can feel, and it's something that you can actually work with in your favor. Because we're creative beings, and we can set our intention, and we can also have a good look around the learning space and remove anything that's a distraction or- or feels like it's a low frequency, um, including images or music or sounds that seems to be a distraction, and make it clean and clear, um, you know, fresh air and fresh lighting. Y- you can't beat something like that, um, as well. I mean, I often, for years, used to take in, um, uh, I don't know what they're called. You know those, it's like a jar of like an oil, and then, you have the sticks that stand out of the top of them, like those essential oils? Um, I used to always have one that was coconut, and it was very subtle.

[18:04] Speaker 4: If you didn't really look for it, you wouldn't even know it was there. But when anybody, any age, walked into my classroom, they just visibly relaxed. Their shoulders dropped, and they relaxed, and it was almost like the- the coconut was that connotation to holiday, relaxing, um, and it was not an overpowering smell. In fact-Um, many of the learners in the classroom didn't, wasn't even aware it was there. But I knew that it was there, and it, it helped shift and create the environment that I wanted, which was, you know, calm, um, and centered learning environment. So, you know, do whatever it takes, wherever you happen to be, whatever you've got, whatever you've got in your circumstances. Um, but having conversations about things like, um, uh, Star Wars, uh, and, and there's many other different, um, movies as well, that, um, children can really tap into this, because then they can understand that learning, um, you know, that learning bridge.

[19:05] Speaker 4: It's not just what's inside the teacher and that the teacher is holding all authority and what's inside the children. There does exist a space between us, and it's shaped by tension, what you put your attention on, and your intention, what is your intention in this lesson? Being very specific about that. Holding that presence, not being distracted by a phone or a laptop or a whatever, um, and then making that connection. Because when you have all of these things, that is just the perfect environment, it's the perfect, um, uh, I was about to say, um, garden bed, I guess, in order for them to plant seeds, to grow, to learn. And it's really, really important. And tying into that then, is also group dynamics, because if you have, um, you know, once again, going back to social, if you have (laughs) more than one person in the room, then that group dynamics is also comes in with that sense of belonging, actually has impacts engagement and identity as well.

[20:07] Speaker 4: So, if you have a new learner that comes to join a group and there's already a, a very strong bond within the group, then that can be s- quite tricky for that new learner to come in and feel accepted, depending on how that group dynamic works. So, as an educator, I'm always very aware of creating the opportunity for, for that to be nurtured, and, um, uh, and that opportunities for them connection and to ha- to be connected, and to have shared experiences together so that they can bond, I guess. Because, you know, when a child or a learner is disengaged or anxious, that really does shift the field. Sometimes just that one person can shift the field. And if you're a teacher (laughs) and you're listening, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. You can have that one learner in the classroom that can shift the entire feel of the classroom, and then when they're away for a day, the whole classroom completely changes, because that energy is really, um, affects others.

[21:12] Speaker 4: And the same with us. When people say, "Oh, what can I do? I'm only one person." Well, actually, your frequency and your energy and how you show up, uh, is really important. And being able to be aware of group dynamics, um, and, you know, be grounded and connected and present and stabilize it and hold space so that the learners can then do what they need to do is an essential part in teaching, in my opinion. We're constantly influencing each other, whether we're aware, whe- whe- whether we are aware of it or not. My goodness gracious, I'm so tongue-tied today. Hmm, wonder what that's about. Uh, okay. So, next point, moving on, 'cause I'm looking at the time going, oh my goodness, gracious me, I have lots to talk about today.

[21:54] Speaker 4: I wanted to also bring up our, um, indigenous and community-based learning models, because anyone who's listened to me for quite a while now knows that I'm a huge fan, and I really do feel that our traditional cultures really do comprehend, um, learning that's relational and communal in such, uh, a deep way. And our western learning structure that we've had for the last, mm, I don't know, over 100 years, uh, since the early 1900s, has just been moving away from that. And that's the huge disconnect. If we are all intellectual, push, push, push, have an exam, pressure, pressure, yet what are we doing to our children? Are we really setting them up to be successful if we, um, push them to feel that intellectual, um, uh, i- intelligence is the only way? There are so many other things that are important when it comes to learning and to life, and we have to live the learning.

[22:55] Speaker 4: So, when I consider our traditional cultures, you know, they do lots of learning through observation, definitely out in the field, of course, not necessarily through four walls, but, you know, hands-on, observing, reflecting. The storytelling, storytelling is so powerful. Um, you know, participation, real-life connection and participation. And then, of course, connection to land, uh, whatever the environment or the land is, uh, whether it's, you know, the snow, the beach, the desert, the, the rainforest, wherever you happen to be, and then, of course, the community and all of the people in the community, because isn't that what learning's all about, is being able to contribute in community and to know who and what you are, where you are, how you show up, um, knowing yourself is, is part of the journey. Um, and so, you know, for much of human history, learner, learning was never really separate from life. So, why are we, why are we separating it from life now? You know, it, it just ...

[24:01] Speaker 4: (sighs) It really frustrates me that we have come so far away from being connected to life and having learning seen as separate from life. You can drive past some schools, I'm in Australia, you can drive past many schools in c- in, um, in cities or even regional towns, and some of the schools look like a jail. They have huge fences. Fair enough, they don't want vandalism and, you know, someone burning the wheelie bins or whatever it is that happens at, o- on the weekends and they're protecting the property, and yet-We're sending the children off into an environment that even has this huge fence and barrier, which is subconsciously saying this is disconnected from community. Um, what's that about?

[24:44] Speaker 4: I mean, when it comes to the field, when you're walking into the space, and you must be in this space, you must do this, do this, you must do that, that freedom and that flow and that learning and that connection, because everyone has their own timing, you know, but you have to learn something at the same time with children the same age, in the same room, on the same timetable, it's just not natural, in my opinion. And, you know, the, the indigenous cultures, our traditional cultures, would agree, because they never did it that way as well. So that whole shift, you know, h- what do we do about this? It's, it's, we have to move from just teaching content and skills, and also consider designing the conditions that are right for learning.

[25:33] Speaker 4: And this is where a lot of the success, um, that I've had with teaching over the years, I mean, I've, um, I've won many, many teaching awards, and people used to say, "What's your secret?" Well, my secret is knowing how to design a condition and building relationships so that children can flourish. Uh, it's not about me. It's not about me at all, and it's not about the content at all. It's if you teach them more about themselves and how to learn, themselves, uh, I just get out of the way. I'm really just there as a guide and a facilitator, and there to create the space and the conditions so that they can thrive. So, you know, the old model is, you know, as a teacher, or what, what do I have to teach? Well, I really think about what conditions can I create to allow that learning to emerge? That's, um, that's pretty much the shift for me. Uh, I don't know what it's like for you.

[26:24] Speaker 4: I don't know what your, um, experience is yourself, whether it is what you've experienced yourself or what you're see in your family, um, and people around you experiencing, but what do we want? You know, as a society, if we see something that's not working, we all have a say and we all have, um, the ability and the responsibility to do something about it and to share these sorts of conversations. And, you know, personally, I love curiosity-driven, inquiry-based learning and collaboration and problem-solving, and I really love grounded, real-world application. What's, what's the point if it's not able to be applied? Um, sometimes there's just too much theory, and then how do we ... What's the use? It just feels like it's just distract- distraction filling our day. And I have heard teachers say that they're just a babysitting service because the parents have to go to work.

[27:21] Speaker 4: Um, and that's really sad that there's that disconnect from what it is and, and the ability for those, um, teachers and educators to really, uh, change the conditions so that the learning just happens naturally. Of course, it depends on the circumstances that you're in. Yeah, um, and then that leads me to, really, uh, my next point, which is the invisible layer, you know, tone, the tone of your voice, the energy that you have when you show up and your presence. It's beyond strategies and it's beyond curriculum. Someone can give two different teachers the same curriculum, but the way that they teach it, the way that they, um, that they share it, there's an unseen layer there, depending, because we're all different. We're coming from our own perspective, our own lens, our own tone of voice, our own emotional state, oh my gosh, that's such a big one, and our own intention.

[28:22] Speaker 4: You know, if you're just showing up because you wanna get paid because it's just a job, that's very different to someone who's very passionate about the subject and really loves learning and, um, and wants it to flourish and have that connection. You know, we, uh, I don't have the words for it. (laughs) But it's just something that we feel. And, you know, and that reminds me of popular culture-wise to things like, you know, the Avatar movies with that connection to nature when they say, you know, when they tap their forehead and they say, "I see you." That is the condition when you're connecting with children and you see them, for the, you know, they're all little special little snowflakes and you see them and feel them and encourage them, and they can tell. Um, you know, children don't work for people that they don't like, so, or they don't learn from people that they don't like. We talked about that last week as well.

[29:18] Speaker 4: And then you've got your Matrix-type movies that talks about perception shaping reality. You know, that's a whole nother sci-fi, but it does actually, uh, bring questions up of what's real and what's not. And then you've got, you know, your Harry Potter-type style, where they're learning through their relationships and having a mentor. There's lots of different popular culture movies that you can have great discussions with, um, around that invisible layer and different ways of learning, because learning, in my opinion, uh, it's really like an emergent process. It, it can't be predicted. Um, in my opinion, it can't be controlled. It's that whole, you can lead a horse to water, (laughs) but you can't make them learn, you can't control it. All you can do is create the environment and excite the cur- curiosity so that the learner will want to, to get into it, you know? Um, and learning is not just that straight line. Like, it's just messy. It's up, down.

[30:15] Speaker 4: It's, it's just something that seems to unfold. Uh, one step forward, two steps back. It- that's how I learn. Uh, I'm, I'm a jump in, all in and work it out as I go along type person. Uh, everyone's a little bit different, of course. And so, when you have that presence and you, and you really hold that space...Uh, that's- that's, in my opinion, what the learning field, um, can be, and that's how we can influence it and how we can show up. And so for the article that I'm going to write to go with this week's, um, topic, I have a very, very short story, and then I have some shift questions and a couple of, like, listener integration activities that you can trial, um, in this space and play with it. Just play with it. Take it, um, adapt it, adopt it, um, reflect on it, and, um, and enjoy. Have fun. (laughs) That's- that's- that's what it's all about.

[31:13] Speaker 4: And so if you're interested in finding out more, if you wanna go back and listen to episode one and two, um, and you want to have access to all of the articles, all of the, um, resources that I create each week, you can go to bbsradio.com/alllearningreimagined. So beautiful BBS Radio, I have to give a shout-out to them, they are amazing. Uh, so supportive and really heart-centered, and, uh, I love all- everything that they do, so huge fan. Um, so yeah, bbsradio.com/alllearningreimagined. And that's everything that we have, uh, to talk about this week. Next week, we're going to do episode four, which is going to be passion-led learning. So we're gonna follow our curiosity, and we're gonna talk about passion, which is one of my favorite topics. I can't wait. (laughs) So thanks for joining me on All Learning Reimagined. Until next week, explore, experience, express, go out, and live learning.

[32:17] Speaker 1: (Instrumental music) Thank you for joining us on All Learning Reimagined, where passion illuminates the path forward. Remember this: the future of learning doesn't arrive from above; it begins within. You are the spark, the shift, the living answer to education's silent call for transformation. So stay curious. Stay awake. Let inspiration be your compass, because how we learn today is not just personal, it is profoundly generative. It shapes the very architecture of tomorrow's world. We are not separate from the system; we are its evolution. Until next time, trust the wisdom of your own unfolding, and let your life be the lessons that light the way for others.