UoDEdushare

I am always encouraging student teachers to embrace learning so feel that where possible I should try to live this principle myself. However it is easy to forget this at times. When I was young I loved learning about natural history and as a ‘grown up’ I still love poking about in streams and rock pools. Another interest of mine is wild food (partly because it is free!) so when I heard about the Dundee Naturalists‘ fungal foray to Edzell I thought I’d tag along and try to learn something new. I have been on a few of these trips before and when at university my thesis supervisor was a microbiologist with a passion for fungi and I found the subject interesting. Because of this I was able to identify the odd obvious species, such as puff balls, but I was keen to know more. The trip would also be a chance to learn more about how people learn.

The woodland just outside of Edzell runs along the North Esk river and was a great spot for the foray. The first thing I learnt was the extent to which different species inhabit slightly different habitats depending on the conditions. The hedgehog fungus likes mossy banks, in slight shade, and that is where we found them just above and below the main path. I also discovered that some of the things I thought I knew weren’t quite right, such as the reason why fungal, also known as fairy, rings form the way they do (apparently this is due to mycelium under the ground and not the spore dispersal from above it). This is important in science education as addressing, and correcting, misconceptions is central to the successful application of constructivist principles. Possibly the most important thing I’ll take away from the day (other than the tasty specimens we foraged!) were ideas to use in my own teaching. I am going to introduce the education students to the four examples below and ask them to work out which three are edible and which one is poisonous. This might seem an odd activity but I hope this will demonstrate how people can attempt to construct their understanding, based on prior knowledge, experience and ideas. You could have a go yourself and post your answers below!

Overall I had great day and must thank Jim, Stevie, Gordon and the other highly knowledgeable Nats who helped us identify the fungi, especially the edible ones, and for organising the trip. I think I learned quite a bit and best of all my Sunday breakfast the very next morning was pretty tasty. If you want to find out more about foraged foods there are a range of websites and experts who you can follow on social media, enjoy!





I am currently sitting in the University of Dundee School of Education and Social Work research conference. I have heard about some great research covering topics including children’s voice, views of science education and transition from school to higher education. As I’ve become more experienced as a researcher I have gained a far better understanding of how to learn from this. It is also great to see the expertise within the department.

And this brings me to why I am blogging when I should be listening. Well the presentation from Education Lecturer Derek Robertson talked about the value of what could be called a ‘living blog’ which itself embodies people engaging, and owning their own professional development. So by blogging (and tweeting and dare I say even posting on Facebook) during presentations I have the chance to reflect on, then share the ideas and research people have been working on – and most importantly help me learn about learning. So next time I see a student using social media in a lecture, I might not judge so quickly!

You may have read my earlier post about my ‘erratic’ relationship with technology. However I am gradually gaining confidence and utilising tech to support my learning, and teaching. I still don’t ‘do’ Facebook and my entry level smart phone won’t let me use WhatsApp, which certain friends find hilarious. WhatsApp is an interesting example as […]