Two plus two equals maths in the bush

As part of our travel schooling experiments while we're away Rosie and I worked on a number line using our pegless clothes line and some card and pegs. We then used this progression of numbers to do some addition and subtraction.
As a maths teacher it was interesting to help Rosie decipher numbers in order and I was quietly very pleased to experience her enthusiasm for maths too. "It was good", she said..."I feel like doing it again".
Yay!

Devils, Dinners and Dinosaurs

We've been busy in the last few days visiting the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, attending an official Three Peaks presentation evening at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and looking at models of Thylacines and dinosaurs at the Hobart Museum.
Most of these activities took place with the lovely help of Mum and Dad who were visiting Tasmania to coincide with our trip. They are sadly now back at home but we enjoyed our three days together.

Sea kayaking central

We just bought a single sea kayak (to add to the nine other kayaks we already have). It was a snap purchase in a way (we decided after 15mins in the shop), but to be fair it was something we had been talking about for quite a while. So our trip plans have changed slightly to find the best paddle sites in Tasmania.
First off was a day trip to the Tasman Peninsula for a kayak near the Tesselated Pavement, The Blowhole, Tasman Arch and the Devils Kitchen - the last two both 200m high rock outcrops into the sea. Spectacular, world-class paddling it was.
We're now off to Freycinet NP again for more time on the beach and a chance to kayak around the beautiful, rocky coastline there.

Belonging

Do we really belong to a place? Does a place really belong to us? Travelling helps to loosen you from your moorings, so to speak, and leads you to question the importance to you of where you live.
I've been pondering these questions as we've moved around. Really I feel like home is where I am at the moment, and where my family is with me.
Mount Beauty is a very special place to us, but its not the only place that can feel like home, and it certainly doesn't 'belong' to us. Soon we'll be back there, schooling and working and blogging and playing. And then we'll head off again - to explore new 'homes' as a family.

Authentic learning

As a teacher and researcher of education I spent much of my time in search of an authentic learning experience for my students. From documenting their learning through online (digital) portfolios to biology field trips and subsequent assessment to maths excursions to the supermarket, I tried everything I could to make learning as real as possible.
You see this is what makes me tick as a teacher. It's not about the pay or the holidays (although they are nice) or the professional development or report writing. For me it's all about learning in the best, most effective way. In a way that engages students authentically in the learning process. This is Vygoysky's 'zone of proximal development' as its best. This is what motivated me day to day, bell by bell, classroom by classroom and student by student. It's what still motivates me now, even though I no longer teach in a school. In fact it drives my entire outlook and today I saw yet again evidence of authentic learning with my own littlies. Enjoy these photos ladies and gentlemen - these are two motivates girls authentically exploring and learning about the world!

All together again

Ian is back with us again after completing his third Three Peaks Challenge in Hobart. While the little ones and I have been having a lovely time with Nana and Pop at Freycinet NP, Ian has run 133km and sailed down the East coast of Tassie. We saw him as he finished his run with fellow-runner Andrew at Freycinet, then we picked him up yesterday from Constitution dock in Hobart, sore but happy and ready to spend the next two weeks with his family.
So we've relocated to White Beach on the Tasman Peninsula and as I write am enjoying a nice coffee with my love overlooking the local bay :-)
Today I am very grateful for:
Time alone with my love!
Yellow Wattlebirds swooping over our tent
Rosie writing her travel diary
'I spy' in the car
A hot shower and a sleep in this morning

Why travel with children?

Easter camping at Freycinet NP is lovely. There are lots of people here but you wouldn't know it - campsites are tucked into the dunes, each with their own sea view or beach access, coastal forest surrounds the campsites, there are walks long and short to be done (if that's your thing) and at least one trendy cafe to get a good coffee. On the whole this is a special place that we've returned to.
But this time I feel exhausted just chasing kids. Camping makes sleep, washing, cooking, hygiene etc... just that little bit more complex and I've found myself asking that question that pops up without really noticing it: Is it worth it?
Pure emotions tell me No! But there must be more to it than that.
So today my gratitude is for the joys of travelling with my little ones.
I'm so thankful today for:
Rosie's love of nature and the outdoors
Games of scrabble with grandparents
Bethany walking in her cute shoes
Spelling lessons on the beach
A call from my love from a yacht out to sea
The sweet delights of hiding Easter eggs ready to be discovered tomorrow morning :-)

Why do I travel?

We're travelling again. Visiting places new and old in Tasmania while Ian does the Three Peaks race again.
After a mad day yesterday on the boat over (up early, still driving late, a car and camper trailer on the boat over Bass Strait) we had another exciting day dropping Ian off on his team's yacht for the race, driving through Tassie's beautiful scenery, then finally putting up said camper trailer near the most beautiful beach setting you could imagine.
During all these comings and goings I've questioned my motives for travelling. You see, I like home. Home is where I feel safe and able to have more control over my environment. It's where I've hidden in times of need and where I can knit and sew and garden and otherwise lead a creative life.
And yet, travelling is something I've done quite a bit of over the years and its something that I've always looked forward too. Only now, with children and post natal depression, it feels different. The thrill of new places has been replaced with a more subtle and perhaps genuine feeling. And its taking me a while to get used to.
So I ask myself - if its not thrilling, then is it worth going? Why not just stay at home and follow those creative pursuits and grow those veggies?
Today I struggled with an answer. I feel displaced instead of thrilled.
And so I aim, with these travel posts, to honestly reach for those beautiful moments each day, too see my travel experiences through fresh, more experienced eyes and to hopefully find an answer to my question.
Some beautiful moments today:
Ian happily aboard his yacht ready for the race
A beautiful beach scene
Bethany helping Pop put up their tent
Rosie loving her time around Nana
Still finding time for knitting
A hot chocolate in the dark as waves lap on the beach