Page 115 - To know things we have to have the world inside us

Prue Crarer

A different way of thinking? Certainly. The engagement alone and with others opened up a myriad of ways for me to
engage in research. Alone I almost went into dreamland, remembering my childhood living on a sheep station
surrounded by the beauty of nature, especially the huge trees that I played in as a child. Later in life, spending time in

the Virgin Islands and with my children fossicking for hidden treasures in the nearby Banyan Trees. Memories
became very real when I and a group of pre-school children began to make weekly connections with a Banyan tree at
the local Ngahere .

Expressing myself through my music seemed to be the perfect language and as I composed a short piece of music, the
weeks of research seem to flood the keys, gnarled roots, floating leaves, shadows. Dark somber music, light tinkling
music, soaring crescendos to quiet melodic phrasing all depicted what I thought was the mood of my special tree.

Sharing my research with the group was important. Listening to others, making connections with content , linking
ideas and creative thinking was important. My gift to my tree was about "How will I know it is appropriate?"

I pondered for days, visited my Banyan tree on many occasions, and came to know more about the mighty giant as she
stood regal amongst the smaller New Zealand natives. The latter seemed to attract the birds thus triggering the idea
that maybe a bird feeder as a gift might be appropriate for my tree. Indeed the gift was well received by the birds and
a joy for the children to each week fill the feeder with tasty morsels. Now my Banyan tree seemed more alive with
sounds of chirping, scuttling bodies, and leaves fluttering.

I came to know more about myself as I researched. I began connecting how important it was to give time to observing,
time for notating, and time to unravel and make sense of my findings. I realised that assumptions are cheap and that

testing my own frailties and taking the risk of thinking outside the norm was really important in this exercise.

Wendy Larmer

This has been an opportunity for me to engage, become involved in a new kind of research. One that allowed me to

hear the theory then practice new ways of acquiring knowledge, “a new way of thinking about ideas”. A kind of
research that allowed learning through empathy, becoming sensitive to materials in their environment and making
connections with other materials. This was a new kind of learning. Along with the small groups of teachers as
researchers we made connections and links between materials, light and shadow, patterns and trees. The group I was

working in made strong links to each other as well as the materials. I was encouraged to make a relationship with a
tree, one that I was drawn to and make friends with the tree. In my writing and drawing I noticed the patterns and
colours of the bark. In this coming-to-know my senses were used to make some deeper thinking, to allow myself to
understand the tree and make a relationship with the tree. When I was asked to make a gift for the tree I needed time
to stand, think and relate to the tree. Build a relationship to the tree and share a Whariki, a woven mat with my tree
and the group of trees where the tree stood.

This experience has encouraged me to engage in new ways of knowing, coming to know and opened my thinking to

dream and engage in experiences we often expect children to understand without the coming to know ourselves. It
has been an unexpected joy to rediscover the hidden life of trees that I have taken for granted. Through these
experiences I am now looking at many materials both natural and man-made though different eyes.

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