A pedagogy of 'organized chaos' : ecological learning in primary schools

In this paper we theorize an “enabling place pedagogy” drawn from the findings of two studies of exceptional place-based teaching and learning initiatives in primary schools in low socio-economic communities in rural and regional Australia. In each case the place-based teaching and learning involved the whole school community and was extended to the communities outside of the school. Children across all grade levels participated in the programs, which were enacted in varying degrees across the curriculum. We propose the notion of “organized chaos” as a way to understand the extraordinary nature of the pedagogical encounters offered by the two leading teachers. Through a pedagogy of organized chaos, infinite connections are made possible, opening the way for alternative learner subjectivities, especially for children who are different and those who do not achieve well in conventional classroom teaching. We argue that through a pedagogy of organized chaos in diverse outdoor learning environments, deep ecological learning takes place that enables different ways of being in and knowing the world.