Dr. John Telford

Background

• Over 20 years working in formal and non-formal education settings with people of all ages and backgrounds working towards curricular, social, personal, and environmental goals
• Enjoys skiing, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, camping, and sitting in the outdoors
• More intrigued than ever to explore the various ways of being in the outdoors and the possibilities they offer for learning and teaching
• Formerly worked in the Outdoor and Environmental Education department at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland
• Worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University, BC, as part of a multi-disciplinary research team with the Maple Ridge Environmental School Project (Kindergarten to Grade 7). The school, which opened in September 2011, is an innovative attempt to radically explore the possibilities of learning and teaching, particularly within the context of ecological sustainability. The students spend the vast majority of their school day out-of-doors (there is no ‘school’ building) at a number of local sites.
• Other professional experience working in residential outdoor education centres and community based projects

Education

• PhD Education (University of Edinburgh)
• MSc Educational Research (University of Edinburgh)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Outdoor Education (University of Edinburgh)
• MA (Hons) French (University of Glasgow)

Areas of Expertise

• Learning and teaching in the outdoors. Promoting a notion of learning that is student-centred, engaging, authentic, developmental, and connects people with the world around them
• Supervision of Masters and Doctoral students