One Ocean – Ocean Portrait

The children experience, sense and express. Through the project we will see, hear and feel the sea and the weather landscape. We will make paper where small plant parts and fragments of stories are sealed in the pulp. The paper should be the surface on which each child should draw their ideas. Before we draw the sea portrait, we explore various artistic processes through stories about the sea. Can we hear the sea inside us? Why are our tears salty - do they come from the sea?

The participatory processes mean that we are responsive to each other in the project, we respond and follow up and build on children's initiative and expression. We conduct exploratory dialogues, we create conversation stories, circle in wonders, value ideas. We let the children create their own projects about the ocean and the biotope that surround it and support the development of these, where appropriate. This means that the children, employees in the kindergarten, the researchers and the artists are all co-researchers in the project.

The project is designed in line with policy formulation in the kindergarten's field (framework plans in Norway and in China). Exploration as a pedagogical approach is relevant for the early years in both countries. In the project, we follow cultural pedagogical perspectives, where the Ocean can be seen as a metaphor for what brings us together and separates us. Kindergartens in Norway and in China will exchange parts of the project between them. We want to create space for the project to be continued with emphasis on all the kindergarten's subject areas. The activities are designed with the goal of providing experiences, expanding children's performances, sensory experiences, experiences, vocabulary, performances, understanding, scientific knowledge and cultural and 'glocal' understanding. The pedagogical processes are dialogical, which means that the teacher leads exploratory conversations, children's wonder and curiosity.

The outcome of the conversations is open ended, however attention will be given to sensory and exploratory aspects. Kindergarten teachers can, based on these conversations, respond to what the children bring up. In this approach there is a parallel, intertwined process going on.

At the same time as teachers ensure that children have the opportunity to pursue their ideas and develop their ideas within the frame of the project, the teachers also guide the participants by creating the scenes, the wandering to the shore, the establishment with a view over the sea, leading to the ocean.

We write practices-developing research using logs, video documentation of the process and children's artistic processes and expressions. The project is rooted in a relational view of knowledge and makes use of pedagogical anthropology and exploratory narrative methodology. The project is further anchored in theoretical work on collaborative exploration. This means that the researchers work in the kindergarten field by participating in excursions and collaborating with employees in kindergartens.

The project thematizes and theorizes the concept of exploration in early years education. The research part describes and documents professional didactic work in kindergarten by introducing children to sea-maps, compasses, the globe, the blue planet, ocean habitats, weather landscapes (wind, precipitation, sun, moon, clouds, temperature and other weather phenomena) and not least the craft of making paper from small plant parts found on the shore, and to paint with salt water taken from the sea.

The project culminates in a traveling exhibition, September 2022 in Shanghai, and in 2023 in Bergen. It will be a sensory and multimodal flexible exhibition. It can be set up both on sailboat decks, museums and art exhibition rooms, as well as in kindergartens. The project's artistic and pedagogical design is launched and made possible for all kindergartens, through their own, and the partners' web solutions. In addition, we will share from the project on the Norwegian UN association's web solution and eventually via links from the One Ocean – Expedition project. The project will be disseminated multimodally, translated into English and Chinese and adapted for both children and adults.

Masterstudenst, Monica Gustavsen og Janne Thorsvik, Andrine Kongshaug, participated in the symposium One Ocean Exploration, together with the researchers Elin Eriksen Ødegaard, Aihua Hu and Czarecah Oropilla, at the Early childhood conference in Stavanger in October 2023.  

Here you can find the master thesisis that are related to this project (in Norwegian):

Barns utforskning ved havet -et kjønnsperspektiv by Monica Gustavsen.

Utforskning etter kunstprosjekt om havet: En kvalitativ studie av pedagogiske smutthull i fjæra by Janne Åse Torsvik.

Bølger-om barns skapende utforsking med bølger ved havet by Andrine Kongshaug Ingebrigtsen.

Research dissemination

Ødegaard, E. E. (in print for 2025). Building Glocal Mindsets in Early Childhood Education – A Pedagogical Response to the UNESCO Decade of Ocean Science. In Bøttcher, L., Winther Lindquist, D., Hedegaard, M. & Fleer, M. World Care and Sustainability. Springer.

Ødegaard, E. E. & Birkeland, Å. (in peer review). Conceptualising Emergent Ocean Literacy – exploring sensuous and spatial early childhood education and ecological care practices in coastal landscapes in Norway.

Ødegaard, E. E. , Birkeland, Å. & Oropilla, C.T. (2024)  A Pedagogy of Emergent Ocean Literacy – Narrative accounts of children’s explorations in the coastal landscapes of Western Norway Authors. KINDknow Notes Series, nr. 10, 2024.

Ødegaard, E. E.. & Hu, A. (2024). Improving quality ECEC through collaborative exploration: A Norwegian approach. Keynote to The 4th IFPS in Early Childhood Education & Familiy Education, 12.06. 2024, Shanghai, Cina.

Ødegaard, E. E. (2024). Emergent Ocean Literacy - A pedagogy for the early years. Keynote for PhD Seminar The 4th IFPS Early Childhood & Familiy Education. On invitation from Xangshi University, 18.06.2024, Xian, China.

Ødegaard, E. E. (2024). Improving quality ECEC through enhancing Play and Exploration -A Norwegian approach. Keynote to Playing & Exploring - China Norway Salon. On invitation from The Royal Norwegian Embassy in China and  Chengdu City International, 22.06, 2024, Chengdu, China.

Ødegaard, E. E., Oropilla, C. T., Hu, A., Torsvik, J., Gustavsen, M., Ingebrigsten, A. K. (2023). One Ocean Exploration Symposium - Barna ved Nordsjøen. Symposium at Norsk Barnehageforskningskonferanse; UiS, 2023-10-24 - 2023-10-26.

Ødegaard, E. E.; Oropilla, C. T. (2023). Sustaining Stories of the Seas: Intergenerational collaborative narratives enriching early childhood education. Paper at the conference Sustaining, knowing and 'living' the Blue; NTNU, 2023-06-15 - 2023-06-16.

Ødegaard, E. E. & Birkeland, Å. (2023). Emergent Ocean Literacy - Collaborative exploration of local ocean landscapes in early childhood. Paper at the conference Sustaining, knowling and 'living' the Blue; NTNU, 2023-06-15 - 2023-06-16

Ødegaard, E. E. (2023) Å skape kultur for utforskning. Barnehagefolk.

Ødegaard, E.E. Birkeland, Å., Marandon, A. Spilde, E. & Ingebrigtsen, A. (2023). Hvorfor har vi bølger i havet? Barnehagefolk.

Ødegaard, E. E. & Birkeland, Å. (2022). Emergent Ocean Literacy - a collaborative exploration of local ocean landscapes in early childhood education. Klimafestivalen - varmere, våtere, villere; 03.11.2022.

Dessemination and appearance in mass media

Brekke, V. (2024). Stolte skodespelarar på filmframsyning - Øygarden kommune (oygarden.kommune.no). Omtale av filmkveld for barn, ansatte og familier involvert i Filmen Ocean Portrait – The Children by the North Sea. Øygarden, 21.05.2024.

Result, Tromsø Educational film festival (2024). 2024 Awards - Tromsø Educational Film Festival (TREFF) (uit.no).Juryens omtale av prisen “Best pedagogical concept where film is used” : Ocean Portrait – Children by the North Sea. 

Sandgrind,. S. W. (2024)  https://www.barnehage.no/film-forskning-hvl/vant-pris-for-film-om-barnehagebarns-utforskning-av-havet-1/255058. Omtale av filmen og prisen: “Best pedagogical concept where film is used” : Ocean Portrait – Children by the North Sea. Barnehage.no 20.3.2024.

HVL (2024) Filmen Havportrett – barna ved Nordsjøen vant pris for beste utdanningsfilm - Høgskulen på Vestlandet (hvl.no). Omtale av filmen og prisen prisen “Best pedagogical concept where film is used” : Ocean Portrait – Children by the North Sea, 19.03.2024.

Ødegaard, E. E. (2023). Utdanning om livet under vann starter i barnehagen. Barnehage.no 2023

Ødegaard, E. E. (2023). De yngste barnas stemme i klimadebatten. Paneldebatt, One Ocean Future på Statsraad Lehmkuhl.; One Ocean Week. 2023-04-19 - 2023-04-19

Berg-Olsen, O. R., Ødegaard, E. E. (2023). Høgskulen på Vestlandet med tilbud til de små under One Ocean Week. One Ocean Week [Internett] 2023-03-15

Ødegaard, E. E. (2021) Sustainability education starts in early years: Grounding ecological lifestyles and ‘glocal’ mentalities. Open Access Government 2021. 

Workshops together with children

Hoffart, H. Ødegaard, E. E., Birkeland, Å. & (2023). Havsans - et forskningsbasert sanseverksted om hav for barnehagebarn. One Ocean Junior - Akvariet i Bergen, 13 april, 2023.

Ødegaard, E. E., Birkeland, Å. & Hoffart, H. (2022). Havsans - et forskningsbasert sanseverksted om hav for barnehagebarn. Kunstnerisk og museal presentasjon Forskningsdagene. 2022-09-23 - 2022-09-23.

Marandon, A. S., Marandon, A. Birkeland, Å. & Ødegaard, E. E. (2021-2023). Havprtrett – en serie verksteder med tre barnehager i Bergen og Øygarden.

Oropilla, C.T. (2022-2023). Intergenerasjonelle verksteder – en serie i samarbeid med Øygarden kommune og Klokkarvik båtforening.

Oropilla, C.T (2024). Hvis jeg hadde en tryllestav. Verksted for barn og familier i Klimaparken, Klimafestivalen Varmere, våtere og villere, mars, 2024.

Ødegaard, E. E., Reite, J., Rundholt, T,. Wergedahl, H, Aadland, E., Grønhaug, K,, Goia, F., Sandvik, V., Sælensminde, J., Ingebrigsen, A, Torsvik, J. & Oropilla, C. T. (2024). Bor det montre i havet? Fortellinger mellom generasjoner og forskere. One Ocean Week, Skoltegrunnskaien. 15 april, 2024.  

Oropilla, C. T & Fagerbakke, M. (2024). Havsans. Vivite: Havsamtaler. 9 juni, 2024

Films and presentation of films 

Ocean portrait – The Children by the North Sea. Dokumentarfilm 30 min.. Regissør: F. Goia, Produsent: Mediesenteret, S. Havre og BARNkunne, E. E. Ødegaard, Kunstpilotene og Marandon, A. S. 

Screenings:  

• Bern, Switzerland, EthnoKino Film festival. September, 2024.
• Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade building, University of Brighton, Brighton, 0509.2024.
• Øygarden Kulturhus, Øygarden, 21.05.2024.
• UiT, Tromsø Educational Film festival, 15.03.2024.
• Mimes Brønn, HVL, One Ocean week, april 2023.
• K2, HVL, 75 +5 års jubileum Barnehagelærerutdanningen og BARNkunne, 2023.
• Brittania Hotel, konferansen Sustaining, knowing and 'living' the Blue; NTNU, 2023-06-15 - 2023-06-16.

One Ocean Havportrett  -Videodokumentar fra pilot, 7 min. Regissør Håkon Hoffart. Produsent: BARNkunne, E. E. Ødegaard.

Athen, Omep World Congress, July, 2022.

The Norwegian Royal Embassey, Webinar,  2022. 

We relate to the UN's Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) https://en.unesco.org/ocean-decade and the sustainability goals in Agenda 2030. In the project, we follow up sustainability goals no. 4, 14 and 17.