Outdoor Learning
Vegetable patch: Understanding ecosystems, diversity and interdependence.
Exploring and learning on the school grounds I
n the second part of our feature, we speak to James Hammond, Co-creator, Learning Rooms, on the importance of outdoor education and the many
ways in which getting out of the classroom can benefit students. Outdoor education has always been an opportunity for students to
experience a whole new set of learnings that may not be available within classroom walls. But modern research has provided a significant amount of evidence to indicate that fieldwork can offer learners so much more than academic success. Spending time in the great outdoors has been shown to increase student attainment, enhance communication skills and improve memory. A study of 10- to 12-year-olds in Australia found outdoor education could be a key factor in avoiding childhood obesity, whilst other research has indicated that contact with nature improves symptoms among students with attention deficit disorder.
A rich source of learning But teachers are not always confident about
creating outdoor activities, especially organising field trips. Yet according to Dr Katherine Forsey, the UK’s leading outdoor education expert and an education consultant for Learning Rooms, using the school’s own grounds can provide a rich source of learning experiences without the hassle and cost of having to travel off site. What’s more, by becoming familiar with outdoor learning approaches in ‘home’ grounds, teacher confidence and skills can develop rapidly. ‘Using the school’s green space for activities that cover just one or two
Dr Katherine Forsey
outdoor subjects can provide a whole range of inspiring and engaging assignments for students at any level,’ says Katherine. She continues: ‘For example, younger children can study the animal life living in trees and hedges using a simple “Bugs on Bushes” approach. A white sheet or shower curtain under a hedge or leafy branch that is shaken can reveal invertebrates that land on it. They can be identified and a record of the findings made before releasing them. Variables which make for extra studies could be tree species or time of year.’
Journey of discovery Dr Forsey believes that growing vegetables also provides an exciting
journey of discovery. She states: ‘It really is one of the best outdoor activities you can do with your pupils. And the Royal Horticultural Society and Garden Organic both provide a huge range of free, curriculum-linked activities you can carry out while developing and establishing your vegetable patch. Also, don’t overlook your compost area, with decomposers and microbes to study. Then, link this learning to sustainable development topics and the eco schools initiative.’ Of course, teaching on school property outside still requires proper management of both students and environment. Katherine offers some key
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tips: ‘Work in small groups, so you can call individual groups to attention if they are going off track, rather than stopping the whole class, and make sure you have set clearly defined boundaries in the outdoor area. If no natural ones exist, use something like football cones or other easily identifiable objects to mark out the outdoor classroom space. And – very important – create a set of outdoor classroom rules, the same as you would for your indoor classrooms. Do this with the pupils before they go outdoors so they know exactly what is expected of them when working outside.’ Some parents may be reluctant to support outdoor learning activities if it
means children arriving home with dirty school uniforms. Letting parents know in advance that you will be teaching outside so their children come to school with appropriate clothing can usually eliminate problems. Alternatively, keep outdoor education clothing and footwear permanently in school. And, most importantly, provide a risk assessment along with emergency indoor plans when inclement weather prevents outdoor activities.
Informed planning Without doubt, outdoor education introduces a whole different set of
challenges. But weather, equipment, logistics, clothing, behaviour management and health and safety need not put teachers off. Just as with indoor space, informed planning, how equipment is placed and how use is made of the space is key to achieving success. Ofsted recommends that ‘…curriculum planning includes sufficient well-
structured opportunities for all learners to engage in learning outside the classroom as a key, integrated element of their experience.’ It’s an experience that we now understand goes beyond the typical framework of learning into multi-beneficial aspects of major cognitive, physical and health-related benefits. There is a complete module on outdoor education from Dr Forsey, along
with accompanying videos and downloadable material, all free of charge. For more information, go to
www.learning-rooms.com (Learning Rooms is an initiative of Findel and Gratnells, working together to advance education.)
uwww.learning-rooms.com
Bugs on bushes: Experiences, ideas and information
May 2015
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