Outdoor Learning - Education Scotland

Outdoor Learning

Practical guidance, ideas and support for teachers and practitioners in Scotland

.uk

2

Contents

Section 1: Introduction4

Outdoor learning within the curriculum

5

The benefits of outdoor learning

7

What the research says

7

Section 2:

Making connections across the curriculum

14

A whole-school approach

15

Early years outdoors

16

The health & wellbeing of children and young people

20

Sustainable development education and outdoor learning

26

Fostering creativity through learning outdoors

30

Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work

34

Informal outdoor learning opportunities for children and

young people during and beyond the school day

36

Bridging the Gap outdoors for young people

39

ICT and digital technologies

40

Interdisciplinary learning

43

Examples of interdisciplinary work

43

Section 3:

Making connections to the curriculum

45

Contributions to curriculum areas

46

Developing learning through the planning process

57

Section 4:

Places to learn outdoors: school and centre grounds

61

Section 5:

Places to learn outdoors: using the local area and community

including day visits by foot or using transport

73

Section 6:

Places to learn outdoors: outdoor residential experiences

81

Outdoor Learning: PRACTICAL GUIDANCE, IDEAS AND SUPPORT

Section 7:

Places to learn outdoors: going abroad

89

Section 8:

CPD framework and planning tools

93

An outdoor tea break

94

The taste of chocolate

95

Personal outdoor experiences

96

What the research says

97

Getting started

98

Where do we begin

99

The added value of natural materials

100

Problems and solutions

101

Review and the next steps

102

Appendix 1:

Resources and web links

103

Outdoor learning research websites

103

Organisations offering award-bearing courses

104

Curriculum links

104

Developing school grounds

106

Health and safety

107

Organisations that support early years outdoor play

108

Play organisations

108

Appendix 2:

Myth busting

109

The relationship between outdoor learning, adventure activities,

environmental education and place-based learning

109

Forest Schools and woods for learning

109

Health and Safety and risk assessment

110

Costs110

4

Section 1: Introduction

It is possible, through international comparisons, to recognise Scotland as an emerging leader in the field of outdoor learning. Scotland has a long history of engaging children and young people with the outdoors and the value placed on outdoor learning within Curriculum for Excellence is encouragement to continue, and build upon, that history. Indeed, Scotland is one of only a handful of countries which now explicitly includes the use of the outdoor environment as a necessary approach and context for delivering its education curriculum. Just as Scotland is being recognised as an innovative forerunner in curriculum reform at a time of exponential change, so it is beginning to be recognised as a leader in the use of outdoor learning.

By capitalising on the potential of the full spectrum of outdoor learning experiences, from simple learning activities close to schools and settings through to residential experiences and beyond, practitioners can contribute positively to the learning journey of Scotland's children and young people.

The purpose of this resource is to provide practical, accessible and straightforward advice for teachers, childhood practitioners, youth workers and others working with children and young people on how to engage children and young people with learning outdoors. It is part of achieving a wider objective of supporting the implementation of the guidance document Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning.

This resource introduces practitioners who are not familiar with outdoor learning to exploring ways of taking children outside. It provides a route into continuing professional development and suggestions for embedding outdoor learning as a whole-school approach. It serves to illustrate the potential of outdoor learning as an effective approach to learning and teaching within the context of Curriculum for Excellence.

It should be noted that this resource is not a definitive guide to outdoor learning in Scotland and that there are many ways of taking learning outdoors that will not be covered in detail.

Further support and guidance are available on the Education Scotland website and through Glow. There are also many partner organisations and individuals throughout Scotland who produce materials and provide first-hand support to enable practitioners to facilitate quality learning outdoors for children and young people.

Please visit .uk/outdoorlearning for more information.

5

Outdoor learning within the curriculum

`We are not saying `good bye' to our classrooms; we are opening them up.'

Simon Beames, Outdoor Education Lecturer, Edinburgh University

Learning outdoors is about engaging children and young people in many different ways. Practitioners frequently act as facilitators, using multi-sensory and experiential approaches. This encourages children and young people to become involved in emotional, physical, aesthetic, spiritual and cognitive experiences as part of their learning. The place or context in which learning takes place is an integral part of the learning process, as illustrated in Figure 1. The relationships between the people involved, the activities undertaken and the place where the learning happens require thought and consideration to maximise the learning opportunities and to meet the needs and aspirations of children and young people. Figure 1: The learning process.1

People

Time

Activity Place

1Adapted from Higgins, P (1995), Outdoor education provision at Moray House Institute of Education, Scottish Journal of Physical Education, 23(3), 4?11. See also Beames, S, Higgins, P, and Nicol, R (2011), Learning Outside the Classroom: Theory and guidelines for practice, New York: Routledge.

.uk

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download