Comenius Programme

OUTLiNES

Outdoor Learning in Teacher Education

Outdoor Learning as general practice in public schools

Project PartnersUniversity College VIA, DKLinkjøbing University, (NCU), SEHedmark University, NOTallin University, EECharles University, CZRiga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, LVEstonia School Forests, EE

Outdoor learning andSports, CZ

Outdoor learning andLanguage, SE

Outdoor learningAnd Music, LV

Outdoor learning, art and handcrafts, DK

Outdoor learningAnd Science, EE

Outdoor learning and mathematics, NO

Foundation Course

1. testrun, national students:One foundation courseOne subject course (music in Latvia)

Evaluations, refinements

2. testrun, international studentsInternational Comenius Courses

AIMS of Foundation Course

The Foundation Course should give the students experience with, knowledge about and insight in using the landscape as a learning ressource in the educational proces

1. Testrun in Denmark, Foundation

1. testrun, DK, Art and handcraft

Introduction to Outdoor Learning

Contents

What is Outdoor Learning

Getting to a definition of Outdoor Learning

Why Outdoor Learning ?Health perspective

Learning perspective

Cultural perspective

How is Outdoor Learning ?

What is Outdoor Learning ?Society phenomenon and study – object (neutral)Discussion field and debate of ideas (ideological)Personal and pedagogical understanding (value-laden)

inspired from Klas Sandell

What is Outdoor Learning ?

Sports and Adventure ?Nature and Science ?Subjects in another context ?The room as a learning place ?Regular activities outside ?A subject and a pedagogical method ?

Outdoor learning is a form:Frequent, purpose driven and curriculum based activities outside the classroom, in nearby learning environmentsOften 1 day a week, all year All, or most, subjectsWorking with the same subjects inside – outside – insideOften problem- and groupbased tasks

A relevant and meaningfull education

Outdoor learning is a way of understanding learningLearning through movements and sensesListening to the tales of the landscapeCrosses subjectsSolving problems, groupworkLearning through experience, activities and reflectionWorking with relevant tasks

Poachers Flute

HistoryAuthentic learning

J.A. Comenius (1592-1670)J.J. Rousseau (1712-1784)J.H. Pestalozzi (1782-1827)F. Fröbel (1782-1852)E. Key (1849-1926)J. Dewey (1859-1952)D. Kolb And many others

So whats new in this ?

Frequent, purpose driven and curriculum based

All subjects (or most)

Necessity

Outdoor Schooling is a working method, where parts of the everyday life in school is moved out of the classroom – into the local environment. Outdoor schooling implies frequent, purpose driven and curriculum based learning activities outside the classroom.

Inspired from Arne Nikolajsen Jordet

Why Outdoor Learning now ?Everyday life for the childrenare

Heavily Screen dominatedLess physically activeBased on symbols instead

of reality

Model of QualitiesA B

C DSociale og sproglige kvaliteter

Sansende ogudforskende kvaliteter

Fysiske og motoriske kvaliteter

Manuelle og produktive kvaliteter

Sensory and Exploring qualities

Physical and motor qualities

Manual and productive qualities

Social and verbalqualities

Jerome Bruner

Forms of repræsentation:

Doing – sharing a pizza

Picture – picture of a bread, or a cookie being shared

Symbol- 1/3

Contents

What is Outdoor Learning ?

Getting to a definition of Outdoor Learning

Why Outdoor Learning ?Health perspective

Learning perspective

Cultural perspective

How is Outdoor Learning ?

Results of the health perspective…Less stress (A Szczespanski)More physically active (Mygind)Better social relations (Christian Jacobsen - Mygind)Better motor coordination (Udeliv,Fjørtoft ?))Less sickness (Grahn, udeliv)More playmates (Mygind)

Learning perspective

Learning is an active process (Kolb, Dewey)Learning can go by different tracks (Grundtvig, Gardner)Deeper rooted learning (Fredens 2006, Schillab 2006)Better concentration (Grahn,1995, Vigsøe 2006)

Happier children (Mygind)

Learning is an active process

The pupils process in center

Learning is an active processExperiencing something

Applying the Interpreting experience the experience

Generalizing theexperience

Kolbs cycle of experiental learning

Cultural perspective

Forms of knowledge is a cultural phenomenon

Sagatelling

Handcraft

Agriculture

Academic

Music

Literacy in Holistic approach

Learning through Hand

Embodiement

Skills for life

ValuesLearning through Heart

Respect for the environment

Better understanding of nature

Aesthetically founded experience and learning

Literacy in common understanding

Learning through Head

Embodiment

Learning through

bodily experiences

Outdoor education – literary education and sensory experience.

Outdoor education is a thematic and interdisciplinary fiels of research and education in the natural and cultural landscape arena. Through thematic studies and activities in the landscape, Outdoor Education tries to animate the often abstract concepts of the scientific disciplines, and thereby create a local history, ecological, and social sense of place amongst children and young people.

L-O. Dahlgren and A. Szczepanski, 1997

Example of an Outdoor dayGathering indoorsTransport to the Outdoor classroomGathering around the bonfire, instructionsSubject workPause – lunch packetBreakSubject workGathering – evaluationTransport back to schoolWorking with subjects, inside, next days

Rythm

Subjects

Recognizable

Working with mathematics

How many deciliters on a liter ?

Working with Mathematics

How long is there to the other shore – measured with 2 triangles

Learning the subjects of Life

Learning the subjects of School

Learning in many ways

Learning through experience, action and understanding

Lets get out there !

This way of working gives the pupils occasion to use all their senses so that they gets personal and concrete experiences in their meeting with reality. This working method gives space for subject oriented activities, spontanous display and play, curious search, fantasy, experience and social fellowship.

Outdoor Education is about activating all the subjects in school in an integrated education, where outdoor – and indoor activities are close connected, because the pupils learns about reality in reality, that is about nature in nature, about society in society and about community in community.

Arne Jordet Nikolajsen, 1998