2017 CPD Training A5 flyer for web and email

SENSORY ACTIVITIES IN NATURE  Saturday, 29th April 10am—3pm  Water of Leith. Learn to deliver sensory games and activities outdoors. Explore, experience and connect with the local environment. Learn basic identification games, quiet time, creative and environmental activities and how to adapt them for different ages. All sessions cost £60 plus booking fee (free for Green Team volunteer leaders) Book via: www.greenteamedin.eventbrite.com We also offer tailored CPD Training for your staff. Visit www.greenteam.org.uk/ links/cpd-training for more information.

WELLBEING IN NATURE Saturday, 13th May 10am-3pm Bawsinch Nature Reserve Explore activities to improve people’s well-being. The day will include an introduction to mindfulness in nature. There will be guided meditations and time to explore Bawsinch Nature Reserve in a mindful way. We will look at how we can use a Wellbeing Circle and how this can help us to explore our own development and connection to nature.

POSITIVE LEADERSHIP Saturday, 24th June. 10am-3pm Bawsinch Nature Reserve An introduction to a variety of techniques to use with groups including facilitation techniques, how to frame activities, planning a varied day, positive role models and reflective practice.

FIRE, COOKING & CARVING Saturday, 9th September 10am-3pm Venue Vogrie Country Park Discover safe and effective fire-lighting techniques. Gain confidence using fire, Kelly kettles and outdoor cooking practices. Learn or improve your wood carving skills at the same time. OUTDOOR COOKING FOOD SAFETY Saturday, 7th October 10am-3pm Bawsinch Nature Reserve Learn the theory behind food hygiene safety with Simply Safe Foods before putting it into practice with an outdoor cooking session.

OUTDOOR COOKING FOOD SAFETY Saturday, 7th October 10am-3pm Bawsinch Nature Reserve Learn the theory behind food hygiene safety with Simply Safe Foods before putting it into practice with an outdoor cooking session.

Scotland’s Natural Larder – foraging and wild foods in Scotland

11th March 2017, Gatehouse of Fleet

Come and join us for an inspiring training day for teachers, exploring how Scotland’s natural food resources can be used as an inspiring and engaging topic for learning in schools. We will spend the day visiting a sea food smokehouse, a working estate and foraging on beach or woodland. You will then take learning back to school and have opportunity to put into practice your learning, and attend a sharing event at the end of term to share and learn more.

Book your FREE place here

There is a useful list of grants available to support outdoor learning projects over on the creative star website.

Sharing Good Practice event: Taking Citizen Science Outdoors to support your Teaching and Learning – Thursday 16 March 2017

Please find attached details of, and a booking form for, a forthcoming event aimed particularly at Teachers, teacher trainers and trainee teachers. Please do circulate these details further to colleagues.

Citizen science gives young people and communities the chance to get hands-on with science in an exciting and meaningful way.  It provides opportunities to learn new skills, engage with the scientific community and find out how scientific observation can deepen understanding and knowledge of our local environment. Citizen Science can support Learning for Sustainability – an entitlement for all learners.

This event will look at how young people can become involved in recording and monitoring their local environment through activities often now referred to as “citizen science”, including in classrooms, in school grounds, and in local greenspaces.  It will look at formal and informal opportunities, a whole school approach involving the wider community, and links to the Curriculum for Excellence.  It will aim to identify what works in practice through looking at educational resources and other sources of support and advice.

To attend please return the attached booking form. The event is free, however there are a limited number of spaces so we are initially accepting bookings from one teacher per school only, with any others going on a waiting list.

This event is also listed on SNH’s web site at: http://www.snh.gov.uk/policy-and-guidance/sharing-good-practice/events/

sgp-event-taking-citizen-science-outdoors-to-support-your-teaching-16-mar-2017-booking-form

sgp-event-taking-citizen-science-outdoors-to-support-your-teaching-16-mar-2017-flyer

Have you seen the Outdoor Learning examples on the National Improvement Hub?

https://education.gov.scot/improvement

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/hwb23-cycle-coop

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/hwb24-support-for-professional-development-in-outdoor-learning

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/hwb25-the-barony-a-frame

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/hwb26-managing-risk-in-outdoor-learning

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/hwb27-going-out-there

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/hwb28-snowsports-and-pe-curriculum

I found a great link that busts some popular myths about Forest Schools and addresses the issue of Fire at point 5.

http://www.forestschoolassociation.org/forest-school-myth-busting/

The same website also outlines the principles and ethos of a Forest School:

In a Forest School all participants are viewed as:

• equal, unique and valuable
• competent to explore & discover
• entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge
• entitled to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development
• entitled to experience regular success
• entitled to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people
• entitled to develop a strong, positive relationship with their natural world

• FS is a long-term process of regular sessions, rather than a one-off or infrequent visits; the cycle of planning, observation, adaptation and review links each session.
• FS takes place in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world.
• FS uses a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for being, development and learning.
• FS aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.
• FS offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
• FS is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice.

Schools should ensure that all these principles are in evidence if they are calling their practice Forest School.  If they are not in evidence then the practice should be referred to as Outdoor Learning.

To aid with self evaluation of outdoor learning you might find this set of questions extracted from HGIOS4 to be helpful: outdoor-learning-how-good-is-our-school-toolkit1446560162

This has also been generated for Early Years:

how-good-is-our-early-learning-and-childcare-outdoor-learning

Thanks to Jaclyn at Braidbar for more ideas for outdoor activities linked to literacy and numeracy.

early-level-literacy-grid

first-level-literacy-grid

first-level-maths-grid

second-level-literacy-grid

second-level-maths-grid

third-level-maths-grid

early-level-maths-grid

At the recent CLPL a number of people requested more ideas for activities for outdoor learning.  Thanks so much to Jo from Mearns Primary who has shared work done within her school and cluster.  Click through the links below for a wealth of ideas such as these journey sticks…

outdoor-learning

Literacy – early-level-literacy   first-level-literacy-outdoor-learning  second-level-literacy-outdoor-learning

NUmeracy – first-level-outdoor-numeracy second-level-outdoor-numeracy early-level-outdoor-numeracy

I attended a conference last week organised by Grounds for Learning and a number of useful links were shared which might be of interest both in terms of assessing risk for outdoor learning and developing the play spaces around your school:

• The HSE view of challenge and risk in education and play https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4FULp6qGQNdcVNCeDBOalFUVHM
• Risk and Challenge – developing a model for partnerships in the community – https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4FULp6qGQNdQWRMZEM1d1YzRkk
•  Routine and Expected – reducing paperwork and managing complex situations – see Going Out There ­http://www.goingoutthere.co.uk/ and https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4FULp6qGQNdVDRaV2FiWGF1RkE
• A new approach to risk assessment? – https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4FULp6qGQNdWlJHRHRtdUlLdzg and GfL resources on risk management http://www.ltl.org.uk/spaces/managingriskinschoolgrounds.php
•  Inclusion within risk and challenge  http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0048/00488145.pdf