Author: Tim Pickering

Outdoor Learning Manager

Training for Nursery Staff (Part 2)

Tim delivered a train the trainer course to allow practitioners to be trainers for the Forest and Outdoor Kindergarten SCQF level 7, the plan is to embed this training throughout the authority. As in the last post on this training it is based round exploring the three areas of People, Place and Pedagogy; the Who, Where and Why of good practice.

The training was delivered at the Water Wheel Building in the Castle Grounds and the surrounding area and although it was chilly it was a great space to play in.

We started by discussing fun important memories from growing up, and although we were in an outdoor setting most of people memories had an outdoor element to them.

Even with the theoretical content which was needed we tried to make the course as practical as possible to illustrate how the learning through playing can be taken outside.

The aim is for the participants to grow their confidence to take the principles into their nursery setting and encourage others to spend more time outdoors with the young people.

Training for Nursery Staff

Since Tim has come back from doing the Forest Kindergarten Training he has been working with the Early Years team to help them develop their skills.

He ran a pilot course with the combined nursery staff in Tong school and will be running a trainer course in November 2019.

Although the course is called forest it is not just aimed at forests, the training is aimed at helping early years practitioners to take the young people they work with outside more regularly.

The model used is to consider the Place, the People and the Pedagogy;

Considering the Place involves the suitability and the practical steps needed to manage the young people in the place.

The People thinks about who is involved; the young people, the staff, the carers/parents managing their needs and expectations.

Pedagogy is the how what and why we take young people outdoors

A possible visual model:

The objective it to show practitioners the connectivity and to challenge them to consider the elements in their own practice.

This is partly done inside through conversation, which because of time constraints is done inside.

The final session on pedagogy was done outside in the fantastic garden area of the school. The practitioners were given opportunity to play. This, apart from being great fun in the rain, highlighted for this group the importance of child lead learning and how few resources they needed as the environment provides them. They saw imaginative play, social skills development, gross motor skills, fine motor skills and peer learning happen within their own group and considered how they could use this in their own practice.

Small world play

 

 

 

 

Outdoor Play in Uig

Sgoil  Araich Uig have been developing the outdoor area at the back of the school as a place they can go and learn through outdoor play. As part of this Tim was over and had the chance to discuss developments, spend some time exploring the area and playing.

If you would like help developing the area round your nursery for outdoor play please contact Tim or Isi

Busy Time

The team have been busy outside so we haven’t had much chance to update the blog, so expect a flurry of posts when we get an opportunity.

Isi has found a great resource on the Virtual Hebrides Site 

We particularly love bumble bees so the page about them was very useful but the page on wild flowers is also helpful in trying to identify the plants you might find. It is a well researched site and if you are trying to identify things you have found when you are outside in the Hebrides it is worth a visit.

New canoes and kayaks at Sgoil Dhalabroig (Daliburgh School)

In April Sgoil Dhalabroig (Daliburgh School), in South Uist, took delivery of their new fleet of kayaks and canoes to use on the loch next to the school as part of their development of their outdoor spaces. (They were helped by SSE Scottish Hydro).

To allow the staff to run sessions Tim ran a training and assessment session and then some sessions for the pupils. This a fantastic resource and they have plans to develop the area round the loch with the community.

With other schools having lochs next to them this is a model which could be developed there to increase Outdoor Learning. If you would like help please contact the Outdoor Learning team.

Uig Sgoil Araich

As part of helping the Sgoil Araich in Uig to develop their outdoor play Tim went over with the fire pan and a tarp for an hour to look at the fire triangle, set a fire and then toast some grapes and peppers followed by a story round the fire.

 

This is going to lead to more work in the school and work on developing the area at the back of the school for outdoor play.

Lyme Disease

Here in the outdoor team we are very busy and so the blog has been at a bit of a stand still. This time last year we posted advice about ticks and it has come up again, we would recommend everyone to watch the BBC Programme Disclosure: Under the Skin

BBC Disclosure: Under the Skin

The programme explains how there has been an increase in the incidence of Lyme Disease and how anyone using the outdoors can guard against catching this terrible disease.

When we are working with young people outdoors it is important we understand there are ticks everywhere potentially including the school estate.

The current NHS Scotland guidelines can be found here Current NHS Scotland Guidelines on Lyme Disease

The Forestry Commission have an excellent informative web page on tick identification:

Forestry Commission Identifying Ticks

We also continue to recommend the NHS Highland video if how to remove a tick:

If you need more help or advice please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Outdoor Team.

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