READ:
Health & Wellbeing Experiences and Outcomes and GTCS Standard for Registration. Where is Outdoor Learning mentioned? How is Outdoor Learning related to Health and Wellbeing?
Although there is no direct mention of Outdoor Learning in the Health & Wellbeing Experiences and Outcomes I believe many aspects can be linked which I will later address. GTCS Standards for Registration directly mentions Outdoor Learning in 3.1.3 and 3.2.1. directly highlighting the need for such contexts in practice. I believe Outdoor Learning can relate to Health and Wellbeing in many contexts for example, Physical Wellbeing as well as Physical Education can be enhanced through Outdoor Learning. In schools, children may not have access to an appropriate sized gym space which the outdoors can provide. By being outdoors children are also much more likely to develop their risk assessment. Children can also develop their awareness of Safe and Hygienic Practices under Food and Health. With the implementation of Forest Schools nationally I believe children can be open to the importance of effective hand washing after messy play. If children are aware of the correct measurements to take afterwards, I believe, are more likely to get messy in outdoor play as they know how to manage their mess laterally to please their parents in an ever expanding “cotton wool” society.
REFLECT:
What would your definition of ‘Outdoor Learning’ and ‘Health and Wellbeing’ be? Share your reflections in your e-portfolio.
I believe Outdoor Learning should involve all the natural resources that are of accessibility out with the norm classroom setting. However, some schools will be in a more favourable position in which resources they have to out with their school for example, schools in rural, urban areas opposed to those in inner city schools. However, I do not think this definition should restrict Outdoor Learning for example, if an inner city school wishes to engage with topics such as Maths by taking chalk, counters or other resources outdoors to enhance learning they should be able to do so.
LISTEN:
to ‘The Science of Resilience’ by Sian Williams on BBC iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07cvhrs (30 mins) where she talks about how her fight with breast cancer made her reflect on her own resilience and looks at the impact of resilience in an educational setting. What implications does lack of resilience mean for teachers (in both their professional and personal capacity) and pupils?
Resilience is the likelihood of being able to bounce back when something negative happens to us. However, as the first doctor concludes 30-50% of behaviours how we react in our resilience are dependant on genetic factors and as the second doctor concludes some of us are more sensitive than others. A lack of resilience, for teachers, means that teachers must be able to have suitable actions in place incase a child does not bounce back from negative experiences or stresses whether they be in an educational or personal situation. Pupils, if they have a lack of resilience, may develop other negative behaviours as they believe themselves to be failures. It is therefore, a teacher’s job to have appropriate actions in place to promote a positive classroom ethos in which mistakes are welcomed and are not made fool of for trying again when not correct the first time.
*WATCH:
James Nottingham’s animation of ‘The Learning Pit’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IMUAOhuO78 Who would benefit from this approach?
I believe all children would benefit from such an approach. In the early years, it can be used to introduce children to questioning their answers. In the upper years, children can then explore whether or not their wider world is as it seems. I particularly like this approach as it allows children to work collaboratively with a shared aim in mind and contributing their shared expertise. This can gather views from all different backgrounds to reach a valid conclusion. I also like the adoption of ICT to research findings which could strongly link with Technologies within CfE.
