Month: November 2017

                                                                                                      

Practice and policy development in ‘Outdoor Learning’ and ‘Learning for Sustainability’ in Scotland has been informed, and heavily influenced by the research and teaching of the outdoor and sustainability education staff at Moray House School of Education. In particular  the Scottish commitment to bring outdoor learning together with other more traditional approaches to education for sustainable development, and to do so simultaneously in a wide range of Scottish Government policy areas, as well as in the training and registration of teachers, and supported by establishing a United Nations recognised centre of expertise in the field, is of international significance.

                                Professor Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair in Education for Sustainable Development, York University, Canada

Teaching outdoors helps encourage curiosity, and stimulates all the senses in a way that indoor learning simply cannot do. Progressive outdoor learning experiences are best delivered through a combination of school-based outdoor learning and residential programmes. All children and young people are participating in a range of progressive and creative outdoor learning experiences which are clearly part of the curriculum.

Learning outdoors can be enjoyable, creative, challenging and adventurous and helps children and young people learn by experience and grow as confident and responsible citizens who value and appreciate the spectacular landscapes, natural heritage and culture of Scotland.

Well-constructed and well-planned outdoor learning helps develop the skills of enquiry, critical thinking and reflection necessary for our children and young people to meet the social, economic and environmental challenges of life in the 21st century. Outdoor learning connects children and young people with the natural world, with our built heritage and our culture and society, and encourages lifelong involvement and activity in outdoors.

Partnerships between staff in schools, other educational settings and with other organisations will create working relationships that contribute to professional development for teachers and educators and construct clear pathways for delivering Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes outdoors.

The place of outdoor learning within Curriculum for Excellence

Opportunities for outdoor learning exist within and across all curriculum areas, including the themes for development across learning such as enterprise in education, sustainable development education and global citizenship. Learning outdoors is part of the wide range of practical approaches to developing skills. Building the Curriculum 4 outlines how these approaches should be integrated: ‘These practical approaches to learning must not be seen as a ‘bolt-on’ or alternative form of provision but part of an integrated experience.                               

                                                                                       Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work, 2009

Assessment should apply to learning outside the classroom

School improvement plans are constructed drawing on a wide range of evidence, including assessment information. Assessment of outdoor learning experiences provides valuable evidence to contribute to school improvement plans. To assess individuals’ progress, essential skills may be reported and recorded through learning portfolios, learning profiles and/or reports. Actively involving children and young people in the assessment process helps develop ownership of learning.

                                                                                                                                             HMIE, Learning Together: Opening up Learning, 2009

Examples from the Curriculum for Excellence Principles and Practice papers relating to the outdoors include:

• ‘encouraging and capitalising on the potential to experience learning and new challenges in the outdoor environment’ – Health and wellbeing

•  ‘as children and young people progress in their learning of the sciences, teachers can take advantage of opportunities for study in              the local, natural and built environments’ – Sciences

• ‘learning outdoors, field trips visits and input by external contributors’ – Social studies

Progressive experiences

‘All aspects of the curriculum can be explored outside. The sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors, the closeness to nature, the excitement most children feel, the wonder and curiosity all serve to enhance and stimulate learning.’

I was initially worried that my enquiry on outdoor education was too topic driven. What underpins it is the fact I am putting ‘my own values into practice’ as discussed in the reading for Task 3A. I’ve still got quite a way to go, but I have taken first step by taking initiative to set up Eco-committee in our school.

Intended Approach

I’ve had brief conversations recently with both my PT and the DHT who has staff development as part of her remit. Both are keen for me to proceed with an enquiry around my initial idea of Eco- school as a part of outdoor learning.

That’s what made me think idea of Eco-school would be ideal to work with a group of pupils from S1 to S6 with when undertaking my TLP enquiry. and I want to harness this in allowing us to work much more collaboratively than I might be able or willing to do in a classroom setting.

I want to  work on the project already known to pupils and for learner voice to influence what we do/where we go to a much greater extent than normal. Therefore, the idea is that together, my pupils, I with my colleagues can create a more holistic learning experience out with the classroom. Clearly, given the nature of the work, the enquiry will be rooted in working in partnership with community. Eco-committee is the pupil decision based committee where they plan and execute their ideas. I am hoping less talking which I am currently used to and more listening on my part. I want to allow learners the time to articulate their own wondering, whilst also providing a safe space to share those which will shape the direction of what we explore and look at in terms of working together. What will be different from the way I’ve approached teaching in classroom to explore and to focus on individual experiences and work with pupils.

Next Steps

Looking at E’s and O’s, I am thinking not very sure to link numeracy skills with outdoor learning. Initially, I will look at some of the previous TLP academic posters, for ideas, find suitable way to execute it. Watch Fearghal Kelly’s ‘Planning Our Learning’, about an enquiry he undertook in his own classroom, allowing pupils the opportunity to ‘explore new ideas.

As it is a new project in the school, Environmental survey by the committee members is done and soon it will be open for whole school feedback. Last week we got new badges and group and individual photographs of all the committee members were taken by S6 pupil who is now photograph link. Article with photo will be published in the December newsletter.

After December, once the background reading is underway, develop the materials I intend to use. I am aware that I will need to be flexible and I will be constantly revising and reflecting on the process as we go along.

When I am think about my own Pactitioner Enquiry, my focus seems to change every day .I have lots of ideas but being a Scientist I feel whatever the area I choose should be in line with the whole school improvement and also should have positive impact on my learners. I am thinking to have a meeting with school CPD co-ordinator to discuss my ideas and approach about practitioner enquiry.

What’s become apparent to me, after doing this week’s reading, is that an enquiry, although conducted in the classroom and of personal interest to the practitioner, should also be aligned with both the school and national priorities.  I can see, once these connections are made at the start of the process, how this will engage others in the learning community and allow them to see its value.

At the center of each of these potential enquiries from all of us is the learner and their experience, —–how we can help learners to achieve their potential. However, I think the clear link to school improvement plans, to subject benchmarks, to HGIOS4 will help allow what we plan, do and ultimately improve, to be valued outside of each of our classrooms. The collaborative approach of the enquiry is really important, as we are sharing ideas and supporting each other during the process.

I like the step-by-step aspect and the clear questioning given in each of the Action Research approach and Fearghal Kelly’s An Enquiry Process make. In terms of adopting an approach to going about Enquiry, I probably feel most comfortable with Fearghal Kelly’s Enquiry Process, simply because of the level of detail in it. Perhaps in time, I will grow more confident in relying more on some of the ones taking a visual approach, such as the Action Research cycle or the Spiral of Enquiry as used in British Columbia.

               

 

 

 

 

 

As Dr Harris says in the video clip, Practitioner Enquiry through action research should be about putting our values into practice, in order to bring about change that will bring improvement regarding these issues. Professional Enquiry requires great involvement in self-reflection, in terms of my own personal and professional values and upon the issues that don’t quite sit right for me.

As the aims of this approach are specifically about to bring improvements, rather than to implement change for the sake of change, and the changes that are made are chosen by the practitioner rather than imposed upon them. it should be a positive, and possibly even emancipatory experience for the practitioner. The benefits of practitioner enquiry is it allows the practitioners to implement and improve the quality of educational theory and practices and thereby significantly improves the quality of a learner’s experiences in their educational journey.

Practitioner Enquiry allows us to develop that sense of self awareness which enables the person to develop a sensitivity of what, why and how your enquiring as a practitioner. Learning to develop Practitioner Enquiry skills is a long process because the practitioner has to challenge their own ideas and values over the time.