To start of the day we received an input from the Norwegian students. I found it very interesting and informative listening to how their education system is different from ours and how much they value the creative arts in schools. I learned that outdoor learning is very common in Norway and schools very much utilise the outdoors.
In our art workshop, we looked at how artists Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Long used natural resources to create land art. We then went outdoors in groups to create our own artwork using natural resources. This exercise highlighted how teachers can use a variety of methods such as the outdoors to teach creative arts.
Outdoor settings encourage children to immerse themselves in a sensory experience. They can feel inspired by the trees, flowers, stones, pebbles which can help to fuel and kick start their imagination. Tactile experiences and manipulative skills develop at an early stage; wet and dry sand, paint, water, clay can be used for touch, smell and sound. The school pond or flower bed itself can lend itself to learning about water life such as frogs, fish, different species and plants. The outdoors allows for freedom of expression and creativity as the smallest fragment of land has the potential to deliver exploration and discovery opportunities. Creativity is a process where new ideas are discovered (Teachingtimes.com, n.d.).
Outdoor learning experiences are found to be more successful than classroom-based learning to improve cognitive skills (Eaton, 2000). Adapting creative process can help develop individual learning styles. Children who struggle in the classroom or indoors may accomplish more outdoors. It may encourage them to concentrate more efficiently when they return indoors, putting into practise their new knowledge (Manning, 2019).
As future teacher we should consider the pedagogical delivery methods and learning environments. Play outside the classroom offers pupils the chance to take part in individual and interactive learning (Teachingtimes.com, n.d.). Play that is self-initiated is crucial to a child’s development as it challenges them to make decisions about what they want to do, the resources they will need, where they will get them from and who else to involve. Play is not just about having fun, it provides opportunities for sharing and respecting others, developing citizenship and communication skills, as well as having an opinion and voice.
In music today we were in the Mac Lab and got the chance to learn about the Garage Band App. After exploring the app and familiarising ourselves with the website we got to make our own music. I decided to take inspiration from the outdoor session and decided to create a winer themed song. We also discovered a website called ‘Dirpy’ which allows you to use clips from youtube and insert them into Garage band. With this, I decided to use the sound of a fire cackling, the sound of wind and snow falling. I think this was be a great task do to in the classroom. We can encourage pupils to take inspiration from their favourite songs, favourite books or favourer films such as being inspired by the movie ‘Frozen’. After creating the music, we can then tie this into different topics such as writing. Pupils can create story boards to set the scene which allows them to be creative and use their imagination. For example the music may sound magical so they decide to write a story about a fairy land. Another creative task you could do is allow your pupils to create a short film to go with the soundtrack using digital media, they could film the scenes and then edit them on iMovie. This would tie art, music, drama and digital technologies altogether.
Overall these two sessions highlighted that inspiration can come from anywhere. After being outside, I was simply inspired by the cold, frosty weather which inspired my music. One of the main reasons teachers leave their job is because it can become so routinised. It is important we be creative so pupils and ourselves are excited to learn. I learned that we can use seasonal pedagogy. For example in winter for creative arts we could go outside and make snowmen and snow sculptures. We could inspire the pupils by showing them famous snow sculptures from around the world. When it is autumn pupils can go outside and create outdoor art by using twigs and leaves.
References
Eaton, D. (2000) Cognitive and affective learning in outdoor education. Dissertation Abstracts International – Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 60, 10-A, 3595.
Teachingtimes.com. (n.d.). Creativity thrives in the outdoor classroom. [online] Available at: https://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/creativity-outdoor-classroom.htm [Accessed 9 Dec. 2019].
