I have been finalising the information for the online packs and today I spoke with Calum about designing some space on the website and also drafting the information and activity sheets. Below you can see my (very) rough sketches and some draft work/info sheets from Calum. I also arranged to meet up with Julian Orsi one of the rangers at Rothiemurchus Estate to discuss the outdoor classroom that we are looking to construct at TreeZone. As well as continuing to gather useful information on the wildlife I have also been looking at various problem solving and team based activities. I have identified a few that might work at TreeZone but I will discuss this with Chris tomorrow.
I have also continued with my research on the aims and benefits of outdoor learning. Some of the key concepts to come out of this today were the idea of outdoor space as an inventive space. It is a place where children construct dens, houses, complex roadways and cities from whatever they can find. This kind of play develops resourcefulness and an ability to make-do with available resources.
Also highlighted in my reading was the chaotic and sometimes very boisterous environment of the playground. There is a survival of the fittest mentality and adults often feel they have to intervene. However, it is sometimes best to let incidents play out or have children resolve their own problems as this will help them develop emotional resilience and coping strategies instead of dependence on adult intervention.
The sensory experience of the outdoors is something that is often undervalued. The outdoors is a space where children have meaningful and connected experiences. The smells, the textures, the tastes and the physical freedom of the outdoors create a rich and diverse learning environment. This provides psychological, physiological, social and physical benefits. Children have been ‘hot housed’ in stagnant and lifeless classrooms in order to develop their cognitive skills. This has been at the cost of their motivation, enthusiasm, social skills, health and intellectual freedom.
The biggest barriers to outdoor learning, inasmuch as an outdoor lifestyle is part of outdoor learning, can be the fears of adults; the risks and dangers children face outside from physical harm to abduction or the fear that they will become a nuisance and offend neighbours, or damage the property and well kept gardens. Parents also see the outdoors as an open ended experience over which they have no control. In deciding what is in a child's best interests you sometimes have to look to the adult they could become, and not the child they are.
The children themselves have also developed their own barriers to experiencing the outdoors. The draw of technology such as games consoles or social media like Facebook have created very appealing indoor environments. However, simple things, like the type of clothing that is considered popular or cool, can hinder time spent outside in the colder weather.
A well thought through outdoor learning program could help to develop a greater appreciation of a more outdoor orientated lifestyle and could help to waylay people’s fears about the risks and dangers. Activity centres like TreeZone show people that there are safe ways to take risks. They can also help teachers and parents witness directly the positive impact of a positive, challenging and risky outdoor environment.
References:
Bilton, H. (2010). Outdoor Learning in the Early Years - management and innovation. 3rd edn. Abingdon: David Fulton Publishers Ltd.
Also highlighted in my reading was the chaotic and sometimes very boisterous environment of the playground. There is a survival of the fittest mentality and adults often feel they have to intervene. However, it is sometimes best to let incidents play out or have children resolve their own problems as this will help them develop emotional resilience and coping strategies instead of dependence on adult intervention.
The sensory experience of the outdoors is something that is often undervalued. The outdoors is a space where children have meaningful and connected experiences. The smells, the textures, the tastes and the physical freedom of the outdoors create a rich and diverse learning environment. This provides psychological, physiological, social and physical benefits. Children have been ‘hot housed’ in stagnant and lifeless classrooms in order to develop their cognitive skills. This has been at the cost of their motivation, enthusiasm, social skills, health and intellectual freedom.
The biggest barriers to outdoor learning, inasmuch as an outdoor lifestyle is part of outdoor learning, can be the fears of adults; the risks and dangers children face outside from physical harm to abduction or the fear that they will become a nuisance and offend neighbours, or damage the property and well kept gardens. Parents also see the outdoors as an open ended experience over which they have no control. In deciding what is in a child's best interests you sometimes have to look to the adult they could become, and not the child they are.
The children themselves have also developed their own barriers to experiencing the outdoors. The draw of technology such as games consoles or social media like Facebook have created very appealing indoor environments. However, simple things, like the type of clothing that is considered popular or cool, can hinder time spent outside in the colder weather.
A well thought through outdoor learning program could help to develop a greater appreciation of a more outdoor orientated lifestyle and could help to waylay people’s fears about the risks and dangers. Activity centres like TreeZone show people that there are safe ways to take risks. They can also help teachers and parents witness directly the positive impact of a positive, challenging and risky outdoor environment.
References:
Bilton, H. (2010). Outdoor Learning in the Early Years - management and innovation. 3rd edn. Abingdon: David Fulton Publishers Ltd.