Being in contact with the outdoors has significantly influenced the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional development of humans since prehistoric times. Even today, it is common to feel inspired, awed, or affected by walking in nature or admiring a natural or urban landscape. Outdoor education is an innovative teaching approach that addresses two critical issues in contemporary society: providing high-quality, enduring education and raising awareness about the importance of preserving our planet in the face of the daunting threat of climate change. The new edition of the course “Outdoor education: a new way of teaching and learning” took place in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) from 30/06/2024 to 6/07/2024. The participants came from all across Europe, with Anagnostou, Seitanidou and Mantonitsa from 6th Gymnasium of Katerini in Greece; Emese and Veronika from Varosmajori High School in Hungary; Patricia, Andrea, Mariana and Ilaria from Labins S.C. Impresa Sociale in Italy; Ludmila and Tatiana from Gymnázium Janka Kráľa, Zlaté Moravce in Slovakia; Felix and Thomas from VBS Akademiestraße in Austria; Aleksandra, Zofia and Magdalena from Szkoła Podstawowa im. Tadeusza Kościuszki in Poland. Starting from the definition of Outdoor Education, we explored various ways to guide our students to connect with the outdoors, which doesn't always mean being in nature and forests. Indeed, we dedicated one part of the training to Urban Outdoor Education in the city. The participants learned to teach subjects like science, math, music, art, language, and more by engaging in activities that focused their attention on the surroundings. Another part of the course was focused on practicing many tools in a natural environment in local parks. All the games and activities tested were much appreciated and inspired our participants not only to share their activities with the rest of the group but also to create their own outdoor activities. Participants also explored the concepts of Non-Formal Education (NFE), a pedagogical approach encompassing many outdoor activities. This approach centers on the concrete experiences students have when performing an activity or task. By following the entire cycle and ensuring we ask our students the right reflective questions, they can relate the new knowledge acquired to their lives and apply it. Indeed, the last part of the course was dedicated to designing an outdoor experience tailored to each participant's target group. After studying the principles of the outdoor learning approach, discovering the 10 Kurt Hahn rules and their true meanings, and engaging with various urban and natural activities, each participant designed an outdoor lesson based on the subject they taught. Considering the age level of their pupils and the skills and topics they wanted to address, each teacher planned the session in detail, presented it to the other participants, and received feedback on how to improve it. This week was a true example of the efficacy of experiential outdoor learning: with our hands-on approach, participants got a real taste of what an outdoor education activity looks like and acquired the knowledge needed to plan one for their pupils.
During this course, participants were able to explore a vast series of activities and games they can replicate with their students, demonstrating that learning doesn't happen only inside a classroom! Discover more about this course here. |
Welcome to the ELA Blog. Here you will find articles and photos of our courses and have a look at the topics addressed during the week in Bologna, Palermo and Tenerife. You will also have the chance to take a peek at our projects and check out what we have been up to.
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