Outdoor learning

Udeskole

Outdoor learning in elementary

School

Karen Barfod, VIA Teacher Training Institute

Karen Barfod

Teaching Biology, Physical education and teaching and developing ”Udeskole” in regard to the Danish curriculum.

Leader of the Outdoor Learning program in VIA UC, VIAOUT PhD student at Copenhagen University

Today 14-16

• Lecture about outdoor learning in school in Denmark

– Defintion – Purpose – Examples

• Practical activities outside, examples

The most important in School is to sit on your

Chair

Outdoor learning is a working method, where parts of the everyday life in school is moved out of the classroom – into the local

environment. Outdoor learning implies frequent, purpose driven and curriculum based learning activities

outside the classroom.

Inspired from

Arne Nikolajsen Jordet

Udeskole

Activities outdoors during schooldays is often seen in

• Health

• Social and

• Well-being perspectives

What my work adresses is the curriculum driven activities connected to subjects

A Place

• Outdoor learning is both about a place, but indeed also

about a way of and a under –

standing of learning

Outdoor learning is a form:

• Frequent, purpose driven and curriculum based activities outside the classroom, in nearby learning environments

• Often 1 day a week, all year

• All, or most, subjects

• Working with the same subjects inside – outside – inside

• Often problem- and groupbased tasks

What is Outdoor Learning ?

• Society phenomenon and study – object (neutral)

• Discussion field and debate of ideas (ideological)

• Personal and pedagogical understanding (value-laden)

inspired from Klas Sandell

HOW?

2082 Danish schools (2007)

28% do practise som kind of ”Udeskole”, often as grassroot movements

• Often one day a week

• Often in forests

• Not written into the Danish Curriculum

• Peter Bentsen

Freedom to choose your methods in

Danish Schools

What you are allowed to do

What you actually does

Berg og Wallin

School reform

• Longer schooldays

• More physical activity

• Ministery of Education and Ministery of Environment: 15 outdooe (udeskole)

schools, 50 more next year

Places to go

Nature

Formal learning environments

Informal learning environments

All Subjects

”Udeskole” adresses all subjects in elementary Scool, that is:

• Mothertongue

• Mathematics

• Science

• Physical education

• Art and Handcraft

• History

• Religion

• etc

Subjects

Mathematics

RE Language, writing Problemsolving

Embodiement of words

Geometrical Figures What figure did you find?

Draw it :

Where did you find it ?

Experiental

Learning

KSBA@VIAUC.DK

Peter Bjerg Jørgensen

A B

C D

sproglige kvaliteter Sansende og

udforskende kvaliteter

Fysiske og

motoriske kvaliteter

Manuelle og

produktive kvaliteter

Sensory and Exploring qualities

Manual and productive qualities

Social and verbal qualities

Physical and motor qualities

KSBA@VIAUC.DK

Sensory and

exploring Qualities

Senses

• More ways for understanding

• Deeper understanding

• Remembering ”hooks”

• Embodiement

• ”Sheer joy of discovery”

KSBA@VIAUC.DK

Physical and Motor qualities

• More movement

– More steps

– Higher heartrate

• Less illness

• Better motor

• Less stress

Manual og productive

qualities

KSBA@VIAUC.DK

Gladere børn

Større skoleglæde Fortæller mere derhjemme

Leger mere på tværs

Social and Verbal qualities

Improved relationship

between teacher and pupils Tells more at home

Play with more different mates

Exploring and directed Language (Lene

Herholdt)

So whats new in this ?

• Frequent, purpose driven and curriculum based

• All subjects (or most)

• Childrens life of today

– Less physically

– Not connected to society – Heavily screen dominated

Outside

Bring a pencil

• Scissors Rock Paper

• Bodyguards

• Fractions 3/12 windows

• 3 together in front

• Poems: write a three 3 nouns

3 adjectives 3 verbs

Lets go out!