When I started the school’s Green Team with Littlewood teacher Ms. Whitehead, we worked together to involve other teachers and the school’s administration as we developed plans for the outdoor classroom. They observe bird behavior, calculate the dollar value of trees, measure plant growth, and collect data on seasonal changes. Challenge your kids to see how many triangles they can make with 9 sticks. © 2019, SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE® Outdoor classroom could be described as outdoor learning space that provides varying experiences and learning activities that could enhance students’ learning performances, particularly in Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach. Outdoor learning is widespread across Europe, taking the form of science through to sensory based learning. Thanks Luisa, we really appreciate your suggestion for the PLT activity # 25 Birds and Worms found in PLT’s PreK-8 Guide. In the classroom, instructors can use drone footage, mobile apps, and programs like Google Earth to bring outdoor environments inside, thus bringing far-away or inaccessible outdoor phenomena t… Tips from educators for teaching about the environment. There are lots of benefits for students learning outdoors and connecting with nature. Your email address will not be published. The outdoor classroom includes seating for 24 students, as well as bird feeders, bird baths, and native plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife. An outdoor classroom is a great place for children to learn new vocabulary words and to document their learning experiences. PLT’s Top Ten Tips for Teaching Outside – Middle and High School: Part of the Outdoor Classroom's vision is that indoor and outdoor spaces constitute a single learning environment. Conduct PLT’s GreenSchools School Site Investigation with your “Green Team.” This will help you map your school site, inventory the plants and animals, and assess ways the school grounds can be used for outdoor learning. Assemble a team. In this special feature article from the Children & Nature Network, author Jay Walljasper paints a picture of what Back-to-School 2020 could like all across America—with green schoolyards offering a safer, more equitable middle ground in the wrenching decisions over in-person vs. online instruction. Most early childhood programs are required to have outdoor play yards. Outdoor learning also provides endless opportunities for experiential, contextual and applied education. Volunteers make the difference! Check out these additional resources: Outdoor Learning A Solution for Schools During COVID 19 Expert Panel Recording: Advances in technology make it relatively easy for students to bring digital technology with them when they leave the classroom, or for instructors to bring the outdoor learning environment into the classroom. Comprehensive, Holistic, Emergent Curriculum Curriculum is one … Outdoor Classrooms An outdoor classroom can be used in just the same way as a traditional indoor classroom but with the additional benefit of being outdoors. The Outdoor Classroom Project’s goal is to educate teachers, administrators, and parents about the value of outdoor play for children’s development, and help child care centers cultivate stimulating outdoor environments and activities at their sites. To help teachers take maximum advantage of the outdoor classroom, myself and Ms. Whitehead, a Littlewood teacher, organized teacher trainings for them. “The outdoor classroom is a healthy, engaging, and creative response to today’s educational challenges. American families are staying inside more, according to a Nature Conservancy poll that found only 10% of kids spend time outside every day. These top ten tips and tricks for preschool educators are sure to keep both students and educators engaged and excited to learn outside. ... Project Approach, Other Topics, Play, Outdoor, Subject Areas, Science, Nature. Get information relevant to your state, plus local assistance and connections to resources and professionals in your community. Are my students ready to try mindfulness outdoors? You might be thinking? Try these enrichments for Project Learning Tree’s Poet-Tree activity. The highlighted activities include: Here are some tips and lessons learned along the way: 1. Experience in the field and child development research alike are showing that all children need and benefit from more time outdoors; it is critical for their health, self-concept, and future school success. Obviously, transitioning to this approach comes with challenges in … But many teachers are uncomfortable with the idea or hesitant to try it out. As you select a site for the outdoor classroom, consider one that includes shady areas for classroom space and sunny areas for native plants to attract birds and butterflies. We are in the process of updating many of our activities and will plan to add a “Did You Know” piece in the background – and an enrichment suggestion – to note that earthworms are nonnative to most of North America and how they affect forest ecosystems. The Outdoor Classroom believes, "Everything you can do indoors, you can do outdoors, and even more!" Your email address will not be published. There is a lot to consider for teachers taking students outdoors for the first time. 3. Luisa Richardson. Littlewood was able to receive assistance from: 5. The engagement and communication skills teachers are taught transfer into everything that a … The goal of Santa Barbara County Outdoor Classroom Project (SBCOCP) is to better the lives of young children in Santa Barbara County by increasing the quality, quantity, and benefits of their outdoor experiences in centers of early childhood education. Outdoor classrooms create a gathering place for children when learning outdoors. Across America today, children’s health, development, learning, and well-being have been seriously compromised by decades of changes that have dramatically altered childhood. TEACHING OUTDOORS WHAT HAS BEEN TAUGHT INDOORS. Teachers are thrilled to have this outdoor space where students can be immersed in learning about nature. for assessing and configuring your outdoor classroom, including a cost estimate tool and the ability to request assistance from a landscape designer in your area. For example, contact your PLT State Coordinator and staff who work at local nature centers or parks. 140 Foothill Blvd. Engage students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) through the power of the written word. It includes creating “how-to” resources, frameworks and strategies designed to help schools and districts plan their outdoor infrastructure, expand to use outdoor spaces at nearby parks, consider new staffing models (formal/informal partnerships) and integrate additional school programs outdoors such as physical education, recess … “I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”, THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM PROJECT® IS AN initiative of the Child Educational Center. Students investigate the papermaking process by trying it themselves. North American Association for Environmental Education’s eeGuidance for Reopening Schools: An outdoor classroom, or one that places a strong emphasis on nature, is the perfect place for the “whole child” to thrive. Have a lot of patience! grant from Project Learning Tree. By integrating design services with professional development and ongoing support, we help you create a sustainable, nature-rich outdoor classroom. Fifty-six people gathered from the countries to explore effective approaches to outdoor learning. Both indoor and outdoor classroom environments are composed with thought and intention to create safe, comfortable, and inspiring opportunities for learning where children feel free to explore, create, … As the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted countless traditional learning environments, many schools and educators have begun to move classes outdoors. Outdoor classrooms also provide alter- An outdoor classroom provides a sheltered spot in the windy or wet weather, and a shaded area in the hot and sunny weather, meaning that lessons can take place outside all year round. Want a little more inspiration to help you get started on an outdoor classroom for your school? The Outdoor Classroom can be created and used with almost every curriculum, for any population of children, and at virtually any program of early care and education. Curriculum: Curriculum is one of the most important aspect in ECE. Findings from a new study show that learning outdoors is not just a fun, novel experience for kids, but also helps them focus once they return to the classroom. Mindfulness in the outdoor classroom is an excellent way to gain insight into your students abilities to monitor focus and the perfect way to start any outdoor lesson you have in mind. Outdoor Infrastructure Planning Strategies for Taking Learning Outside as Schools Reopen By engaging the senses of touch, smell, hearing, taste … To help teachers take maximum advantage of the outdoor classroom, myself and Ms. Whitehead, a Littlewood teacher, organized teacher trainings for them. Cynthia Freeman, a teacher at Dowling Urban Elementary School in Minneapolis, Minnesota shares her top ten tips and tricks for teaching outdoors and connecting Elementary-aged students with nature. If your climate permits during some or all seasons, consider developing an outdoor classroom. APPROACH. Help students visualize and better understand the function of the inner parts of a tree trunk by creating this easy-to-make visual aid. Ms. Whitehead and I also held another workshop which included tips for success with outdoor learning, a teacher’s perspective, and an introduction to the outdoor exploration backpack program. Hear two teachers in Minnesota’s top-ten tips for beginning to teach outdoors. Be prepared for it to take longer than you may have originally thought. Seek funding. COVID has changed the way we will go back to school; The OutClass™ outdoor classroom system offers a natural, flexible, and pedagogically sound approach to quickly scale up your classroom capacity outside to take the pressure off your teachers and school inside. Develop a Green Team of students, teachers, administrators, parents, and volunteers who can help with the project. Annie Hermansen-Baez is Science Delivery/Kids in the Woods Coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service, based at the Southern Research Station in Gainesville, Florida. PLT’s Top Ten Tips for Teaching Outside – Early Childhood: Key among these changes has been a significantly reduced amount of time spent outdoors, which is linked to a number of other detrimental trends. 626-296-1770. Every month we carefully select new educational apps, videos, interactive websites, books, careers information, and teacher-generated materials that support PLT lessons. Nancy Peterson and Annie Oxarart with Florida Project Learning Tree provided instruction in PLT’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guideand GreenSchools training. The Outdoor Classroom enhances and adds to the limited scope of activities available inside confined classrooms by providing for hands-on experiences, physical activity, social-emotional growth through peer interaction, and multifaceted approaches to cognitive development that connect children to nature and maximize their learning outcomes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We infuse our classroom curriculum with our outdoor experiences by. By committing to learning both inside and outside the classroom, schools are able to teach … Recent data shows that kids spend at least two hours in front of screens each day. Invite PTA members and team with local agencies and organizations who can provide resources and expertise. 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