Learning outside the classroom

Learning outside the classroom. 

     Children learn in different contexts and various surroundings. School is primarily the main source of a child's education, however, they can learn in other ways. Learning begins at birth and continues throughout adult life. The brain is constantly processing new information.

    Tovey (2007) says that outdoor learning offers a unique approach compared to learning indoors. It has the space and certain extent of freedom without being concerned of the consequences and exploring which the indoors can’t offer. Laevers (1997, cited in Tovey, 2007, p.14) suggests that

‘It is when children are most involved that deep level learning takes place.’

    By using resources out of school, this can improve relationships with others, support language, communication and literacy skills, develop self confidence and physical strength, encourage independence, encourage risk taking, build on knowledge of the environment and develops mathematical skills and creativity (Edginton, 2002).

    If children are introduced to alternative learning surroundings, this can offer new experiences to enhance skills in an independent and enjoyable way.  However, the environments outside the classroom still need to be productive and offer suitable resources to develop the child’s learning. Bruce (2006, cited in May, 2011, p.48) states that

‘Children learn best when they are given appropriate responsibility, allowed to experiment, make errors, decisions and choices and are respected as autonomous learners’.

     Bilton (2010) suggests that teachers can embrace their lessons and incorporate them into the outside environment. Outdoor learning can include open spaces or hideaways, low or high ground and can follow on from what is being taught in the classroom.

    There are many environments suitable for educational purposes. These include designated spaces, spaces for exploring and investigating, spaces for use of the imagination, exploring senses and sufficient movement space (Tovey, 2007).
        Piaget influences teachers on how important it is for children to experience things. It is different to read something and make a judgement on it, without actually experiencing it in real life (Mooney, 2000). He believed that children obtain knowledge and understanding by exploring the physical world and the outdoor environment plays a vital role in the learning process (Garrick, 2009). 
        Dowling (2005) suggests that if children are given access and permission to the environment outside of the classroom, this has a successful impact on their confidence, independence, social skills, emotional development, motivation, safety issues, knowledge, skills and awareness.

    

                                     Examples of learning outside the classroom

 

 

Television

 

 

Museums

 

Family and friends

 

 

 

Environment

 

 

 

Education centres

 

 

 

Culture

 

Internet

 

 

 

 

Books

 

The Egypt centre

 

http://www.egypt.swansea.ac.uk/index.php/what-we-do

    After vising the Egypt centre, it is clear how important school trips are. They give a sense of reality to the information read from a textbook. While children can gain knowledge and understand from a book, it has more significance to them when they are provided with real life history artefacts. The Egypt centre is filled with preservation of collection which the children are shown and given explanations and there are also organised themed workshops and activities set up.

      There are hands on activities available for the children to do and there are also age related packs which the teachers can download. The downloadable packs detail all the areas that they cover such as language, communication and literacy, mathematical development, physical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, personal and social development and creative development.

 

Example of a work pack

   

1.              Egyptian Writing

During this activity children will look at different forms of writing systems. This activity is all about picture association and children are encouraged to think more about the alphabet they use everyday. It challenges them to think that not everyone (particularly in ancient times) wrote in the same way. Children will work out which direction to read the hieroglyphs and write their name phonetically. Children are taught the religious significance of hieroglyphic writing and why the kings name is protected inside a cartouche.

Creativity, Problem solving




Communication

 

 

 



      












Thinking




2.               Egyptian Mathematics

Children will examine the way numbers were written in ancient Egypt, learn about unit value rather than place value and complete simple calculations using this base-10 system. Children will be encouraged to look around the gallery and count objects recording the data in ancient Egyptian numerals!

Communication

Thinking
 

 

 



       
Creativity, Problem solving    

  

Mathematics

Useful websites for learning outside of the classroom https://due.mit.edu/initiatives/learning-outside-classroom http://www.creativeeducation.co.uk/blog/index.php/2011/06/learning-outside-the-classroom/ http://outdoormatters.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Learning-outside-the-classroom.pdf     References Bilton, H. 2010. Outdoor learning in the early years; management and innovation. Oxon. Routledge. Dowling, M. 2005. Young children's personal, social and emotional developmental. London. Sage. Second edition.   Edgington, M. 2002. The great outdoors; developing children’s learning through outdoor provision. London. British association. Garrick, R. 2009. Playing outdoors in the early years. London. Continuum. Second edition.   May, P. (2011), Child development in practice; responsive teaching and learning from birth to five. Oxon. Routledge. Mooney, C. 2000. Theories of childhood. St. Paul. Redleaf.   Tovey, H. 2007. Playing outdoors; spaces and places, risk and challenge. England. Open university press.