Try these enrichments for Project Learning Tree’s Poet-Tree activity. American families are staying inside more, according to a Nature Conservancy poll that found only 10% of kids spend time outside every day. 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. 4. You might be thinking? The Outdoor Classroom Project (OCP), an initiative of the Child Educational Center (CEC), in La Cañada, California, is founded on the belief that early care and education programs have the power to address these challenges by providing rich and engaging outdoor learning experiences. 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. This is an update to a previously published article. 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. Assemble a team. Your email address will not be published. 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. Watch a video of the paper-making process used in this activity. Outdoor-learning experiences offer a great deal in terms of these benefits. Hear two teachers in Minnesota’s top-ten tips for beginning to teach outdoors. an outdoor classroom or outdoor learning facility. Engage volunteers. 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. “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. The engagement and communication skills teachers are taught transfer into everything that a … These top ten tips and tricks for preschool educators are sure to keep both students and educators engaged and excited to learn outside. 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. The optimal learning and growing environment for young children is composed of a full integration of indoor and outdoor spaces. Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms provides the why and how in an accessible format that any educational leader can use to transform the learning environment at their school site. PLT’s Top Ten Tips for Teaching Outside – Early Childhood: 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. Whether your move to hold classes in nature is mandated, suggested, or entirely optional, we encourage you to consider the following tips from seasoned educators in Florida who reinvigorated student learning by creating outdoor classrooms: Students at Littlewood Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida enjoy their outdoor classroom, thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and a GreenWorks! 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. 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, … Download tools and resources from Green Schoolyards America 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. Most early childhood programs are required to have outdoor play yards. There are lots of benefits for students learning outdoors and connecting with nature. New lesson plans and professional development. Part of the Outdoor Classroom's vision is that indoor and outdoor spaces constitute a single learning environment. 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. © 2019, SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE® La Cañada, CA 91011 These experiences really helped teachers take maximum advantage of not only creating, but also using, their school’s outdoor classroom. Littlewood was able to receive assistance from: 5. PLT’s Top Ten Tips for Teaching Outside – Elementary: They are a great meeting point. 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. “The outdoor classroom is a healthy, engaging, and creative response to today’s educational challenges. According to Orfalea, “ The Outdoor Classroom Project is a critical quality improvement initiative that improves not only the quality of outdoor environments and programs but the entire functioning of an ECE center. Assess the site. 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. Get funding to help your students complete an action project to improve their environment. Focus on Forests and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation joined forces to outline a helpful guide to inspire educators to get started on an outdoor classroom with tips for ways to create strong funding applications to support. PLT’s Top Ten Tips for Teaching Outside – Middle and High School:   140 Foothill Blvd. North American Association for Environmental Education’s eeGuidance for Reopening Schools: Want a little more inspiration to help you get started on an outdoor classroom for your school? The vision of the Outdoor Classroom is based on the premise that anything you can do indoors, you can probably do outdoors as well. TEACHING OUTDOORS WHAT HAS BEEN TAUGHT INDOORS. Contact Us to Learn More What do Nature Explore Classrooms Look Like? 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. Turning Education Inside Out: How Green Schoolyards Can Help Make Schools Safer This Fall—and Improve Kids’ Lives Permanently Invite PTA members and team with local agencies and organizations who can provide resources and expertise. jQuery,window.fnames=new Array,window.ftypes=new Array,fnames[0]="EMAIL",ftypes[0]="email",fnames[1]="FNAME",ftypes[1]="text",fnames[2]="LNAME",ftypes[2]="text",fnames[3]="ADDRESS",ftypes[3]="address",fnames[4]="PHONE",ftypes[4]="phone",fnames[5]="BIRTHDAY",ftypes[5]="birthday";var $mcj=jQuery.noConflict(!0), CONTACT US | PRIVACY POLICY | PLT IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE INC. All subjects or curriculum can be presented in an outdoor classroom. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Help students visualize and better understand the function of the inner parts of a tree trunk by creating this easy-to-make visual aid. Thanks for your suggestion! Fifty-six people gathered from the countries to explore effective approaches to outdoor learning. The highlighted activities include: Here are some tips and lessons learned along the way: 1. This multi-disciplinary approach is based on extensive research and field testing. 3. Luisa Richardson. "The Nature Explore Classroom Certification Program is a national initiative that recognizes schools and other organizations that have made a commitment to providing outdoor classrooms and comprehensive programming to help children use the natural world as an integral part of learning. 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… Challenge your kids to see how many triangles they can make with 9 sticks. If your climate permits during some or all seasons, consider developing an outdoor classroom. Volunteers make the difference! Recent data shows that kids spend at least two hours in front of screens each day. 2. PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide, click here to find your regional U.S. Forest Service Conservation Education Coordinator, Outdoor Learning A Solution for Schools During COVID 19 Expert Panel Recording, North American Association for Environmental Education’s eeGuidance for Reopening Schools, Turning Education Inside Out: How Green Schoolyards Can Help Make Schools Safer This Fall—and Improve Kids’ Lives Permanently, Outdoor Infrastructure Planning Strategies for Taking Learning Outside as Schools Reopen, Building Outdoor Classrooms: A Guide for Successful Fundraising, PLT’s Top Ten Tips for Teaching Outside – Early Childhood, PLT’s Top Ten Tips for Teaching Outside – Elementary. Students investigate the papermaking process by trying it themselves. Deadline to apply is Sept. 30. 626-296-1770. 6. Building Outdoor Classrooms: A Guide for Successful Fundraising: Daniela Silver Daniela Silver is a Pre-K teacher at Murch Elementary in Washington, D.C. She earned a master's degree in … There is a lot to consider for teachers taking students outdoors for the first time. The conference explored how to create successful outdoor learners. They observe bird behavior, calculate the dollar value of trees, measure plant growth, and collect data on seasonal changes. 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. PLT IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE INC. A local landscape architect helped students envision what the site would look like and incorporated their ideas into a final drawing, The art teacher helped students make mosaic stepping stones and tree identification signs, Parent volunteers helped make the tree sign bases, A local graphic designer developed a bird sign, A local master gardener and the landscape architect helped students plan a pollinator garden. Makes learning a multi-sensory experience. Our approach is multifaceted and interdisciplinary. Seek funding. Use sidewalk chalk to create a grid where your kids can count and sort objects. While, of course, this simplified statement can’t encapsulate the entirety of this famous Italian educational ideology, it’s in … partnerships between staff in schools, other educational settings and with other organisations will create Thanks Luisa, we really appreciate your suggestion for the PLT activity # 25 Birds and Worms found in PLT’s PreK-8 Guide. We are exploring how outdoor science and real world learning can help learners understand the fundamental concepts of science and sustainable development, and demonstrate practical methods of teaching and learning based on the outdoor classroom. The students were involved in many aspects of creating the outdoor classroom; from site planning and design, through installing bird feeders, planting native species, developing adopt-a-tree signs, and creating steppingstone mosaics. Reach out to local businesses for donations of materials, such as building supplies, birdfeeders, wood chips, and so forth. 4. APPROACH. Your email address will not be published. Grant opportunities. By committing to learning both inside and outside the classroom, schools are able to teach … The outdoor classroom also offers "developmentally appropriate activities", which are activities based on the child's ability and are not forced on the child. Model cleanliness habits by keeping the storage and play spaces tidy. We are developing guidance notes to support high quality outdoor learning. Ms. Whitehead and I also held another workshop which included tips for success with outdoor learning, a tea… Engage students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) through the power of the written word. ... Project Approach, Other Topics, Play, Outdoor, Subject Areas, Science, Nature. Nancy Peterson and Annie Oxarart with Florida Project Learning Tree provided instruction from PLT’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide and GreenSchools Investigations Guide. Outdoor play theorists Mc Millan and Isaacs appeared to have already known in their time why outdoor play was important and in particular the connections between physical activity and health. An outdoor classroom is a great place for children to learn new vocabulary words and to document their learning experiences. Outdoor Infrastructure Planning Strategies for Taking Learning Outside as Schools Reopen By engaging the senses of touch, smell, hearing, taste … As the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted countless traditional learning environments, many schools and educators have begun to move classes outdoors. Get information relevant to your state, plus local assistance and connections to resources and professionals in your community. View fullscreen on Video page or YouTube channel. 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. Teachers are thrilled to have this outdoor space where students can be immersed in learning about nature. So the Birds and Worms activity could be more accurate for bioregional literacy if it had a piece on native vs. introduced species – maybe be Birds and ???. 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