Content (OE)

Structured Course:
“Outdoor Education”

TYPE OF TRAINING ACTIVITY

Erasmus + programme. Key Action 101 and Key Action 104

CONTENT

Outdoor education is a means of curriculum enrichment, whereby the process of learning takes place out of doors. Outdoor education broadly includes environmental education, conservation education, adventure education, school camping, wilderness therapy, and some aspects of outdoor recreation (Lappin).  Outdoor Education has very close relations with both the Environmental Education (EE) and the Education for Sustainability (ESD).

The offered course aims at preparing teachers to introduce and integrate Outdoor education in the mainstream school curriculum, while, at the same time, offering hands on learning experience in special settings and outdoor environments. Outdoor Education is central to the efforts of all schools to respond to the claim for improved teaching and learning.

 Through a combination of lectures, seminars and practical activities in the field, you will examine the critical relationship between outdoor, environmental education and sustainability, and a range of other subject areas, as well as the particular requirements for teaching these in a variety of settings, from schools, environmental education centers and natural settings.

The course is structured on three different modules

 A. An introduction to Outdoor Education and the different aspects of the subject;

B. The methodologies used in Outdoor Education;

C. Practicing Outdoor Education in a variety of settings.

METHODOLOGY

This course employs a variety of teaching-learning approaches and methods. There is a mix of workshops, with presentations and lectures, self and team reflection, pair work, small group activities, peer teaching sessions, simulations and role playing sessions, problem solving activities and case studies. The field work will also influence the overall outcome of the course.  The participants will be provided with a PDF document about Outdoor Education at the beginning of the course.

 

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO ACQUIRE


Participants are expected to acquire the following, attending the course:

Knowledge:

  1. Short history of the Outdoor education
  2. Outdoors in the Greek educational system
  3. Basics of the Outdoor education
  4. Organizing an Outdoor field trip and study
  5. Objectives, values  and the guiding principles of Outdoor Education
  6. Different aspects of Outdoor Education
  7. Preparation of Outdoor learning at school. 

Skills

  1. Setting, running, presenting and evaluating an outdoor learning project
  2. Improving students’ performance through the improvement of their collaboration abilities
  3. Improving self-esteem through the interaction with students
  4. Creation of new outdoor learning activities
  5. Guiding a team of students for an  outdoor project
  6. Organizing, from all aspects, an outdoor field trip 
  7. Taking precaution measures for outdoor learning activities
  8. Involving parents in the preparation and implementation of outdoor learning projects

 

PREPARATION

The participants will receive suggestions for reading material in order to prepare for the course well in advance. Visiting the webpage www.aeiforum.eu where much of relevant information is available is highly recommended.

The participants will be asked to fill in a special questionnaire about their training needs before the course. They will also be asked to prepare a presentation about their school’s daily operation and their country.

FOLLOW UP

By the end of the course participants are asked to reflect on their learning experience and report accordingly. They will also be asked to fill in an evaluation questionnaire about the fulfillment or not of their expectations. At the website www.aeiforum.eu the participants will have the opportunity to submit their ideas, share their experience and suggest new ideas.

BY WHOM

The course is organised by Aeiforum an NGO, specialized in Sustainable School, Environmental Education and similar innovations at school. The trainers have a broad experience in teaching and learning methods, in adult education and training, quality management and change management.

THEMATIC FIELDS

$1·         Education for Sustainable  Development

$1·         Environmental Education

$1·         Outdoor Education

$1·         The school as a learning organisation

$1·         Pedagogy and didactics

$1·         Combating failure at school

$1·         European dimension

$1·         Active Citizenship

WORKING LANGUAGES

$1·         English

$1·         Greek

EDUCATIONAL  SECTOR OF THE PARTICIPANTS

$1·         Pre-Primary Education

$1·         Primary Education

$1·         Lower-Upper General Secondary Education

$1·         Vocational/Technical Secondary Education

$1·         Special Education

TARGET AUDIENCE

$1·         Teachers (Pre-Primary to VET)

$1·         Teacher trainers

$1·         Head Teachers/School Principals

$1·         Education counselors

$1·         Inspectors

$1·         Parents’ associations’ members

$1·         Local Government officials

 

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO ACQUIRE

 


Participants are expected to acquire the following, attending the course:

Knowledge:

1.      Short history of Geography Worldwide, in Europe and in Greece

2.      The schope, the objectives, the values  and the guiding principles of Geography

3.      Different aspects of Geography at school

4.      Teaching geographhy at school. Main principles

5.      Geography and extracuricular projects

6.      Geography and outdoor learning

Skills

1.      Setting, running, presenting and evaluating an outdoor geography project

2.      Improving students performance through the improvement of their collaboration abilities

3.      Improving self esteem through the interaction with students

4.      Creation of new geography learning activities for the classroom and outdoors

5.      Guiding a team of students for a geography outdoor project

6.      Organizing, from all aspects, a geography field trip outdoors