outdoor learning experiences with children Hanin Hussain, PhD - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Designing and enacting outdoor learning experiences with children Hanin Hussain, PhD Early Childhood and Special Needs Education

Our itinerary for today Introducing our imaginary practice-based inquiry Phase 1: Inquiring into our starting points Phase 2: Preparing to start Phase 3: Let’s go outdoors Phase 4: Looking back, looking around and looking forward Let’s stop here … for now

Introducing our imaginary practice- based inquiry

What is our overall inquiry question? Identifies the goal we are striving for in Identifies who are involved in the our exploration/inquiry practice-based exploration/inquiry How can we, as EC educators and centres, design and enact outdoor learning experiences (OLE) with children in ways that (1) are meaningful to everyone involved, and (2) promote risk-taking and safety for everyone involved? Identifies the criteria by which we know we have achieved our goal Our assumption today We know that OLE is worthwhile doing with children but we’re not so confident about how to make a start

How are we doing our inquiry? By taking a complexity thinking approach with these features • Seeking to understand multiple and interacting factors and perspectives that can influence our practice • Generating possibilities in ideas and actions based on above understandings • Selecting and justifying a course of action from the above possibilities

How are we doing our inquiry? By using an imaginary scenario that • Includes situations that are recognizable in ECE in Singapore • Can enable us to envision possibilities together • Can prompt you to reflect on your own centre and teaching contexts and craft your own ways to foster outdoor learning

How are we doing our inquiry? Let’s clarify our imaginary scenario • Our imaginary centre • Our understandings of outdoor learning

Imagining our scenario The centre  Childcare centre located in void deck of HDB heartland  Does not have its own outdoor play area • Children from infants to K2 • Teacher-child ratio as per ECDA regulations • EL and MT teachers co-teach in each class • Staff • Teachers with range of teaching experiences and qualifications • Non-teaching staff include cook, cleaning aunty, administrator • Principal as centre leader  Student-teachers on practicum

Imagining our scenario Our understanding of outdoor learning • Outdoors as a context and an environment for learning • 3 inter-weaving aspects of OLE Learning through The Mobius ring Learning about the outdoors the outdoors https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interweave#other-words http://mobius-llc.com Learning in the outdoors

Imagining our scenario Our understanding of outdoor learning • Outdoors as a context and an environment for learning • 3 inter-weaving aspects of OLE • Learning in the outdoors • Bringing children to the outdoors, using outdoors as a physical setting for activities • Potential benefits include … • Learning about the outdoors • Exploring and finding out about the outdoor environments while being outdoor • Potential benefits include … • Learning through the outdoors • Taking advantage of the unique characteristics of the outdoors to support children’s holistic development • Potential benefits include …

Phase 1: Inquiring into our starting points What are the perspectives of the centre community, the centre and the organisation in relation to OLE?

Inquiring into our starting points • Our personal starting points • Colleagues’ starting points • Children’s starting points • Parents’ starting points • Centre’s starting points • Organisation’s starting points

Inquiring into our starting points Opportunity for self-reflection • Our personal starting points • What are/have been your experiences in • Colleagues’ starting points the outdoors? Personal • Do you like being outdoors? Why/Why • Children’s starting points not? • Would you like to spend more time • Parents’ starting points outdoors? Why/why not? • Centre’s starting points • How confident do you feel about engaging children in OLE? • Organisation’s starting points • How much experience &/ knowledge do you have about engaging children in OLE? Professional • What are some the benefits of OLE for You cannot understand the teacher or children? their teaching without understanding the • What are some of your concerns about person the teacher is engaging children in OLE? Andy Hargreaves http://andyhargreaves.weebly.com/100-quotes-to-teach-and-lead-by-1-25.html

Inquiring into our starting points Let’s imagine the following starting points for today’s inquiry/adventure: Teachers’ starting points • Varying levels of experience & comfort in outdoors • Generally understand benefits of OLE & many have concerns about safety issues • Varying levels of confidence to bring children outdoors • Generally good relationships among teachers

Inquiring into our starting points Let’s imagine the following starting points for today’s inquiry/adventure: Children’s starting points Teachers’ starting points • Many children live in this precinct • Varying levels of outdoor experience with families • Those who spend more time outdoors more enthusiastic about being outdoors & know the neighbourhood more

Inquiring into our starting points Let’s imagine the following starting points for today’s inquiry/adventure: Children’s starting points Teachers’ starting points Parents’ starting points • Varying levels of experience & comfort in outdoors • Have concerns about safety & hygiene issues • Those who spend more time outdoors more enthusiastic about OLE for children • Some unsure of benefits

Inquiring into our starting points Let’s imagine the following starting points for today’s inquiry/adventure: Children’s starting points Teachers’ starting points Parents’ starting points Centre’s starting points • OLE not (yet) a regular part of the curriculum, only ad-hoc OLE • No shared guidelines for OLE among teachers • Centre leader supportive of regular OLE

Inquiring into our starting points Let’s imagine the following starting points for today’s inquiry/adventure: Children’s starting points Teachers’ starting points Parents’ starting points Organisation’s starting points Centre’s starting points • Provides central curriculum to centres and allow centres /teachers to modify to suit children’s and centre’s needs and interests • No explicit requirement to provide regular OLE opportunities (yet)

Inquiring into our starting points Let’s imagine the following starting points for today’s inquiry/adventure: Children’s starting points Teachers’ starting points Parents’ starting points • • • Many children live in this precinct Varying levels of experience Varying levels of experience & • Varying levels of outdoor & comfort in outdoors comfort in outdoors • • experience with families Generally understand Have concerns about safety & • Those who spend more time benefits of OLE & many hygiene issues • outdoors more enthusiastic about have concerns about safety Those who spend more time being outdoors & know the issues outdoors (with or without children) • neighbourhood more Varying levels of confidence more enthusiastic about OLE for to bring children outdoors children • • Generally good relationships Some unsure of benefits among teachers Organisation’s starting points Centre’s starting points • • Provides central curriculum to centres and allow OLE not (yet) a regular part of the curriculum, only centres /teachers to modify to suit children’s and ad-hoc OLE centre’s needs and interests • No shared guidelines for OLE among teachers • • Centre leader supportive of regular OLE No explicit requirement to provide regular OLE opportunities (yet)

Phase 2: Preparing to start What are some important preparations to enable meaningful and safe OLE that also foster risk-taking?

Inquiring into our preparations Two types of preparations To enable safety and address concerns To enable meaningful learning and risk- taking • Develop centre procedures • Generate possible OL spaces & • activities in the neighbourhood Foster communication & sharing with parents • Develop meaningful routines for OLE What else can we do to enable What else can we do to enable meaningful learning and risk-taking? safety & address concerns?

Inquiring into our preparations Two types of preparations To enable safety and address concerns To enable meaningful learning and risk- taking • Develop centre procedures • Generate possible OL spaces & • activities in the neighbourhood Foster communication & sharing with parents • Develop meaningful routines for OLE What else can we do to enable What else can we do to enable meaningful learning and risk-taking? safety & address concerns?

Generating possible outdoor learning spaces & activities To enable meaningful learning and risk-taking Some possible spaces • Precinct park • Void deck spaces Let’s … • have a look at the above spaces, and • imagine some possible learning experiences we can engage with children in each space

Precinct park