Jul 2009
Every Experience Matters
Learning Outside the Classroom.
Every day that students are at school they are exposed to new concepts and experiences through the amazing work of classroom teachers. Much of this exposure occurs indoors in classrooms, however there is a growing body of evidence that suggests the experiences students have outside, both in formal and informal settings also have a significant and positive effect on learning.
Working in the Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre I have the privilege of providing some of these outdoor experiences for students. These real life experiences range from investigating invertebrates to looking at catchments to conducting energy audits in schools. The key element of all these experiences is that they directly support your child’s classroom learning and will most likely lead to enhanced student understanding. All good quality excursions should do this! An added benefit of quality experiences in outdoor settings is that we are helping students to develop the the core values of sustainability including respect, responsibility, participation and care.
Dr Karen Malone has produced a research report called ‘Every Experience Matters’ that provides evidence to support the benefits of learning outside the classroom. In essence Karen states that students engaged in learning outside the classroom has a significant impact on learning. They achieve higher scores in tests, have greater levels of physical fitness and motor skill development, increased confidence and self esteem, show leadership qualities, are socially competent and are more environmentally responsible (Malone 2008 P4). These experiences form part of the blueprint for shaping a child's knowledge, confidence and identity.
In other words, to maximise your students learning potential they must be exposed to quality learning experiences outside the classroom. Excursions that support classroom learning are one way of doing this, however quality experiences delivered by classroom teachers in school grounds, in parks, on walks through the neighbourhood will all contribute to your child’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.
Of course school is only a part of a child’s development and it’s essential that parents provide a diverse range of experiences as well. You don’t have to go far to provide kids with quality outdoor experiences. For example, you can conduct an invertebrate safari in your backyard or local park. You will need a tarp or an old sheet. Place the tarp under a shrub or low hanging tree branch. Vigorously shake the branch and watch what happens. All the hidden invertebrates will fall onto the tarp and can be examined on the spot or collected into containers (for later release). This simple activity will expose children to the diversity of species in your area, it could lead to discussions on biodiversity, food chains, pollinators, predator and prey relationships, camouflage, science, entomology, invertebrate identification, etc. Done correctly these sort of activities will help students develop positive attitudes and values towards invertebrates and habitats they live in.
The main thing to remember is that learning is not limited to the classroom. To maximise the learning potential for your students they must be provided with as many quality experiences as possible. Every experience matters.
Steve Papp
Reference
Dr Karen Malone Every Experience Matters 2008
Every day that students are at school they are exposed to new concepts and experiences through the amazing work of classroom teachers. Much of this exposure occurs indoors in classrooms, however there is a growing body of evidence that suggests the experiences students have outside, both in formal and informal settings also have a significant and positive effect on learning.
Working in the Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre I have the privilege of providing some of these outdoor experiences for students. These real life experiences range from investigating invertebrates to looking at catchments to conducting energy audits in schools. The key element of all these experiences is that they directly support your child’s classroom learning and will most likely lead to enhanced student understanding. All good quality excursions should do this! An added benefit of quality experiences in outdoor settings is that we are helping students to develop the the core values of sustainability including respect, responsibility, participation and care.
Dr Karen Malone has produced a research report called ‘Every Experience Matters’ that provides evidence to support the benefits of learning outside the classroom. In essence Karen states that students engaged in learning outside the classroom has a significant impact on learning. They achieve higher scores in tests, have greater levels of physical fitness and motor skill development, increased confidence and self esteem, show leadership qualities, are socially competent and are more environmentally responsible (Malone 2008 P4). These experiences form part of the blueprint for shaping a child's knowledge, confidence and identity.
In other words, to maximise your students learning potential they must be exposed to quality learning experiences outside the classroom. Excursions that support classroom learning are one way of doing this, however quality experiences delivered by classroom teachers in school grounds, in parks, on walks through the neighbourhood will all contribute to your child’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.
Of course school is only a part of a child’s development and it’s essential that parents provide a diverse range of experiences as well. You don’t have to go far to provide kids with quality outdoor experiences. For example, you can conduct an invertebrate safari in your backyard or local park. You will need a tarp or an old sheet. Place the tarp under a shrub or low hanging tree branch. Vigorously shake the branch and watch what happens. All the hidden invertebrates will fall onto the tarp and can be examined on the spot or collected into containers (for later release). This simple activity will expose children to the diversity of species in your area, it could lead to discussions on biodiversity, food chains, pollinators, predator and prey relationships, camouflage, science, entomology, invertebrate identification, etc. Done correctly these sort of activities will help students develop positive attitudes and values towards invertebrates and habitats they live in.
The main thing to remember is that learning is not limited to the classroom. To maximise the learning potential for your students they must be provided with as many quality experiences as possible. Every experience matters.
Steve Papp
Reference
Dr Karen Malone Every Experience Matters 2008
New Arrival
08/07/09 08:15 Filed in: Biodiversity
On Monday 7th July we had our first sighting of
a
brush turkey
in the Field of Mars Reserve. In fact it was spotted
just outside the office window.
Brush turkeys are one of the animals that have been missing from the Field of Mars Reserve for a long time. We can only presume their appearance is due to control of feral animals like foxes over the past few years. Lets hope our neighbours are responsible pet owners and lock up their pets at night.
Brush turkeys are one of the animals that have been missing from the Field of Mars Reserve for a long time. We can only presume their appearance is due to control of feral animals like foxes over the past few years. Lets hope our neighbours are responsible pet owners and lock up their pets at night.
