Tools and Resources
Taking your class outside:
As a student I always wanted to be outside. When the sun was out or if it was just nice enough in the fall or spring to be outside for the duration of a class period. Through elementary, middle school, high school and even college whenever I asked a teacher to go outside for the duration of class the answer was typically “No” with no explanation as to why. Typically I found myself in those classes with contradictory thoughts of my teachers thinking “There is no reason why we should not have class outside.” My experience is individualized and cannot speak for all students in the classroom but I encourage you to pause for a moment and think about how you and students react to the change of weather. How does others and your actions and attitudes shift towards being outside between seasons?
҉
For me one of the most accessible thoughts is the transition from winter to spring. On these warm days I notice that other and I flock to the outdoors to be in the sun and enjoy the weather. You can see this shift on an elementary school campus as young children break from the building to enjoy their time at recess and on high school campuses as students spend their time outside eating their lunch rather than in the lunchroom or halls. Nonfiction journalist David Louv suggests that “we often see ourselves as separate from nature, humans are also a part of that wildness” supporting the idea that we are drawn to be outside (2005, 9). There is no reason for us to deny students the right to be outside, especially if we can find ways to adapt our instruction to meet an instinctive need to be outside. Louv supports this idea that we need to bring children outside and says “children in [environment-based programs] demonstrate better attendance and behavior than students in traditional classrooms” (2006, 206). As a student my attention probably decreased as I looked out of the window wishing that I was outside.
am not of the liberty to make judgments as to why most of my teachers did not want to hold class outside. As an educator I understand that there are many factors in making these decisions: curriculums, lesson plans, accessibility, appropriate need for a whiteboard/chalkboard, varied access to materials and use of technology. I do believe that there are ways to move the classroom outside and consider the use of affordances that outdoor settings offer to students. Environmental journalist David believes that “The goal of education should be to connect intelligence with an emphasis on whole systems,” meaning that our classrooms should be a reflection of the world that our students live in (2004, 11). Bringing students outside is one way in which educators can connect students learning to whole systems, as the outdoor setting of a school is a direct reflection of the environment in which students live. Below is a list of ways that educators can begin making the transition from holding class inside to the outdoors:
Develop a learnscape:
Charles Sturt University professor Colin Boylan defines learnscapes as “sites for learning that refocus the curriculum onto the local environmental context” (emphasis added, 2009). In addition Southern Cross University professor Keith Skamp, adds, “Learnscapes are safe and accessible places which may be natural or built inside or outside (though mainly the latter) and which are located in, near or beyond school grounds… are places where a learning program has been designated to permit students to interact with their environment” (2009, 93-94). Learnscapes are spaces that can be easily found around school grounds; the use of learnscapes is intended to promote learning through the environment.
My recent graduate research project examples ways in which educators can look as a schools grounds and access specific areas that could be viable learnscapes. The overall goal of this is to create a space in which students are familiar with the outdoor classroom space. By creating a learnscape on your school grounds you can address to students that the following class will be held in the learnscape. This space then becomes a regular meeting space in which students are prepared to meet in so that they can dress appropriately and class time does not need to be wasted making the transition from inside to outside. In addition please read the following curriculum [this will be a link on my website] as it details ways in which you can turn the learnscape into a classroom development project.
҉
Utilize the weather
Whether it is sunny, raining, snowing, or overcast all classes can benefit from taking a break from desks and being outside. English classes can take the time to write about these experiences in free form or poetry. Develop quick writes on experiences, have students write a poem inside then transition to outside. By using the weather to vary students experiences educators can meet writing standards that focus on “Style, detail, expressive language, and genre create a well-crafted statement directed at an intended audience and purpose” (CASS Language Arts, 2010, p. 20). As a class have students analyze the difference of their writing as their environments change. In this sense context affects students writing, this type of activity can be attributed to many units including: activism, social justice, nonfiction writing, coming of age, and understanding element of writing.
Math classes can benefit as well. Students can practice geometry or algebra by applying learned skills to lived experiences. Finding out the height of a tree can be determined by taking the measurements of the shadow and determining the angel of which it is cast. This addresses state standards for geometry directly as students are expected to be able to “Calculate[ing] heights of buildings, flagpoles, and trees using ratios (trigonometry)” (CASS Geometry Guide, p. 2).Similarly, students try to determine the number of leaves on a plant by creating an equation. As the seasons begin to shift students can determine how many leaves have fallen off the plant and come up with an additional equation to determine how many days it will be until the plant has no more leaves.
Students learning biology can go outside with microscopes and look at the cells of different plants. This type of experiment address standards in biology that students are expected to “Use[ing] a variety of specialized resources to find scientific information to investigate, analyze and interpret data” (CASS Earth Sciences Guide, p.2). Experiments like this may allow for student’s to find variations in cell structures. When it is snowing students can go outside to look at different snowflakes, they can take measurements of the air pressure and temps and try to determine whether or not certain weather conditions affects the formation of snowflakes.
These are all few examples of ways educators can move class settings outside. By utilizing the weather educators can recreate situations that reflect experiences that students will have outside of school. Utilizing the weather and bringing students outside may be difficult in some situations but can be done. For those concerned about meeting state standards, the weather and outdoor settings can allow for real world situations for students to experience and learn from. These situations can offer educative experiences that can become a valuable resource for students that may not be accessible from indoor settings. By creating lessons that utilize the weather, students will be offered a ways in which they can apply the knowledge taught in school to the real world. The next step with activities like these is to engage critical thinking and ask students how do these activities relate to their lives and how can these activities be transferred to real life situations.
҉
Unplug your classroom
Students have many opportunities to use and look at screens outside of school. We live in a society that is very screen dependent and classrooms do not need to be a place that depends on the use of technology. I am not suggesting that math teachers need to throw away the calculator and give every student and abacus to solve complex math problems or liberal arts teachers need to disregard important PowerPoint lectures to move the classroom outside. Rather I am suggesting that educators need to think of ways that they can create meaningful lectures that challenge students to utilize listening skills to take effective notes.When thinking about lesson plans and moving the classroom outside, educators should ask themselves:
In addition to unplugging your classroom, many classroom discussions and activities can be held outside. Rather than taking the time to rearrange a classroom for discussion and activities outdoor settings offer infinite ways to rearrange students for different activities. By eliminating the cluster of moving desks around students can quickly arrange their bodies in discussion circles, fishbowl discussions, small discussion groups, and more. As educators moving the classroom outside we can now consider how much time is saved rearranging the classroom and how much less we have to manage students when making these transitions
҉
Plug your classroom in
Contrary to unplugging your classroom, we also need to think of ways we can bring technology outside. Some lectures may benefit from being completely technology free while others may not. We can still benefit from hosting class sessions outside while using technology. As there is a push for one-to-one schools in the United States, more and more students are immediate access to technology in every classroom and in some cases at home as well. As educators we need to think of new ways we can incorporate these tools in our classroom to make sure that students are getting the most out of their education and becoming critically literate of the technology that we use. The following resources are ways that educators can incorporate technology in their classroom while removing the need to be in the classroom.
White boards
It is almost inevitable to not use a whiteboard in the classroom. Whiteboards allow for teachers to clearly outline what students should be taking away from a class and help guide instruction. Taking away a whiteboard from a classroom would be like giving a fisherman a rod and no reel. By moving a classroom outside the immediate access to this resource is removed, especially if your school does not have a portable whiteboard. To address this concern there are many whiteboard apps available for free that teachers can use to transition the classroom from inside to outside. These apps offer a range of ways that educators can use technology to eliminate the use of whiteboards and give students instant access to the information that we as teachers are writing on the “whiteboard.” In addition, some of these apps offer additional tools such as screen shots, voice recording, document uploading, and collaborative use that can enhance student learning.
Flipped classroom
This model of instruction is becoming very popular across the United States as it frees instructional time to allow educators to address areas of concern where students need help. There are many resources online that can help educators flip the classroom and better define what a flipped classroom looks like. A simple definition of the flipped classroom is one in which the educator prerecords lectures for students to view and take notes on as homework and utilizes class time for students to complete traditional homework assignments in class. The purpose of this model allows for educators to facilitate as tutors during class sessions by helping students with individual problems and intervene when needed to reinstruct the whole class on reoccurring issues with students learning.
Using a flipped classroom model educators can allow themselves the freedom to hold class sessions outside, as instruction is not dependent on being held in the classroom. This means that educators can use the space outside the classroom to create homework problems and workgroups that are beneficial to connect student’s learning to the environment around them.
Google tools and others like them
Google offers many tools that educators can use for free to engage student learning and can be used on wireless networks, allowing for the freedom from the classroom. There are many other tools online that are similar and as useful as these tools but are not listed. Google slides allows the flexibility to host presentations without a projector, and even students who are sick can access these from home. Google forums are an excellent way in which educators can assess student learning paperless. Google docs can be used to conference with students outside of the class as well as inside the class. And finally, Blogger is a free blogging tool that students can create their own blog to write for a public audience rather than only write for an audience consisting of the educator.
҉
Utilize transitions
Not every class can be held entirely inside or outside. Using transitionary time in-between environments can allow educators to maximize classroom time. While transitioning from one setting to the next invite students to have think paired shared conversations while walking. Or consider asking probing questions before making transitions and require students to be silent during this time so that they can think through the question as if they were conducting a quick write. Transitionary times between indoor and outdoor settings can and should be educative. While making transitions educators can meet oral expressing and listening standards as students can practice “Effective speaking in formal and informal settings requires appropriate use of methods and audience awareness” (CASS Language Arts, 2010, p. 13). If you are going to use the space outside of a classroom for small discussions, your transitions can be used for students to get into groups. In general having clear expectations during transitionary time can allow for the maximization of students learning while moving the classroom from inside to outside or vice versa.
҉
Balance
Every class session cannot be held outside, nor should they all be held outside; the same goes for the use of technology. We should consider how we can use outdoor settings ho help facilitate learning as well as using the classroom. Both settings offer different affordances to student learning and we should use a balance of the two. Moving classrooms outside can create a change of pace for the classroom culture that may be possible by having all class sessions inside. In most cases students are expected to be indoors from 7:30-3:00, in which they are losing connections to the environment around them and are missing out on connecting what is learned in school to the natural world around them. As educators we need to find a balance in which classroom instruction can bring students outside to experience the physical world in which they live and connect it to learning that is done in the traditional classroom setting. Striking a balance between conducting classes outside and in is one way in which we can connect learning to student’s lives and real world experiences.
As a student I always wanted to be outside. When the sun was out or if it was just nice enough in the fall or spring to be outside for the duration of a class period. Through elementary, middle school, high school and even college whenever I asked a teacher to go outside for the duration of class the answer was typically “No” with no explanation as to why. Typically I found myself in those classes with contradictory thoughts of my teachers thinking “There is no reason why we should not have class outside.” My experience is individualized and cannot speak for all students in the classroom but I encourage you to pause for a moment and think about how you and students react to the change of weather. How does others and your actions and attitudes shift towards being outside between seasons?
҉
For me one of the most accessible thoughts is the transition from winter to spring. On these warm days I notice that other and I flock to the outdoors to be in the sun and enjoy the weather. You can see this shift on an elementary school campus as young children break from the building to enjoy their time at recess and on high school campuses as students spend their time outside eating their lunch rather than in the lunchroom or halls. Nonfiction journalist David Louv suggests that “we often see ourselves as separate from nature, humans are also a part of that wildness” supporting the idea that we are drawn to be outside (2005, 9). There is no reason for us to deny students the right to be outside, especially if we can find ways to adapt our instruction to meet an instinctive need to be outside. Louv supports this idea that we need to bring children outside and says “children in [environment-based programs] demonstrate better attendance and behavior than students in traditional classrooms” (2006, 206). As a student my attention probably decreased as I looked out of the window wishing that I was outside.
am not of the liberty to make judgments as to why most of my teachers did not want to hold class outside. As an educator I understand that there are many factors in making these decisions: curriculums, lesson plans, accessibility, appropriate need for a whiteboard/chalkboard, varied access to materials and use of technology. I do believe that there are ways to move the classroom outside and consider the use of affordances that outdoor settings offer to students. Environmental journalist David believes that “The goal of education should be to connect intelligence with an emphasis on whole systems,” meaning that our classrooms should be a reflection of the world that our students live in (2004, 11). Bringing students outside is one way in which educators can connect students learning to whole systems, as the outdoor setting of a school is a direct reflection of the environment in which students live. Below is a list of ways that educators can begin making the transition from holding class inside to the outdoors:
Develop a learnscape:
Charles Sturt University professor Colin Boylan defines learnscapes as “sites for learning that refocus the curriculum onto the local environmental context” (emphasis added, 2009). In addition Southern Cross University professor Keith Skamp, adds, “Learnscapes are safe and accessible places which may be natural or built inside or outside (though mainly the latter) and which are located in, near or beyond school grounds… are places where a learning program has been designated to permit students to interact with their environment” (2009, 93-94). Learnscapes are spaces that can be easily found around school grounds; the use of learnscapes is intended to promote learning through the environment.
My recent graduate research project examples ways in which educators can look as a schools grounds and access specific areas that could be viable learnscapes. The overall goal of this is to create a space in which students are familiar with the outdoor classroom space. By creating a learnscape on your school grounds you can address to students that the following class will be held in the learnscape. This space then becomes a regular meeting space in which students are prepared to meet in so that they can dress appropriately and class time does not need to be wasted making the transition from inside to outside. In addition please read the following curriculum [this will be a link on my website] as it details ways in which you can turn the learnscape into a classroom development project.
҉
Utilize the weather
Whether it is sunny, raining, snowing, or overcast all classes can benefit from taking a break from desks and being outside. English classes can take the time to write about these experiences in free form or poetry. Develop quick writes on experiences, have students write a poem inside then transition to outside. By using the weather to vary students experiences educators can meet writing standards that focus on “Style, detail, expressive language, and genre create a well-crafted statement directed at an intended audience and purpose” (CASS Language Arts, 2010, p. 20). As a class have students analyze the difference of their writing as their environments change. In this sense context affects students writing, this type of activity can be attributed to many units including: activism, social justice, nonfiction writing, coming of age, and understanding element of writing.
Math classes can benefit as well. Students can practice geometry or algebra by applying learned skills to lived experiences. Finding out the height of a tree can be determined by taking the measurements of the shadow and determining the angel of which it is cast. This addresses state standards for geometry directly as students are expected to be able to “Calculate[ing] heights of buildings, flagpoles, and trees using ratios (trigonometry)” (CASS Geometry Guide, p. 2).Similarly, students try to determine the number of leaves on a plant by creating an equation. As the seasons begin to shift students can determine how many leaves have fallen off the plant and come up with an additional equation to determine how many days it will be until the plant has no more leaves.
Students learning biology can go outside with microscopes and look at the cells of different plants. This type of experiment address standards in biology that students are expected to “Use[ing] a variety of specialized resources to find scientific information to investigate, analyze and interpret data” (CASS Earth Sciences Guide, p.2). Experiments like this may allow for student’s to find variations in cell structures. When it is snowing students can go outside to look at different snowflakes, they can take measurements of the air pressure and temps and try to determine whether or not certain weather conditions affects the formation of snowflakes.
These are all few examples of ways educators can move class settings outside. By utilizing the weather educators can recreate situations that reflect experiences that students will have outside of school. Utilizing the weather and bringing students outside may be difficult in some situations but can be done. For those concerned about meeting state standards, the weather and outdoor settings can allow for real world situations for students to experience and learn from. These situations can offer educative experiences that can become a valuable resource for students that may not be accessible from indoor settings. By creating lessons that utilize the weather, students will be offered a ways in which they can apply the knowledge taught in school to the real world. The next step with activities like these is to engage critical thinking and ask students how do these activities relate to their lives and how can these activities be transferred to real life situations.
҉
Unplug your classroom
Students have many opportunities to use and look at screens outside of school. We live in a society that is very screen dependent and classrooms do not need to be a place that depends on the use of technology. I am not suggesting that math teachers need to throw away the calculator and give every student and abacus to solve complex math problems or liberal arts teachers need to disregard important PowerPoint lectures to move the classroom outside. Rather I am suggesting that educators need to think of ways that they can create meaningful lectures that challenge students to utilize listening skills to take effective notes.When thinking about lesson plans and moving the classroom outside, educators should ask themselves:
- Are there activities that I can create that are engaging without the use technology?
- What affordances are offered by utilizing technology vs an outdoor/unplugged setting?
- In what ways can I create a lecture that is not dependent on technology?
- How can I create a lecture that is engaging and promotes students learning?
- Can I communicate what is important for students to take note of without the use of technology or a whiteboard?
- Am I able to assess that students have taken away sufficient information from this type of instruction
- How do I differentiate lectures that do not use technology for students who need visuals?
In addition to unplugging your classroom, many classroom discussions and activities can be held outside. Rather than taking the time to rearrange a classroom for discussion and activities outdoor settings offer infinite ways to rearrange students for different activities. By eliminating the cluster of moving desks around students can quickly arrange their bodies in discussion circles, fishbowl discussions, small discussion groups, and more. As educators moving the classroom outside we can now consider how much time is saved rearranging the classroom and how much less we have to manage students when making these transitions
҉
Plug your classroom in
Contrary to unplugging your classroom, we also need to think of ways we can bring technology outside. Some lectures may benefit from being completely technology free while others may not. We can still benefit from hosting class sessions outside while using technology. As there is a push for one-to-one schools in the United States, more and more students are immediate access to technology in every classroom and in some cases at home as well. As educators we need to think of new ways we can incorporate these tools in our classroom to make sure that students are getting the most out of their education and becoming critically literate of the technology that we use. The following resources are ways that educators can incorporate technology in their classroom while removing the need to be in the classroom.
White boards
It is almost inevitable to not use a whiteboard in the classroom. Whiteboards allow for teachers to clearly outline what students should be taking away from a class and help guide instruction. Taking away a whiteboard from a classroom would be like giving a fisherman a rod and no reel. By moving a classroom outside the immediate access to this resource is removed, especially if your school does not have a portable whiteboard. To address this concern there are many whiteboard apps available for free that teachers can use to transition the classroom from inside to outside. These apps offer a range of ways that educators can use technology to eliminate the use of whiteboards and give students instant access to the information that we as teachers are writing on the “whiteboard.” In addition, some of these apps offer additional tools such as screen shots, voice recording, document uploading, and collaborative use that can enhance student learning.
Flipped classroom
This model of instruction is becoming very popular across the United States as it frees instructional time to allow educators to address areas of concern where students need help. There are many resources online that can help educators flip the classroom and better define what a flipped classroom looks like. A simple definition of the flipped classroom is one in which the educator prerecords lectures for students to view and take notes on as homework and utilizes class time for students to complete traditional homework assignments in class. The purpose of this model allows for educators to facilitate as tutors during class sessions by helping students with individual problems and intervene when needed to reinstruct the whole class on reoccurring issues with students learning.
Using a flipped classroom model educators can allow themselves the freedom to hold class sessions outside, as instruction is not dependent on being held in the classroom. This means that educators can use the space outside the classroom to create homework problems and workgroups that are beneficial to connect student’s learning to the environment around them.
Google tools and others like them
Google offers many tools that educators can use for free to engage student learning and can be used on wireless networks, allowing for the freedom from the classroom. There are many other tools online that are similar and as useful as these tools but are not listed. Google slides allows the flexibility to host presentations without a projector, and even students who are sick can access these from home. Google forums are an excellent way in which educators can assess student learning paperless. Google docs can be used to conference with students outside of the class as well as inside the class. And finally, Blogger is a free blogging tool that students can create their own blog to write for a public audience rather than only write for an audience consisting of the educator.
҉
Utilize transitions
Not every class can be held entirely inside or outside. Using transitionary time in-between environments can allow educators to maximize classroom time. While transitioning from one setting to the next invite students to have think paired shared conversations while walking. Or consider asking probing questions before making transitions and require students to be silent during this time so that they can think through the question as if they were conducting a quick write. Transitionary times between indoor and outdoor settings can and should be educative. While making transitions educators can meet oral expressing and listening standards as students can practice “Effective speaking in formal and informal settings requires appropriate use of methods and audience awareness” (CASS Language Arts, 2010, p. 13). If you are going to use the space outside of a classroom for small discussions, your transitions can be used for students to get into groups. In general having clear expectations during transitionary time can allow for the maximization of students learning while moving the classroom from inside to outside or vice versa.
҉
Balance
Every class session cannot be held outside, nor should they all be held outside; the same goes for the use of technology. We should consider how we can use outdoor settings ho help facilitate learning as well as using the classroom. Both settings offer different affordances to student learning and we should use a balance of the two. Moving classrooms outside can create a change of pace for the classroom culture that may be possible by having all class sessions inside. In most cases students are expected to be indoors from 7:30-3:00, in which they are losing connections to the environment around them and are missing out on connecting what is learned in school to the natural world around them. As educators we need to find a balance in which classroom instruction can bring students outside to experience the physical world in which they live and connect it to learning that is done in the traditional classroom setting. Striking a balance between conducting classes outside and in is one way in which we can connect learning to student’s lives and real world experiences.