Outdoor and environmental education
This course aims to equip teachers, animators, people working in the field of culture with theoretical and practical knowledge about outdoor education. It complies fully with the Erasmus+ (Erasmus Plus) European criteria for mobility grants. We provide full modules for preparation, monitoring and validation.
Overview
This course aims to equip teachers, animators, people working in the field of culture with theoretical and practical knowledge about outdoor education.
Its importance and benefits have been emphasized by great educators such as Dewey, Pestalozzi, Montessori. Scientifically it is a fact that participation of students in outdoor recreational movement activities provides multiple physical, emotional and psychological benefits. It helps the physical and mental health of students who are becoming increasingly removed from nature and the environment and entrenched living in urban centers.
The course comprises lots of practical and field trip activities that will help participants appreciate the value of nature and the natural and urban environment and ways to design and implement activities with their students and their groups.
Scope
The aim of the course is to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the possibilities offered by outdoor education in learning and education.
Methodology
The methodology used is aimed at the active participation of participants through interactive and experiential approaches combining theory and practice. The methodological techniques include:
- Lectures
- Working in groups and couples
- Workshops
- Role – Playing
- Ice – Breaking and Warm – Up Sessions
- Brainstorming
- Demonstrations
- Group Discussions
- Debates
- Drama techniques
- Questioning
- Goal – Setting sessions
- Multimedia and web resources
Learning Outcome
At the end of the course the participants will:
- Become familiar with the principles, characteristics and benefits of outdoor education.
- Recognise the potential of formal and non-formal learning in different contexts.
- Share experiences and intercultural practices in a cooperative and collaborative learning process with focus on how to use nature as a learning and teaching resource.
- Learn how to use nature as a classroom.
- Acquire positive attitudes and apply environmental education principles in their learning.
- Enhance student’s mental, emotional, physical, and social development through a well-defined curriculum.
- Trying and planning outdoor learning activities in different settings and for different purposes.
- Using reflection tools as a means to critically evaluate the usefulness of an activity for your own context.
- Create lesson plans to help raise awareness in their classroom, school and/or community about the environmental crisis.
- Learn how to design, plan and deliver inspirational outdoor education activities.
- Experience and practice environmental and outdoor education working methods and approaches.
- Exchange best practices and share experiences with teachers and education around Europe.
- Develop creative tools and techniques that can be used in order to increase student’s motivation and combat drop-out phenomenon.
- Learn and discuss the principles and the cultural aspects of outdoor education.
- Get to know and experiment practical activities and group games that could be used and integrated in a real course.
- Learn how to teach students to bring what they learn in the classroom into real life through application and observation.
Location
The course takes place at the School Life and Education Museum, known for its vast variety of educational programs and cultural activities. The Museum is located in the center of Athens, in the Plaka neighborhood, under the Acropolis, and offers the opportunity for cultural trips and visits to the monuments and archaeological sites of Athens, as well as opportunities for sightseeing in the city’s everyday life.
Learning Material
The learning material consists of presentations and support material and will be available on-line in English language.
Certificate of Attendance, Certificate of completion, Europass Certificate Supplement, Europass Mobility.
Target Group
- Teachers of primary schools, secondary schools, vocational schools and organizations.
- Adult education teachers.
- Teachers of special needs.
- Careers officers, educational guides and counsellors.
- Headmasters/principals/managers of schools and organizations offering adult education or vocational education and organizations.
- Non-governmental organization staff.
- Public Servants, Policy Makers.