Summarise the Forest Schools approach to learning
Aim
To recognize the learner led nature of Forest Schools.
To understand the use of a Learning Community.
To recognise the connections between Outcomes + Pedagogy
As previously explored, the Outcomes that Forest Schools focuses on are the personal, social and emotional development of learners, while connecting with the natural environment in a genuine and experiential way. The approach that it takes to create this adapts for each group of learners, potentially each day that they are together, depending on variables such as the seasons and the emotional levels of the learners on that day. The Pedagogy is a framework for creating the right conditions for these experiences to have meaning and developmental value. The sense of community and learner focus is created in order to give as much flexibility as possible so that learning and developmental opportunities can be recognized and used.
In Forest Schools we create a learning environment that has the following characteristics;
We consider and address their physical, social, emotional and identity needs. (Maslow - Hierarchy of Needs)
It recognizes and seeks to develop a positive regard of nature (Kellet - Nature Engagement)
Creates opportunities to be absorbed and focused on something of their choosing. (Flow State - Csikszentmihalyi)
Promotes learning through discovery (Bruner - Enquiry Based Learning)
Recognizes learners as individuals (Gardner - Multiple Intelligences)
Encourage a sense of community (Peck - Psuedo-communities)
Introduce and encourage new ideas in small, achievable tasks (Bruner/Vygotsky - Scaffolding)
Encourage shared learning (Vygotsky - Zone of Proximal Development)
Experience appropriate risk taking (Mortlock - Levels of Risk)
Recognize the importance of personal wellbeing (Leavers - Wellbeing)
Create a play space to explore the benefits of play(Hughes - Taxonomy of Play Types/Parten - Play Stages)
Review and reflection as important foundations for meaningful change (Greenaway - Reviewing)
It is very important for Forest Schools to have a culture of supporting learning through collaborative experimentation and deliberation and that failure is to be embraced positively and constructively.
With these elements, Forest Schools in then able to being to recognise and then subsequently provide opportunities to effect erosional development on an identity level through providing positive emotional memories, social and emotional skills, a positive regard for the environment
Evidence
Identify how those elements above relate to one another.
Identify how those elements contribute to the Outcomes of Forest School.
Identify how those elements contribute to the Skills, Pedagogy, Program, Professional and Setting elements of the Forest Schools Framework.
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