OUTDOOR LEARNING
Start date: Jun 1, 2015,
End date: May 31, 2017
PROJECT
FINISHED
Our school, - as mentioned in the profile description - in its quest for a different approach to learning with modern and effective forms of teaching , envisaged, designed and formed – within the framework of the European program ERASMUS + KA1- the Development Plan "Outdoor Learning" by joint decision of the Headmaster and the Association of Teachers.
Our aim is the training and specialization of a group of our school teachers in experiential - participatory teaching techniques and their direct application in the school environment improving the quality of the learning process.
We believe that the use of these techniques at school is an effective methodological tool in the hands of the teachers since, through the use of personal experiences and the students’ characteristics, a learning and pedagogical framework will be created, which will improve the conditions for effective implementation of the principles and the objectives of a cross- curricular approach to knowledge.
Seeking a reliable European educational institution with experience in experiential learning, we have decided to submit this application so that a group of teachers will be trained and then be able to inform all the teachers of our school unit and other schools on the effectiveness of teaching through experiential - participatory activities.
Our aim is to organize mobility of five teachers employed at the school including the Headmaster, since his role is to lead the development and the implementation of innovations / changes and not just to monitor them.
Three teachers with experience in lower, middle and higher classes respectively, and an English teacher will participate in the group.
The composition of the group, with the smallest possible number of teachers, we think, is the most suited, so that the group can inform the rest of the teachers of our school and others on the benefits of experiential learning not only on the acquisition of knowledge but also on the development of various skills, abilities, attitudes and behaviors from the part of the students and on how to choose the appropriate techniques and applications to the learning process.
Having used hesitantly so far, but without any specialization and scientific training, experiential methods of teaching - especially in environmental programs, we have realized that the use of various research tools (mainly questionnaires and interviews) is both a pleasant and effective way of learning since the experiential method touches our students and consequently leads to knowledge, self-awareness, socialization and, finally, to the development of various skills and abilities.
The dissemination of results will be done through lectures and in-service training in collaboration with the promoter of European projects of Primary Education of Regional Directorate of Education of Crete, the school advisor of our school, office school activities of Primary Education and the support of the Parents Association and the local community.