Outdoor Learning

November 3rd, 2010

CPD Partnership Opportunities Programme in Outdoor Learning

csmith

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Learning and Teaching Scotland is working in partnership with the Scottish Government to provide a programme of professional development opportunities for teachers and early years’ practitioners.

The programme will run from mid-November 2010 to the end of March 2011 and will provide practitioners with a choice of practical and focused development opportunities. All CPD opportunities will be provided free of charge (although transport and cover costs cannot be met) and places will be allocated directly on a first come first served basis.

The difficulties in attending CPD sessions in the current financial situation is recognised and a wide range of times, dates and venues has been offered in an attempt to facilitate attendance.

Topics will cater for early, primary and secondary sectors and will engage with key issues for teachers and practitioners many of which were highlighted at the range of regional conferences held in May and June.

We aim to provide support for over 1000 teachers and education practitioners directly through this programme and hope that many more will benefit from using the new materials due to be available at the end of March next year.

A flyer with brief details and dates has been sent to all schools and key personnel in mid-October and the full programme – in the form of a PDF – has been emailed to all schools and key personnel, including all those who attended one of the 6 regional conferences in May/June 2010. Details of how to sign up online for CPD sessions are on the flyer with a direct link on the PDF and can also be found at www.LTScotland.org.uk/outdoorlearningevents

November 2nd, 2010

Success of the Outdoor Learning in the National Parks first annual conference.

ahammerton

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Thursday saw the Outdoor Learning in the National Parks annual conference hosted at Carrochan, headquarters of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, which was very well received and over-subscribed. Many commented on the success of the day, with a very positive atmosphere and a wide variety of workshops being delivered by teachers and practitioners.

Introductions from Fiona Logan (Chief Executive of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority), Brian Wood (retired headteacher and new board member for Cairngorms National Park Authority) and Anne Jardine (Director of Learning and Communities at Learning and Teaching Scotland) were followed by a thoroughly inspiring and entertaining key note speech ‘My Journey through a Career in Outdoor Learning’ by Alan Smith, Outdoor Learning Officer for Cairngorms National Park. A mix of experts in their fields offered workshops in the morning based around overcoming some of the common perceived barriers to outdoor learning (see http://www.cairngorms.co.uk/learning/educationalresources/), with workshops entitled Access to Information, The Benefits of Risk, CPD and Developing Confidence, Practical Support, and Structured Educational Experiences. Teachers and practitioners from the local authorities involved in the project delivered workshops in the afternoon, sharing their experiences and expertise on partnership working and delivering forest schools activities at nursery and primary level; developing nursery gardens and grounds for outdoor learning; numeracy outdoors; the Cairngorms media project (http://www.cairngorms.co.uk/learning/schoolsvideoproject/); Making Connections, a whole year group ongoing initiative for interdisciplinary learning using outdoor learning and delivering the discovery and explorer awards of the John Muir Award for all pupils in S1 and S2; and on transitions, highlighting the values of partnership working and outdoor learning for transitions between primary and secondary, and secondary into senior phase choices and chances.

Following these workshops in the morning and afternoon, there were discussions in local authority groupings to explore ways in which to ensure the sustainability of the project and each local authority (as well as each delegate) made pledges as to how it would enhance their practice and how the key messages could be spread far and wide. We look forward now to hearing of these developments at next year’s conference at Glenmore Lodge, near Aviemore, on 28th October 2011!