GREEN PEDAGOGY: ENVIRONMENTAL AND OUTDOOR EDUCATION - COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

Introduction

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This course is aimed at teachers and school staff from primary to adult level as well as educational advisors and staff of non-government organizations, government, and policymakers.

The course concentrates on two topics that are increasingly highlighted in modern European education policy: Environmental and Outdoor Education.

There are a lot of environmental issues that the world is facing. To prevent them in the future, people must understand and care for the environment. This can only be achieved with support from environmental education. When children study the environment and its functions, they develop a sense of understanding of the environment in the early stage of their life.

For younger children, in particular, time spent outside is essential to developing their understanding of the world. Outdoor learning is a working method in which parts of everyday life at school are moved from the classroom to the local environment. It is only when we actually experience something directly that we develop a strong personal relationship with the experience. That is why Outdoor learning is being encouraged around the world.

This class offers you practical workshops on outdoor and indoor non-formal methods and tools covering different topics and fostering several competences: energizers and team-building, role-playing, team games, environmental education tools, interactive workshops, activities for everyday play, etc.

The course is perfect for those who are interested in the Montessori method, kinesthetic, and hands-on learning, or for those who simply want to enhance their enjoyment of the outdoors.

It is designed to encourage active citizenship among students when it comes to sustainable development.

Engage your class in an exciting hands-on experience learning, get your students exploring the outdoors and learn different ways they can help protect the earth.

 

Methodology

 

Methodology is based on active participation, hands-on activities, and experiential learning suitable and applicable to different subjects and at various levels. Participants will acquire practical knowledge and develop their own skills through workshops, model lessons, project-based learning and outdoor activities, role play, and games.

 

Objectives

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• Upon completion of the course, participants will:

• gain a clear understanding of the basic principles of environment and outdoor learning and learning techniques and how to implement them into their teaching

• experience different hands-on activities that will make students reflect on the impact of their actions for environmental sustainability

• design and use learning environment that supports curiosity and learning

• learn more about games and activities that can be performed outside the classroom that encourage teamwork, cooperation, problem-solving and creativity

• get familiar with ICT tools that can be used in environmental and outdoor learning

• incorporate ideas, techniques, and cooperative tasks in their own lesson plans

• enrich communication skills, improve foreign language competencies and engage in cross-cultural learning experience.

• improve the use of English (official language of the course).

• facilitate intercultural awareness.

• share experiences of educational methodologies as well as diverse outdoor learning strategies in education in different countries in order to help each of us to be more effective in our work.

• strengthen the European collaboration among educators.

• gain insights into different education systems.

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Networking opportunities and cultural programme

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The course includes networking opportunities and cultural exchange opportunities to create European dimension and find possible partners for future projects as well as a city tour or a cultural trip (depending on the location). These are included in the course fee and at no additional expence for participants.

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Preparation

 

After registration participants will receive pre-course questionnaire which will be used by the trainer to learn about participants’ teaching backgrounds and to assess their exact needs. Before the beginning of the course a basic reading list will be suggested to participants to prepare for the training. Participants will also be asked to prepare a presentation about themselves, their professional context and their culture which will be presented during the course. Participants will receive information about the country they are going to visit in order to prepare them for their cultural experience.

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Follow up

 

After the course participants will be asked to share what they have learned with the rest of the staff in their schools. Further books and articles to deepen the topic and contacts with some other practitioners all over Europe and in the world will be suggested by the trainer. The methods shared and explored and the bibliography given will allow the participants to complete and improve their educational path.

 

Certificate

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Each participant will get a course attendance certificate and the Europass Mobility Document.

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Accommodation

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We do not directly offer accommodation and subsistence and participants are responsible for organizing it by themselves.

 

Paperwork

 

We also provide all the support with paperwork you might need for your Erasmus+ project documentation such as mobility agreement and registration letter.

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Cancelation policy

 

Free cancellation up to 30 days before the start. After that, the reservation is not refundable. Changes in name and profile of the participant are possible any time before the start of the course (replacement participants from the same school/org are accepted at any time). In case the school/org doesn't find a replacement, we will still offer a place at any of our confirmed courses later in the year without any additional costs but we can not guarantee that every course session will be confirmed and the school/org will only be offered to choose from already confirmed course sessions. In case it will not be possible for the participant to attend the course or for us to organize the course due to extraordinary circumstances (classified as such by the European Commission) which present themselves in the period of less than 30 days before the start of the course and we don’t manage to find an alternative solution, we will keep 50 % of the payment and refund the remaining balance of 50% to the payer’s bank account.