“Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.”
-Richard LouvAuthor of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder"
Outdoor Education at UWCSEA -- A Key Component of our Curriculum
At UWCSEA, outdoor education is an experiential education programme that provides challenges focused on building resilience, collaboration, and leadership through a carefully planned incremental progression of age-appropriate experiences.
Research shows that through exposure to nature, individuals can develop empathy, become environmental stewards and sustain their wellbeing, and this goes to the heart of the UWC mission. This is why Outdoor Education at UWCSEA involves regular exposure to natural environments and outdoor learning experiences that are valued extensions of our classrooms and are built into all elements of the learning programme.
Our current K1 Unit of Study, focused on living things, is a wonderful example of the ways in which Outdoor Learning experiences support our youngest students in making sense of the world around them as they begin to understand their role in becoming environmental stewards. Our K1 students engage in outdoor learning experiences a minimum of 3 times each day, in spaces that include the Enchanted Garden, sand and water play area, the Adventure Playground, and the pond.
The power of learning outdoors:
Increased demands on working parents means that young children are spending more time in child care and more time engaging with digital technologies, resulting in declining opportunities for children to engage in outdoor play at home. This is concerning as we know that experiences in nature play a valuable role in children's physical, socio-emotional and cognitive development.
Outdoor learning environments provide children with the opportunity to explore, be active, and engage with sensory experiences that simply cannot be replicated inside. Outdoors, children are free to run, be loud, engage in rough and tumble play, and take calculated risks. Outdoors, students challenge themselves to try new things such as climbing rocks, and learning to interact with one another to solve problems. As a result, outdoor learning can lead to increased confidence, enhanced gross motor skills, creativity, and improved collaborative skills.
Outdoor learning in support of 21st Century Learner Competencies:
There are many documents available these days that outline what many might describe as "21st Century Learner Competencies." All of these documents are focused on the idea that we are educating for a future we cannot know, and that learning needs to equip students with flexible learning strategies that they will be able to apply to these unknown future contexts. UWCSEA shares ideas focused on learning and our Mission Competencies here:
One of the many exciting things about outdoor learning experiences is that they support the development of these competencies in early learners. Research shows that outdoor learning environments provide opportunities for students and teachers to engage in self-directed learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, calculated risk-taking, creativity, collaboration, and environmental education. It is important to note that we cannot expect our students to grow up as leaders who understand and are willing to care for our natural environment if they do not first learn how to interact with it and appreciate it.
How will you get outside with your child this weekend?
Singapore can be a hot and humid place! We need to model for our children how to dress for and cope with the weather, as remaining indoors is simply not a healthy option. There are many ways in which you can support your child in engaging with the outdoors:
*play outdoors at a local playground
*go swimming!
*visit a local park or wetland
*take a bike ride or walk along a local Park Connector
*have an outdoor picnic!
*visit the Botanic Gardens
*plan a "scavenger hunt" outdoors, or a "mini-beast" hunt (looking for insects and other living things)
As you engage with your child outdoors, take time to ask them what they see, smell and hear. Take time to slow down, observe things closely, and appreciate the beauty found in nature. Most importantly, take time to connect with each other and have fun!
New Unit of Study: Living Things
Our new Unit of Study has many connections to Outdoor Education. We will be learning all about Living Things! As part of the fun, 7 chicken eggs will arrive in K1 next week. They will grow in our K1 incubator over the next 21 days and, if all goes according to plan, we will hatch baby chicks! This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to witness a "life cycle" in real time and make authentic connections to the concepts introduced in this Unit of Study.
More details of this Unit of Study can be found below:
Yours in learning,
The K1 Team
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