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...a culture of outdoor learning must be created. This cultural shift can start with just one teacher...When teachers start to witness the positive influence that outdoor learning can have on their students, other teachers will likely be inspired to follow their lead.
- Mary Schoeb -
Math Routines
Math Routines
How can a teacher engage students in some of the regular math routines without a projector, a whiteboard and all the usual devices used in the classroom? It will take some creativity to rethink some activities and not everything will work well outside.
Consider the routines that are regularly used when teaching math in the classroom. What would a math talk look like outside? What about a notice and wonder? Is there a space or setting outdoors where students can go to notice and wonder? We both like to use Which One Doesn’t Belong. This is a thought provoking puzzle where similarities and differences between four objects are explored. The engaging part is in the many different answers that can be found for same puzzle. How can that be done outdoors? Maybe the teacher creates a Which one Doesn't Belong with found materials or perhaps students can be challenged to find four things and make their own Which One Doesn’t Belong to share with each other.
Estimating is another activity that can be adapted to the outdoors. Look around and see if there is something in the environment that students can estimate. Consider the playground - how many vertical poles do students think there are? How tall is the structure? Once they have estimated, students can go and check. Or have students estimate how far they can run in 30 seconds - some physical fitness can be built into the math lesson!
Barriers Can be Opportunities to Grow
Barriers Can be Opportunities to Grow
Most teachers will feel some barriers, real or perceived, when first going outdoors for math. We certainly did! Whether it was finding time to go outside, uncertainty of what will happen outdoors or simply finding a suitable math activity, there are many reasons that may stop a teacher from going outdoors for math. We still sometimes feel these barriers, but then remind ourselves of the reason we are on this journey and carry on. Below, we have listed a few ways that teachers can overcome some potential barriers.
Trust students to engage in the learning
Trust students to engage in the learning
One commonly perceived barrier is the management of students. Without those four classroom walls, what will they be doing? What if the teacher can't see all the students? Will they be running around, out of control? Surprisingly, research shows that this is not the case (Largo-Wight et al, 2018). And in our lesson, it was also not the case. Yes, there was some off task behavior, but no different than in a classroom. In her study of outdoor education, Karen Barfod, senior lecturer and coordinator of the development and research program of outdoor education at VIA University College, Denmark, found that "The open, or free, teaching situation implied a loss of perceived control, a teaching situation to which the teacher had to become accustomed" (Barfod, 2018, p.207).
While watching the video recording of the lesson, we noticed how much the students were moving about, throwing bean bags, darting around the picnic tables, running and looking at games from different angles. However, because students were outside, movement was not an issue as it would be in a classroom. we also observed the noise level. Students were excited and having fun; voice levels were much higher than would be in a classroom, but outside it was okay. Students who are normally sensitive to a loud classroom appeared to be functioning well.
In a study (Harris, 2018) it was found that when students were outside their behavior was less constrained - they felt free to run, shout or even find a quiet space away from others. In her article on outdoor learning, Mary Schoeb, an elementary school teacher in Minnesota, states that when "Outdoor learning is student-centered, inquiry-based learning...students are active learners, they often take more initiative in solving problems and increase thinking creatively"(p79). She goes on to say that outdoor learning can increase collaboration and engagement with peers, as well as a willingness to ask questions.
Gain confidence and grow professionally
Gain confidence and grow professionally
Planning seemed to take such a long time as details about how to coordinate everyone outside with different materials. It was all so unfamiliar. When I plan something new I try to visualize and imagine what will happen. Without a lot of experience in teaching outdoors I found it difficult to do that. I did not feel as confident in my ideas as I wanted to be.
Teaching outdoors can take more time to plan than teaching indoors and in our case, it did! Research shows that this is not unusual as educators often face the new experience of teaching outdoors (Barfod & Bentsen, 2018; Blenkinsop et al, 2016). Working together with someone who has the same vision can help boost confidence and make a teacher more willing to try math outdoors. "I can’t emphasize enough the importance of surrounding yourself with like minded educators" says Megan Zeni on her blog post. Mentoring, collaborating with colleagues, workshops, books and professional development are all avenues that can build teachers' confidence and preparedness for teaching outside the classroom (Barfod and Bentsen, 2018; Oberle et al, 2021). It was our experience that collaborating together and sharing the responsibilities in planning helped us feel more confident. We know that as we gain experience, and perhaps find some like minded colleagues, it will get easier.
In a study of five primary schools in The Netherlands, researchers observed how “teachers are inspired in these real-life experiences by children’s reactions to outdoor learning. We observed an ongoing sense of joy and enthusiasm when teachers described their outdoor learning activities with children” (vanDijk-Wesselius et al, 2020, p.7). In her article on using the outdoors as a learning strategy, Schoeb (2021) suggests teachers embrace a growth mindset and that "a culture of experiential learning should embrace failure and mistakes as growth" (p.85). Another study (Tal & Morag, 2009) found that teachers who took time to explore the outdoor space themselves, before taking students outside, felt more confident.
What kinds of math could students do while building something out of snow?
View weather as a learning opportunity
View weather as a learning opportunity
While the weather could be considered a barrier, perhaps it can be re-imagined as an opportunity for some mathematical learning. What sort of math can be done in the rain or the snow or on a really windy day? In a news article (Bruineman, 2022) on taking learning outside, Janice Whiteside, a kindergarten educator responded to the question of rain. “If it’s raining, we’ll have our rain gear on … Our kids love it outside. There’s so much you can explore just with a puddle — measuring, float, sink. We run with it." Snow can offer great opportunities for measurement. A benefit of going out in all weather and through all seasons is that students see nature in all different circumstances.
On her blog post, Megan Zeni talks about embracing an emergent curriculum, being “responsive to the interests and wonders that emerge” and being able to “weave required curricular content masterfully with the emerging experiences of children.” Perhaps the wonders that emerge will be presented by the weather.
Logistically, students do need to dress for the weather, and where we live it rains a lot. Students do not always come to school prepared to spend time in the rain. Two studies we reviewed suggested building a resource of clothing for students to borrow (Barfod & Bentsen, 2018; Oberle et al, 2021). Another suggestion was to keep the outdoor experience as a regular part of the week so that parents and children become accustomed to the regular routine. (Barfod & Bentsen, 2018; Schoeb, 2021).
Because our lesson had a specific outcome (a game), we made a backup plan to use a covered area if it was raining; our lesson just wouldn't work in the rain.
Whether you feel ready to take your class outside or you are still a bit hesitant, our advice is to start small, but do it. Use a familiar routine. Plan well, but be flexible if a mathematical opportunity comes up. Find a colleague who also wants to take math outdoors and work together! Do some reading and look for professional development opportunities. We also recommend reading our pages on imagining math outdoors and noticing math outdoors or check out the list of resources we've compiled.
References
References
Barfod, K. S. (2018). Maintaining mastery but feeling professionally isolated: Experienced teachers' perceptions of teaching outside the classroom. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 18(3), 201-213. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2017.1409643
Barfod, K., & Bentsen, P. (2018). Don’t ask how outdoor education can be integrated into the school curriculum; ask how the school curriculum can be taught outside the classroom. Curriculum Perspectives, 38(2), 151-156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-018-0055-9
Blenkinsop, S., Telford, J., & Morse, M. (2016). A surprising discovery: Five pedagogical skills outdoor and experiential educators might offer more mainstream educators in this time of change. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 16(4), 346-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2016.1163272
Bourassa, M. (2013). Which one doesn't belong? wodb.ca. Retrieved July 28, 2022, from https://wodb.ca/
Bruineman, M. (2022, May 14). Teachers take learning outdoors, rain or shine. BradfordToday.ca. Retrieved July 28, 2022, from https://www.bradfordtoday.ca/local-news/teachers-take-learning-outdoors-rain-or-shine-5369411
Harris, F. (2018). Outdoor learning spaces: The case of forest school. Area (London 1969), 50(2), 222-231. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12360
Largo-Wight, E., Guardino, C., Wludyka, P. S., Hall, K. W., Wight, J. T., & Merten, J. W. (2018). Nature contact at school: The impact of an outdoor classroom on children's well-being. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 28(6), 653-666. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2018.1502415
Oberle, E., Zeni, M., Munday, F., & Brussoni, M. (2021). Support factors and barriers for outdoor learning in elementary schools: A systemic perspective. American Journal of Health Education, 52(5), 251-265. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2021.1955232
Schoeb, M. (2021). Using outdoor learning as an instructional strategy. Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning 2(1), 77-99. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/icitl/vol2/iss1/4
Van Dijk-Wesselius, J. E., Berg, van den, A. E, Maas, J., & Hovinga, D. (2020). Green schoolyards as outdoor learning environments: Barriers and solutions as experienced by primary school teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2919. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02919
Zeni, M. (n.d.). 10 best tips for teaching outside the classroom. MeganZeni.com. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://meganzeni.com/teaching-outside-the-classroom/#h-tip-1-get-clear-on-your-why
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