Introduction

Ulsmåg Skole

   To have a better opinion and more information about how to use outdoor education in schools, we have visited the 2th grade of Ulsmåg Skole. We had the opportunity to visit them twice and we experienced two school days in the nature working by outdoor learning.

1^st day: Stone age project.

   In the Norwegian curriculum, LK-06, it is possible to find the Stone Age as a mandatory content. This topic may be worked either at the classroom or in an outdoor base. In this school, the teacher has decided to work it by doing activities in a park close to the school called Øvsttun.

   Activities as make jewelry, build a cabin or paint on stones simulate the most known activities done during the Stonge Age.

First, they watched a film about the Stone Age, made by students from other year and then the pupils of 2^nd grade of Ulsmåg start to build their own Stone Age place.

2^nd day: Maths in the park.

   Taking advantage of such a sunny day, the children leaded by the teachers walk from the school to Øvsttun park, but this time maths are going to be worked instead of the stone age.  Basic geometry, additions, subtractions and multiplication are worked during the school day.

   Here the pictures of these wonderful days. They have been really profitable and useful for the pupils because they have learnt a lot but, at the same time, also they have so much fun that they will never forget that. We will never ever forget those days neither.  

A journey to the Sotra's sea.

   The end of the academic year is almost done. As usual, at the end of the year, every school makes a trip in order to do activities which are not possible to do in the classroom. Besides, it is known that these kinds of activities help the students to know better each other and to work in the nature allowing children to play and work together as a team.
   Today, the 5th and 6th grades of Vadmyra skole have visited a sea in the island “Sotra”, next to Bergen. 

During the day, the children had the opportunity to do several activities:

   Firstly, the teacher explain all the activities that they are going to do during the day. After that, the children are divided in groups and the activities begin. 

   At the beginning, children learn how to use a fishing-rod, nets and gadgets for diving. Once, they know how to use them, teachers and children start to fish and explore the sea.
 

   After approximately one and a half hours, the children start to show to their mates what they have caught in the sea. The teachers teach the pupils the parts and characteristics of the animals that they got. 

   Finally, it is time to eat. What could it be better for eat than food cooked by oneself? 

   For this reason, the children cook and eat their own fish that they have just got. 

   As we have seen, many activities are possible to use in the outdoors, which means that subjects as natural science, physical education, food and health, language and more, can be taught in a journey out from the school.
   Comparing these activities with the spanish schools, it is important to note that in Spain, many excursions are done to amusement parks or places like that, which is fun but children rather do not learn much. However outdoor activities allows to use the nature as a tool to learn and children can experience many things by doing and watching. Therefore,  in my opinion, activities in the outdoors shall be used more often in schools. 

   This trip is just an example of the assortement of outdoor activities that can be done. 

17th of May

   17th of May is an important day for all norwegians. They celebrate the independence from Denmark in 1814. This year is specially important because it is the 200th anniversary and I have had the pleasure to be here and enjoy the atmosphere. Here some impressions of this fantastic day.

      

Spanish Lesson at Søfteland School

  We visited a school called Søfteland where we had the pleasure to teach a lesson of Spanish to 3 different grades: 8^th, 9^th and 10^th.  It was a really enriching experience for students and teachers as well.  On one hand, students had the opportunity to listen to native speakers in Spanish and practice the language through all the activities that we prepared. On the other hand, we had the chance to be in the skin of a teacher and get some teaching experiences which will help us to improve and do better this wonderful job.

   In the lesson, we follow a clear structure to get the goals we wanted to achieve:

• The main and the only language used was Spanish.
• Greetings and presentations of everyone.
• Information about Spanish language.
• Spain: culture, gastronomy, festivities, sports... 
• Quiz: How much do you know about Spanish and Spain?
• Random questions from the students to the teachers.
  
  HERE THE POWER POINT PRESENTATION USED IN  THE CLASS.

Orienteering trip

    Having a look at the Norwegian curriculum (LK-06) ,in the physical education subject, it is possible to find that orienteering is an important activity that has to be taught and practised in primary education. Taking in account this, we have been learning and practising how to use orienteering in a regular classroom and how we can make activities in order to teach orienteering and outdoor life to the students.

    The trip was from Fanfoft until the top of the mountain Ulriken. Here you can follow exactly the trail that we did. To come back we took nearly the same way.

                                                                                            
    In the entire way we just used a map and the signs that we were finding on our way. Even though the mobile phone has been used to record the trail, during the way we just used the orienteering skills.

   All in all, after the trip we can say that we have learnt a lot about how to teach orienteering by maps and compasses. Besides, we discovered that this kind of trips can be really joyful and ideal to create a good atmosphere among the students and make them work as a team.

 

Outdoor Learning in the city-room

   Sometimes we are not aware that the city or the nature could be the best classroom that children can have.
They are really motivated when they go out ,and besides, they can still do and learn many things that is not possible to do while they are sitting on chairs inside the classroom.

   That is why , I created an activity that can be used to teach differents subjects as maths, language, history, food and nutrition.

GO TO THE ACTIVITY HERE