TIME TO ACT- NON FORMAL EDUCATION THROUGH IN &OUTDOOR METHODS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS’ ACTIVE PARTICIPATION (Finland- Helsinki)

Nearly half of all students feel bored at school every day with half of the students admitting to skipping school at least once or twice according to a study conducted by the Indiana State University in 2014. Although most public school children do get to go on a field trip away from school once or twice a year, it often isn’t the norm for students to enjoy nature as a part of their school day. Outdoor learning is a working method where parts of the everyday life in school is moved out of the classroom – into the local environment. Outdoor learning implies frequent and purpose-driven activities outside the classroom. Join this training and find out about activating all the school subjects in an integrated training where activities out-of-doors and indoors are closely linked together.

LEARING OUTCOMES
-to provide theoretical and empirical experiences pertaining to school education in non-formal settings, and their contribution towards developing knowledge and skills for active citizenship and quality of life.
-to learn how to motivate, guide and assess learners to reduce low achievement in key competences, develop relevant, high-level and innovative skills, enhance good quality of mainstream education through outdoor education.
-to understand non-formal education principles, within the context of cooperative learning, blended learning and flipped classroom
-to try experiential learning, experience methods of reflection and develop your ability to give feedback
-to understand the consequences of applying the non-formal methods regarding students' motivation
-to learn new non formal activities, tools, methods and to share best practices regarding outdoor education in Europe
- to exchange and develop skills of leading groups outdoors together with colleagues from Europe
-to increase participants’ confidence in working with non-formal methods in outdoor spaces,
- learn the positive power of team building activities and feel more confident and ready to re-use and adjust the practiced exercises at your own school
-to reinforce continual professional development, re-ignite lifelong learning strategies, build confidence in promoting game based strategies in education, promote pedagogies responsive to real world context

PROGRAMME
1. Welcome! Who we are ? What are you looking for? Ice-breaking activities; OUTDOOR EDUCATION for Sustainable Development: Philosophy, Policy and Practice. Challenges and impact
2. The characteristics of FORMAL, NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING. The differences between formal, non-formal and informal learning. Recognition of Non-formal and Informal Learning. Top 10 non formal learning methods to empower students’ active participation
3. 4. Practical workshops of OUTDOOR AND INDOOR NON-FORMAL METHODS and tools covering different topics and fostering several competences: energizers and team-building, theatre, storytelling and video-making, role-playing, simulation and team games, environmental education tools, interactive workshops, etc
5. TEAMBUILDING: The team-building process and the stages of group development ( Tuckman and Belbin); RLP( research, learn, practice) 1 outdoor activity (demonstrative workshops held by participants)
6. EU COMPETENCES: Key competences and skills for the 21st Century; the recognition of non-formal education competencies. OUTDOOR EDUCATION: Types of outdoor education; Benefits and principles; Planning and delivering ONE DAY OUTDOOR CLASSROOM concept
7. MOTIVATION: How to foster students’ motivation, participation and creativity through non-formal, informal and experiential learning activities; The extra benefit of using non-formal education methods and outdoor environment;
8. STEPS FOR FUTURE: 1 ideea 1 project: partnership project workshop ( eTwinning, Erasmus Plus ); Reflection and feedback; Course evaluation. Releasing of official course certifications.

The course includes 2 study visits at local schools.

Direct link for registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZI_ak1hxl8hsd5nPe6JiOmE57icLOixotEVYz7MqnSfCk6g/viewform