Children and young people are living in the ‘most intensely
stimulating period in the history of the earth’ (Robinson 2010) however for
many young people much of this stimulation comes in the form of video games and
TV, Forest School is an excellent way of introducing children who may not have
the opportunity before to the most stimulating environment that exists, THE
OUTDOORS!
Many educational professionals advocate the use of displays,
posters, and other things which enrich the environment in their classroom, even
including music, and scented candles to create a sensory rich environment (Jensen
1998). But the perfect environment for
learning already exists THE OUTDOORS!
Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory identifies distinct stages in
a child’s development and suggests that at the 3rd stage of
Psychosocial development which takes place during preschool years children
begin to assert control over the world through play and other social
interactions, successful development at this stage equips a child to lead
others and feel capable. Forest school activities which focus on the social
development of a child should then ensure that these requirements are met and
the very nature of Forest Schools, encouraging children to learn and develop
through play which the individual or
group of children directs themselves means that this development will be aided
by taking part in Forest School programs. In fact the word used to best
describe the activities during this period of a childs development which will
most help his or her development is EXPLORATION (About.com 2011). This stage of
development is where children will develop initiative and if in a Forest School
setting they can develop the initiative to break their normal boundaries and
take part in more adventurous activities it will set them up for life to be
proactive and enthusiastic about achieving their potential. It is my opinion
because of the modern shift towards sheltering young people from the outdoors
environment and trying to put more and more control and restraint on activities
which may be perceived by parents and policy makers as risky that need to
explore is not met and even young people well into secondary school and even
beyond would benefit massively from being given a chance to take part in Forest
Schools where the boundaries are different and they have the opportunity to
take the initiative and make of the experience what they want whether that be
self-motivated and governed activity or learning specific skills or subjects
which are relevant in an outdoor setting but also in everyday life. Eriksons
theory goes on to break down the development of a person up until maturity and
death and there is no reason that Forest Schools in one form or another could
not help development at any stage this process.
Another relevant theory within Child development relevant to
Forest Schools is that of Jean Piaget, but it is my opinion that this theory is
relevant to Forest Schools only in that Forest Schools goes against Piagets
theory. Piaget theorised that intelligence developed in the same way across
individuals however Forest Schools gives participants the chance to choose
their own way to develop, with a much more open agenda than classroom based
learning participants can choose to work as groups or individuals and there is
also a lot of choice as to exactly what they do with their time on a Forest
School course, with the teacher being there purely as a facilitator to allow
the participants choice of activity to be possible. Unlike a classroom where
despite any teachers best attempt at ensuring differentiation between the needs
of individual learners, teaching in a classroom setting does put a limit on
this however in a Forest School setting there is no such limitation and
differentiation can truly be seen working as it should with learners who want
to learn outside learning outside, those who prefer to be inside retiring to a
shelter or building their own, those who work best in groups developing the
social skills to gather likeminded
people around them to form a group and chose activities to be involved in while
people who are more comfortable working on their own can do so. It is also an
excellent pressure free way of breaking boundaries such as helping those who
work poorly in groups develop better teamwork skills.
The general ethos of Forest Schools and approach to teaching
is best described by the humanistic learning theories. The humanistic school
teaches that emotional and personal development should be valued higher than
academic achievement based on formal testing and grading. It teaches that
learners should be allowed to pursue their own interests and talents in order
to develop according to their own agenda (Petty, 2004, pp. 16-18) (Hunt, 2009) (Patterson,
1977) .
This certainly applies to Forest Schools and while delivering Forest Schools
courses (see the evaluation of the Forest School course I delivered in my
portfolio) I found myself adjusting my approach and recognising that I should
have been even more humanistic in my approach to delivering the course. That
approach is what make Forest Schools for the participants. The benefits of this
approach can be seen among learners and it is clear how this kind of approach
supports student development, with the children able to pick their own
activities much of the time and manage their own risks Forest Schools are the
ultimate form of discovery learning. The concept of discovery learning is
basically that the most effective way of understanding a principle or subject
is to allow a learner to solve a problem related to that topic (Bruner, 1966) (Bruner, 1971) . As teams and
individuals children taking part in Forest Schools will be confronted with
numerous ‘problems’;
·
Shelter building
·
Camp fire preparation
·
Scavenger hunts
·
Blind trails
·
Team games
All these things contain an element of problem solving and
although the forest school leader will support the participants throughout it
is by discovering their own solutions that the children will develop most.
While not bound by the rules of a classroom or the constraints of a strict
curriculum these discoveries will come thick and fast in such a stimulating
environment as the countryside.
In fact with so much stimulation in the outdoor environment
I believe it is impossible for children not to benefit and develop as a result
of any outdoor activity but the Forest School program with it’s balance of
education and adventure makes the most of that opportunity.
For a full reference list see my full essay at; http://www.academia.edu/4813212/Forest_School_Essays
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