Goals
The goal of this course is to increase participants’ knowledge, skills,
and confidence when teaching about the environment in the outdoors.
Objectives
After having completed TAEO, participants will be able to:
Unit 1: Teacher & Learner Considerations
- Discuss the definition and brief history of outdoor education
- Explain reasons for why OEE is important in education
- Refer to research that shows a positive correlation between time spent outdoors and students' overall health and wellbeing
- Review outdoor educator competencies
- Evaluate how you learn best
- Make a connection between the theory of Multiple Intelligences and how it could be achieved in an outdoor learning experience
- Become aware of learner characteristics of certain age groups as it relates to outdoor environmental education
Unit 2: Topics to Teach
- Identify environmental topics often taught outdoors
- Adaptations
- Habitats
- Four Elements of Life
- Life’s Interconnections
- Energy Flow
- Phenology
- Taxonomy
- Sustainability
- Brainstorm specific ways you could teach these topics using the theory of multiple intelligences or learning styles.
- Evaluate where you find aesthetics (joy and pleasure) in nature.
- Describe ways you can use the theory of Multiple Intelligences or learning styles, to encourage students to identify their own feelings towards something in the natural world
Unit 3: Teaching Strategies & Activities
- Become aware of different strategies and activities when teaching about the environment in the outdoors.
- Leading a Hike
- Storytelling
- Creative Drama
- Sensory Learning
- Experiments
- Games
- Data Collection
- Gardening
- Nature Journaling
- Scavenger Hunts
- Field Trips
- Gain experience doing a nature journaling activity outdoors
- Specifically explain how you would adapt any one of the eleven teaching strategies and activities to meet a variety of learning styles or intelligences
- Search the internet, local library, and curricular resources locating 5 lesson plans or outdoor activities aimed at your intended audience
Unit 4 Planning & Conducting Outdoor EE
- Become aware of the steps for preparing an outdoor activity, logistics, and safety concerns.
- Become aware of assessment techniques that follow the theory of multiple intelligences and creative outdoor learning.
- Become aware of the importance for pre- and post-visit activities in building a concrete learning experience
- Become aware of group management techniques for the outdoor classroom
- Gain practice with outdoor environmental education either observing or conducting a field experience
- Submit a summary or lesson plan and detailed reflection including strengths, weaknesses and overall achievement of the activity as it relates to teacher/learner needs, environmental topics, outdoor teaching strategies, and planning and preparation.