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The fine art of surfacing

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      string(258) "Government policy insists on ‘Learning outside the classroom’ opportunities, using BSF as a funding pot. But the charity Learning Through Landscapes says it hasn’t seen a single school offering the good practice they expect. Catherine Andrews explains."
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      string(338) "... can be active, make noiseand experiment.Large spaces can also be adapted to give childrenownership of their environment. The same space canbe used as an art gallery, a year seven play area or aperformance space.Installing fixed play equipment should be approachedwith care. Even smaller pieces can be expensive andrequire ..."
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      string(5607) "are also the perfect environmentfor learning about sustainable power and water.2. Guardian, 21st July 2008- http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/21/education.secondaryschoolsmaintain. They are exemplars of sustainable livingand learning that embody a school’s values and canbe used by the whole community.LTL has worked with thousands of schools overtwenty years. Our experience shows the value ofoutdoor spaces and resources to children’s learningand their personal, social and emotional development.Our survey of 700 schools who improved theirgrounds showed a range of benefits:65% reported improved attitudes to learning and52% reported improved academic achievement73% reported improved behaviour and 64% found areduced number of playtime bullying incidences84% reported improved social interaction and 85%found an increase in active play and games.Students given a role in the design process can enjoytheir outside spaces on a much deeper level. We aren’ttalking about a token consultation exercise, but a realopportunity for young people to take responsibility.The constraints of the procurement process makethis difficult – but it’s easier in school grounds thanindoor design.LTL has been working with the DCSF, CABE andNCSL for many years and has developed a rangeof advice and resources on our website for schoolmanagers, teachers and designers.Most of our tips contribute to multiple objectives.For example, focusing on sustainability throughcomposting and organic growing can be a stimulatingteaching tool for science lessons – students couldstudy the rotting process and become acquaintedwith earthworms.These are our top ten tips.1. Provide sufficient and appropriateoutdoor teaching spacesIt’s estimated that up to 80% of learning outside theclassroom takes place in school grounds. Outdoorspaces should be multi-functional. For example, atrail around a vegetable garden can cover subjectsas diverse as science, food technology and foreignlanguage vocab. An amphitheatre can provide aperformance space, an assembly area, a classroomand a socialising area.But while teachers recognise that you can teach anyaspect of the curriculum outdoors, 80% of teachers inour poll said their school is failing to make the bestuse of outside space.Seating can be a stumbling block. Straight rowsof steel benches look stylish, but they serve littlepurpose. Similarly, individual blocks of naturalstone can provide a perch for one or two friends,but they don’t make it easy for a teacher to get thewhole class settled. Seating must enable teachers■■■to talk to different sized groups of students andprovide for whole class exercises, small group workor individual study. With shade and shelter adaptedto the microclimate, schools can use their outsideseating all year round.Outdoors study space that supports the use of ITshould become the norm. ‘Personalised learning’policies demand that pupils can use their computersacross the campus. Liquid crystal display screens area good solution – their screens are easily visible inbright daylight. Wireless networks, too, can supportthe entire campus.2.  Think about scaleDoing a practical activity as a whole class can be veryeffective, and our work demonstrates that studentsfind this motivating. These activities are often fun todo outside – where students can be active, make noiseand experiment.Large spaces can also be adapted to give childrenownership of their environment. The same space canbe used as an art gallery, a year seven play area or aperformance space.Installing fixed play equipment should be approachedwith care. Even smaller pieces can be expensive andrequire safety surfacing that uses up a lot of space.These areas stop being adaptable. They often requirehigh levels of supervision and maintenance, and youngpeople quickly lose interest in the limited range ofactivities the equipment offers.If your students are keen on exercise equipment,try a low-tech exercise trail instead. This can be usedfor PE, social seating or outdoor reading.Many schools struggle with playground areasthat become ‘out of bounds’. Some schoolsSensory plantingfor fragranceor texture canenrich theenvironment forpeople with visualimpairmentProject Managementwww.teachingtimes.com24 21 Century Schools  Volume 4:2Project Managementwww.teachingtimes.com25 Volume 4:2  21 Century Schools9. Meet the diverse needs of youngpeopleInformal outdoor spaces provide opportunitiesfor students to get to know each other withoutconstraints. They are spaces where emotional andsocial development takes place, where young peoplemove through adolescence towards adulthood, learnhow to behave in groups, make and break friendships,cope with conflict and relax.Consider social environments that supportdifferent types of behaviour. There should be hardlandscaping for football and team sports and morerelaxed areas softened with plants for sitting andchatting. Sheltering some areas from noisy play isvital to protect quieter students’ needs. (Studentswith autistic spectrum disorders benefit from calmand low stimulation environments.) Sensory plantingfor fragrance or texture can enrich the environmentfor people with visual impairment.10. Design for the futureSchool grounds must be adaptable spaces, flexibleenough to change over time so that future generationscan reshape them. The way teaching and learning isdelivered is also changing radically. Schools are nowexpected to provide after school and pre-schoolservices to their pupils, as well as adult learningopportunities to the wider community.The natural world"
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Learning Spaces

Top ten tips for great school grounds

17 Jan 2010

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      string(5616) "study. With shade and shelter to allow for the local microclimate as well as the extremes of summer and winter weather, the school would be able to use its outside seating in all weathers.Similarly, study space outdoors that supports the use of ICT should become the norm. Personalisation and the scope for students to determine their preferred learning styles suggests that flexible ICT must be available across the campus, both indoors and outdoors. Liquid crystal screens are easily visible in bright daylight and wireless networks support remote working across the campus.Secondly, think about scale. Doing a practical activity as a whole class can be very effective, and our work demonstrates that students find this opportunity motivating: “It’s fun when the whole class does the same stuff,” said one. Often there is more space outdoors to do this, as there is more scope for students to be active, make noise, try things out themselves.Large spaces can also be easily adapted to offer children choices and ownership of their environment. A space that may cater one year for the display of art may the next year become a Year 7 play area or a performance space.Installing fixed play equipment in large spaces outdoors should be approached with care. Even smaller pieces can be expensive and require safety surfacing; this uses up a great deal of space, which becomes no longeradaptable. They often require a lot of supervision and maintenance, and young people quickly lose interest in the limited range of activities the equipment offers, and resort to trying to innovate or vandalise. If students are keen on exercise equipment, try a low-tech ‘exercise trail’. This is more flexible and can be used for PE as well as providing seating for social use or outdoor reading.Surprisingly, large sections of school grounds become ‘out of bounds’. We have worked with schools whose great outdoor spaces are underused due to concerns about supervision and safety. Simple measures such as maximising natural surveillance, good lighting, avoiding ‘hidden corners’ and62 Vol 1.4 n www.teachingtimes.comSchool Business School Groundsprogrammes, and this should apply to the outdoors as much as to indoors. Young people will test outdoor equipment to the hilt, so it is a false economy to install kit that will not stand up to heavy use. Similarly, popular gathering spots will need hard-wearing reinforced surfaces to stand the test of time.Consider the management and maintenance of the grounds throughout the design process. In many schools, students help with the maintenance of the grounds. The benefits are numerous – including greater self-esteem, the development of practical skills and the satisfaction of doing their bit to care for their environment.Planting in the right place can contribute a great deal to the atmosphere and attractiveness of the grounds (to wildlife as well as people). However, we all know that young people will take the shortest route from A to B, and if this involves cutting across a flower bed then the planting will always come off worse. Where the brief requires greening, check that it is really essential and practical. Where planting makes sense, aim to ensure that it’s not located in the middle of shortcuts and explore how it can be protected from the disregard of average teenagers. Empty flower beds or damaged plants and trees add little to the sense of well-being in the grounds.Sustainability Next, think sustainability – and incorporate environmental features. School grounds can support the Sustainable Schools framework in numerous ways, through hands- on learning about sustainable lifestyles – healthy eating, physical exercise, green transport – as well as the use, development and maintenance of the grounds. If students grow food in the grounds, for example, buying, cultivating and harvesting the crops, this builds links to the local environment and helps them understand the global impact of dietary choices and where food comes from.Growing and composting spaces offer learning about the economic and scientific challenges of sustainable food, while planting to encourage wildlife and biodiversity can teach about the natural systems that support life on the planet. Recycling facilities in the grounds can be opened up to the wider community. We have worked with schools who have developed successful recycling enterprises, whereby young entrepreneurs have reached out to local businesses, feeder primary schools and community groups and encouraged them to cut waste – all the while developing their own business skills.School grounds are also the perfect environment for learning about sustainable power and water. Biomass boilers are becoming the sustainable energy source of choice in the new build programme, but if planning consent can be obtained then a wind turbine or solar panels (ideally linked to a meter) can help students to learn about the pros and cons of renewable energy.Climate change is already having an impact on rainfall patterns and the native or non-native plant species that will flourish as weather patterns become more erratic. In addition to ensuring an accessible water supply adjacent to growing areas, think about rainwater harvesting. Water butts are less likely to be vulnerable to vandalism and damage ifthey are built into the structure of the grounds. One school we work with plumbed its downpipes into an underground storage tank, and uses this water to flush the toilets. The tank is under the main playground, and students proudly promote it to visitors. Where there is"
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Leadership

Grounds for improvement

9 Oct 2009

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      string(191) "Jan Green explores some of the many free web–based resources designed to supplement and enhance teaching and learning about Shakespeare, his time and his works.
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      string(369) "the Bard’s life, a book aboutthe stage for which he wrote, and one whichcontrasts Elizabethan society with modern society.Other books discuss Elizabethan politics, history,religious belief, literature, art, music and views onthe nature of the universe. One volume allowsaccess to maps, chronologies and suggestions forfurther reading.Universal Teacherwww ..."
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      string(191) "Jan Green explores some of the many free web–based resources designed to supplement and enhance teaching and learning about Shakespeare, his time and his works.
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      string(5603) "the Bard’s life, a book aboutthe stage for which he wrote, and one whichcontrasts Elizabethan society with modern society.Other books discuss Elizabethan politics, history,religious belief, literature, art, music and views onthe nature of the universe. One volume allowsaccess to maps, chronologies and suggestions forfurther reading.Universal Teacherwww.universalteacher.org.uk/shakespeare/macbeth.htmEx-English teacher Andrew Moore’s resource sitefor English teachers offers free access to scores ofteaching resources for English at KS3/4/5, GCSEand A-level. His excellent Shakespeare pagecontains links to many free study guides, andparticular topics are dealt with in thorough detail.These images may be downloaded by students,although commercial use is strictly prohibited.Shakespeare’s Globewww.shakespeares-globe.org/The official website of the New Globe Theatrecarries this mission statement: ‘to inspirelearning, teaching and research through anexploration of the spirit of Shakespeare’s theatreand of the crafts and disciplines that informthe making of a “play”.’ Globe Education’s onlineresource centre offers many educationalresources, including a virtual tour of the theatre,audio interviews with actors, directors,designers and musicians and the opportunityto communicate with actors via videoconference.On the site are production photographs, anaudio-taped presentation of the accent whichShakespeare’s own players might have used,Shakespeare’s sonnets and an online referencelibrary. A .pdf file of ‘Shakespeare’s GlobeBackground’ provides a concise introductionto the Globe, including information on itsorigins, architecture and construction and anaccount of the philosophy and history behindthe project.Learning Curve ‘Snapshots’www.learningcurve.gov.uk/snapshots/snapshot34/snapshot34.htmAn attractive site, packed with thought-provokingactivities and information. Learning Curve32InteracTive April/May 2006FeaturesTHE BARD OF ICTPupils can either choose for themselves, or withthe assistance of a teacher, from a wide rangeof activities.Imaginative ideas are proposed for approachingthe text, such as acting parts of the play, makingpredictions for scenes, transforming the text,studying Shakespearean language, analysingthemes, raising questions to discuss, etc.Particularly useful are the sections on ‘Studyingthe play for GCSE’ and ‘How to write aboutShakespeare’s plays’.All the resources on this site are offered asopen source learning objects for users to circulateand modify.Shakespeare Resource Centerwww.bardweb.net/This is a comprehensive index of links whichseems to be kept carefully up to date. It carries ashort biography of the great writer, including:his Last Will and Testament; backgroundinformation on his experiences andcircumstances in the Elizabethan milieu; a broadsurvey of his works, including synopses of 38plays; a brief history of the Globe; and discussionof the various authorship debates. There are linksto online editions of the plays and a guide toShakespearean English, with a searchableglossary. A comprehensive reading list is alsosupplied.Mr William Shakespeare andthe Internethttp://shakespeare.palomar.edu/This comprehensive, highly-rated index to onlineShakespeare resources offers access to e-texts anduser-friendly study guides on individual plays, withan abundance of critical and explanatory notes.Headings are very uncomplicated: Works; Life andTimes; Theatre; Criticism; Educational; Best Sites.However, not all of the links are up to date,including the link to the Macbeth script, though auseful analysis of Macbeth and an explanation ofthe true story behind the play’s subject matter areaccessible.A Shakespeare genealogy is available, alongsidea Timeline which places the events ofShakespeare’s life into their historical context.There are also a Biography Quiz and a bibliography.In his introduction, the site’s creator states that‘pernicious above all sites are those that sellShakespeare research papers to students’, so youcan be sure your pupils will not find such links here.Web English Teacherwww.webenglishteacher.com/shakespeare.htmlThe Shakespeare page of this directory of resourcesfor teachers carries an index of links to specificplays, including Macbeth, Much Ado and RichardIII. The latter, for example, has a plot summary,themes and historical background. A teacher’sguide to Richard III offers a scene-by-scenesynopsis, online sources of backgroundinformation, characteristics of history plays,themes, language, discussion questions, activities.There is also plenty of backgroundinformation and links to sites offering someeffective teaching ideas.Absolute Shakespearehttp://absoluteshakespeare.com/plays/plays.htmAs its title suggests, Absolute Shakespeare is acomprehensive study guide to the life and worksof the Bard. The site’s most noteworthy feature isits assemblage of Shakespeare’s magnum opus inan online format. In the ‘Summaries’ section,teachers and students wanting to refresh theirknowledge of texts as speedily as possible can readsuccinct summaries and commentaries on eachof the plays.This is an excellent resource, with its plethoraof plot summaries, character analysis, biographyand information on the authorship debate. Thereare also a bibliography and timeline, sections onfacts and quotes, a quiz to test a reader’sknowledge and much, much more of value.ThinkQuesthttp://library.thinkquest.org/2888/intro.htmlA lively site which includes ‘Macbeth Plugged’, anannotated, interactive version of theShakespearean tragedy."
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Digital Learning

Surfing For Shakespeare

1 Jan 2005

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      string(5609) "classes, they considerskill development right the way through thesemester. Learning facts and figures in subjectlessons isn’t enough anymore!’So what happens in the classroom? CurrentYear 12 pupil Alexia Rutkowski explains: ‘Myfavourite Elements course was “History: Film,Food and Fashion”. I also studied HistoryGCSE. The difference between the twocourses is the way you learn – for my Elements45Volume6.3nCreativeTeaching&LearningCurriculumInnovationn Just Google it – how has human interactionchanged with technology?n Run your own business – pupils plan, set upand run their own enterprisen Freakonomics – looking at the economicsof behaviour, including incentives, irrationalbehaviour, anchoring, relativity and moren All the world’s a stage – pupils experiencescriptwriting, acting, directing and theatredesign elements such as set design, music,lighting and costumen Mathematics and cryptography – creatingciphers, encryptions, codes and moren Law – pupils look at legal systems aroundthe world, visiting local law courts and takingpart in mock trialsn Outdoor and adventurous education –features a range of outdoor activities,including geocaching, surfing, kayaking,windsurfing, rock climbing and hikingn Rock the foundation – pupils learn the basicsof the electric guitar, the bass guitar anddrum kit, and have the opportunity to performon these instruments in a small band.And what about the teachers? For some,teaching without the syllabus is bliss, whilefor others, it can feel a bit intimidating. Historyteacher Stephen Budd joined Island School thisyear. Despite six years of experience, he said:‘I felt like a Newly Qualified Teacher again! Iwas finding my way with the new Elementscourse as well as with the new school. But theElements course I took over changed the way Ithink about teaching. I really enjoyed the extraresearch I was doing, so much so that I decidedto enrol in a Masters of History.’Senior staff at Island School are oftenchallenged about the rigorousness of Elementscourses. Principal Chris Binge explains: ‘I trustmy staff. I trust them to cover the syllabuswhen they teach GCSE and IB, and I trustthem to use their professional judgement whendelivering courses they are passionate about.’Learning to lead and collaborateBoth Elements and Explorations are taughtacross year groups, with pupils from Years 9, 10and 11 working together. This cross-age-groupcollaboration is most significant in Explorationswhere two students from each of these yeargroups are put together in a project team.The group project is worth 30 per cent of theCambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives course,which requires the students to take action onan environmental or social issue with a total of20 titles to choose from. Year 11 Explorationstudents complete two individual researchreports, in addition to the group work, and takean exam in May alongside their other GCSEs.Many groups choose to make awareness-CurriculumInnovation46Volume6.3nCreativeTeaching&Learningraising documentaries on topics such as the health system inHong Kong or coastal pollution. Within their team, they assigneach other roles – editor, for example, or charity contact.Aware that this mixed-age, mixed-ability collaboration isdifficult, we teach students how to work in a group. Theschool’s head of drama, Gilbert Halcrow, has created a setof ‘dispositions’ that students look at to help develop theircollaboration and communication skills. The dispositions areboth positive and negative behaviours that individuals mighttake on, depending on the skill set or reactions of their group.The theory behind the disposition teaching is that behaviourscan be learnt and practised, like any other skills, and the rightbehaviour can help a team work well together.Says Year 10 student Brita Cheng: ‘Last year, I felt like I didn’tdo my job to my full potential. As a Year 9 pupil, I found usingthe film software challenging and I was generally confusedabout my role. But now I know how important it is for the Year10s and 11s to support the Year 9s. Despite the challenges,the end product was good, and I felt like it was something wecould be proud of.‘I definitely feel better about Explorations this year. I know thesoftware better and our group works better together. The skillsthat have grown the most are my organisation skills; settingaside time for planning and research is essential.’The skills cultivated during the Explorations unit are vital forpupils’ studies later on in their school career. In Years 12 and13, for example, students study a BTEC of their choice and theIB Diploma. As part of both these qualifications, pupils mustcomplete Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), which requires themto take action on issues in the local community. The Explorationsunit of Years 9, 10 and 11 stand them in good stead for thischallenging curriculum component.47Volume6.3nCreativeTeaching&LearningCurriculumInnovationBridging subjects across thecurriculumJust as the skills learnt in the middle years spillover into the senior years, skills learnt in thejunior years do the same.In Years 7 and 8, one day a week is given overto what we call ‘Island Time’; pupils spend thelessons on these days developing a range ofessential skills, mostly through active learning.You may well be wondering what the impact isof having a whole day off subject-based lessonsand whether it is actually necessary. After all,can’t skills development be part of maths,music or geography?Principal Chris Binge explains: ‘When youremove subject-based learning and"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Inspiring learners with a passion-filled curriculum

28 Jul 2016

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