“In the fog rests the world, still dreaming woods and meadows,” says Eduard mörike’s poem September morning. It is the most fifth-grader is not likely to just tear off the stool – the poems are for many students a dry matter. In the case of the class of 5g of the Anna-Essinger grammar school in Ulm, it was in this school year different. As the students read the lines, they were with a German teacher Kerstin Grevel in the misty woods. “We have just witnessed, as the morning fog has lifted,” she says. An impression not to be forgotten are the students so quickly – just like the Text of the poem.
The 5g of the Anna-Essinger-gymnasium is an Outdoor class. Every Thursday March two teachers with 25 students in the forest, there to learn. No matter whether the sun is shining, whether it is raining or snowing. A concept that could make in the coming months, school: Scientific studies show that the risk of being infected with the Coronavirus, is Outdoor, is less than in closed rooms. In Norway and Denmark the free air was teaching even before the pandemic is known. The Norwegian Ministry of education has encouraged schools just to move schools into the open, as they were allowed to open after the corona-related closure again. /Shuang Liu/FOCUS Online education report
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“Outside-school Hiking day“
The Anna-Essinger-Gymnasium is you could know about the Coronavirus, of course nothing, as the Outdoor class was set up a year ago. Biology teacher Christian radish had listened to a lecture by the Danish model of “Udeskole” (outside school) and asked whether it can also be seen in his high school to implement. Principal Dieter Greulich said to his support. “Our school has a sports profile, movement plays a Central role for us,” he explains. It was important to him, however, that teachers, students and parents to participate voluntarily. On an information evening for future fifth graders radish in front of its idea – and in the case of registrations, there were more than enough interested parties for the Outdoor class. Bush, The 5g of the Anna-Essinger-gymnasium is an Outdoor class. Every Thursday March two teachers with 25 students in the forest, there to learn.
After an hour in the classroom, the teaching of the 5g will be relocated so now, every Thursday, to Free. The path in the forest is part of the concept. “When you have the opportunity to speak even more intense with two, three students?”, Christian radish says. To him, however, is important: “We make a class trip or day of Hiking.” Also, if the children move more, even if you are certain to learn: On this day, two double-hours are on the schedule. In the first half of the year, there were German and biology, in the second half of the year – at least until the corona-related closure of math and geography. The teachers change each and teach only half of the class. So more time on individual students to respond remains.
copy-to-clipboard
The pupils of the seat cushion and a terminal Board and protective film have. As teaching materials, large DIN-A3-copies, or laminated pieces of paper to serve. The students learn in biology is the characteristics of vertebrates, or in English, the types of words and verse in poems to know or measure in mathematics fields, to practice large Numbers. “It was important for me that outside, the same quantity of material is conveyed,” says headmaster Greulich. Moreover, there is no school subject takes place exclusively in the open – it must always be phases of Learning in the classroom. Germany – Your chances
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The teachers after the first year, convinced of the concept: “There are things that can not offer the class room,” says Christian radish: natural to the touch, but also a certain calm. “In the forest it is always still, the students are able to work very concentrated.” Your noise available spent Outdoors faster than in a closed room.
“it is important For me to find a wire to the students,” says Kerstin Grevel. It was like in the Outdoor class easily. From the close relationship to the fifth graders benefited then, as they could teach the children during the school closures in the Corona, yet the digital under.
network. teachers to follow suit
to stimulate The experience of the Ulm group, the working group Sport and health didactics of the Technical University of Munich followed The sports scientist Jan Ellinger and Dr. Christoph Mall to explore under the supervision of Professor Filip Measurement for several years, the effects of the Outside-teaching – now also in Ulm. In a Pilot study with 48 high school students in Heidelberg, you have already found out, that the secretion of the stress hormone Cortisol follows a natural rhythm, when students go out into the open. “We know from other studies that the school for young people is the stress factor number one,” says Jan Ellinger. In addition, Ulm is already evidence that the intrinsic motivation for learning in the forest was greater.
So easy to get out into the countryside? There are, says Christoph Mall. “A good Inside-the teacher is still not a good Outside-teachers.” Are asked to teaching concepts that fit to the open-air lessons. “Teachers need to find a good Balance: you need to allow the students more freedom and self-determination, but also set boundaries.”
Because the concept is still little known, have so far only a few schools experience and practical tips – this, in turn, could deter interested teachers elsewhere of also in Free to teach. “We clearly see how important it is to network,” says Christoph Mall. In collaboration with the Swiss Foundation Silviva, the WWF Switzerland and the Bavarian land Association of German forest protection Association, the working group is developing a German-language outside the school’s network. “A platform for the exchange of materials and experiences would definitely help.”
“if not now, when?”
The Anna-Essinger-Gymnasium, it does not conceal, however, that it was busy in the past few weeks, with other topics: with all of the questions, such as under Corona conditions is again organizing lessons in the class room. Principal Dieter Greulich believes that all the current problems can be solved, if individual classes on individual days are in the school house. Nevertheless, he wants to hold on to the idea: in the next fifth-grade classes that come to the summer school, there should be a new Outdoor class.
Jan Ellinger and Christoph Mall are convinced that the model fits well in the current Situation. The spacing rules in schools are intended to fall according to the will of the conference of education Ministers after the summer holidays again. “If a teacher with 30 students in a room, is certainly not without problems,” says Christoph Mall. Outside, you’ve for teaching, however, is automatically a better ventilation, because the breath will mixes the air better with fresh air. “Even if classes use the Playground, that would be a sensible beginning.” His colleague Jan Ellinger finds: “when should you take advantage of the opportunities in the Outdoors-teaching, if not now?”
“Then it is”: With horror, organizer reports of images from Berlin, FOCUS Online “Then it is”: With horror, organizer reports of pictures from Berlin
