Beyond the Classroom
The International School of Düsseldorf
With five Outdoor Learning environments on the Elementary campus, each with its own teacher and assistant, ISD has one of the most developed outdoor learning programmes in Europe.
The programme has developed over the course of 12 years. Based on research supporting the benefits of learning outdoors, the programme initially began in Reception. As that cohort of students moved on, parents wondered about the likelihood of the Outdoor Learning provision continuing further up the school. Over time it developed into what it looks like today.
The research supporting outdoor learning is abundant. Whether it talks about the positive effects on physical and mental health, or the increased levels of school motivation and engagement, there is little doubt about the benefits of taking learning outdoors. Barthel et al. (2018) state that the increasing distance between children and nature may correlate with their sense of responsibility towards the environment. David Sobel famously said; “If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.”
In the early years at ISD, students spend up to two hours every day outdoors. The more flexible timetable also allows for whole-day outdoor sessions to happen regularly. Their time outside is either spent in free and guided play, or in inquiry-based learning. Outdoor Learning in the Early Years is an excellent opportunity for the students to co-construct their own learning. The rich and enabling environment of the outdoors (loose parts, weather, seasons and nature) means that the children, with adult scaffolding, can discover the world around them with a much more child-centered pace and focus. As well as play and inquiry- based learning, the early years students are also introduced to gardening and simple woodworking tools, giving them a skills base that will be developed as they move up through the Elementary School.
In the older grades, students have less frequent - but longer - blocks of scheduled time throughout the ten-day cycle, and experiences connect to the indoor curriculum using the continuum: drive - complement - stand alone. During driven units, learning flows freely between the indoor and outdoor learning environments, with research, reflection and follow-up happening inside the classroom. During complimented units, the outdoor learning programme can support central ideas and lines of inquiry from a different perspective to the indoor classroom. For example, inquiring into the central idea,“Through experiences we learn new things” students learn how to keep themselves safe when lighting a fire and using tools such as the sheath knife. Typically, stand-alone units take on aspects of the maths and science curricula, where students most benefit from a hands-on approach, such as shape, measurement, volume, biology and experimentation.
ISD also extends the programme into the Senior School; there is currently an Environmental Education elective taking place in grade 7 and students have the option to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award from grade 9 onwards.
After hosting two successful Outdoor Learning conferences in 2017 and 2018, the 2020 conference was postponed due to the global pandemic. In the future, ISD hopes to host the Outdoor Learning Conference once more, opening its gates to share and inspire educators, administrators, and facility managers alike to take learning outdoors at their schools.
Learn more about ISD’s exceptional outdoor concept and programmes: www.isdedu.de
