Hartley Banack raises some excellent points in this news article on the benefits of taking students learning outside of the classroom and into nature!
An education experience should be one of engagement that stimulates the senses and ultimately evokes a response in the learner. This image represents the learning environment and experience that I wish to provide my students. The path and bench provide a simple, straightforward and, supportive (low floor) route for which students can follow on their learning path to succeed while still allowing them to observe and interact with their environment. The colourful flowers and play of the light provide enrichment and the opportunity for individuals to explore and engage in hands on learning that activates the senses and make connections with their experiences (high ceiling). Overall, while the image represents my philosophy of providing a hands on and engaging learning experiences for students in a UDL format, the scene is also peaceful and calm which depicts the tone (and colour scheme) I wish to maintain in my classroom.
“Learning should be a wholly immersive experience for both teachers and students. Learning should be fun, collaborative, engaging, promote relationality and allow everyone the opportunity to experience personal growth and success. Learning is for everyone.” #education