Are There Benefits to Learning In the Outdoors?

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 by Catherine Gilliland | Outdoor Learning

Outdoor learning refers to education occurring outside the traditional classroom. Research documents that student learning benefits soar when lessons are received outside. Known benefits of working and learning in the great outdoors include increased natural energy, boosted mood, increases in problem-solving skills, reduced stress, better health, and enhanced teamwork. How do these benefits arise? 

Optimal learning is thought to occur when the particular psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met. Not surprisingly, these needs are also directly related to personal motivation. Several studies prove that participating in outdoor learning activities increasingly fulfills these precursors to motivation.

Autonomy applied to learning involves the idea that learners embrace personal responsibility for their learning, and instructors support that autonomy. Inherent to working and learning outside, kids possess more autonomy in their decisions, thus breaking up the boredom that often accompanies seated desk work. When one judges their own actions as related to and effective in facilitating personally desired outcomes, they simultaneously realize their own competency. With increased competency, personal satisfaction rises and fuels future learning initiatives. Outdoor learning teaches kids to have a growth mindset, fostering confidence and resilience. Working outside connects kids with nature. Being present out-of-doors promotes a sense of belonging absent in indoor environments and supports the value of a caring disposition for the environment along with the plants and animals that we share with it.

A nourishing sense of relaxation is promoted as one spends time in the open air. Not only have reduced cortisol levels in outdoor learners been observed by researchers, but it is well understood that few individuals learn effectively in a regularly stressful environment, nor retain new knowledge in that un-relaxed state. Learning in a green space eliminates many typical classroom stressors, promoting a learning environment well-suited to our innate physiological learning needs. What is the conclusion? Whenever possible, take learning activities outside. When impractical or impossible, replicate as many of the advantages of outdoor learning in your indoors teaching and studying environments.

For more information:

The Benefits of Learning Outdoors | Psychology Today

The Benefits of Studying Outside vs. Inside (uagc.edu)

Outdoor Learning: Benefits, Things to Consider (verywellmind.com)

Frontiers | The bright and dark side of autonomy: How autonomy support and thwarting relate to student motivation and academic functioning (frontiersin.org)

The Role of Teacher Autonomy Support on Students’ Academic Engagement and Resilience - PMC (nih.gov)

Experiential High School & Gap Year | High Mountain Institute (hminet.org)

Three particular psychological needs motivating learning are all present when study occurs outside the four walls of traditional schools. 

Cultivating Remarkable Learning through Understanding Learning Styles

Monday, April 10, 2023 by Catherine Gilliland | Cultivating Learning

We often call the different ways that individuals generally gather, understand, and remember information their learning style. Primary learning styles vary from person to person and are exercised when that individual encounters new information, processes that knowledge into understanding, or develops different sets of skills. Although visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic are generally regarded as the primary sensory learning styles, there are many other subtleties to be considered when determining learning styles for the sake of teaching.

How can you determine your strongest learning style? Ask yourself questions about recent learning experiences. What worked and didn't work for you as you attempted to learn and comprehend new information? What are your preferences when learning new content? Is your most efficient learning accomplished when you listen to another, practice the new skill with your hands, watch another, or when you read about it? Can your middle and high school students answer these questions for themselves? As you do, they also increasingly bear the responsibility for assimilating and processing information, growing their resilience to learn outside of their natural strengths or preferences. Can you answer these same questions accurately about your child or those you teach? Be a student of your child and your "students". If these ideas are new to you, Cynthia Tobias,  educator and author of The Way They Learn, has developed free learning style assessments for adults and their children. 

It is natural to impart information to others in a way that reflects our strongest methods of learning. As parents or teachers, however, we may or may not realize that the style best serving our personal learning is ineffective for our children. Even if we do realize our child learns differently from us, we must cultivate the skills and creativity to impart new information in ways that foster strong, efficient, and enjoyable learning experiences for our children. 

All parties benefit from becoming adept at communicating information in alignment with learning styles. Who has ever thrown up their hands, frustrated that they cannot help their child understand a concept? Parents who are assisting their children with homework recognize this need. Teachers and tutors are called upon to instruct so all learners can tap into their primary style and foster flexibility in learning in less natural ways. Parents who are schooling their children at home reduce conflict and increase enjoyment when they select curriculum and learning experiences that capitalize upon their child's strongest learning styles. 

While there are four commonly understood sensory learning styles, there are many other considerations to take into account when teaching or learning. Learning is never limited to the formal classroom! Think for a moment about the wide variety of situations in which you have personally learned new information this week. Employers and employees learn on the job. We learn from podcasts. News outlets impart new information. Reading books and other print or electronic media are sources from which we assimilate facts and ideas. Dr. Erica Warren, an educational therapist and author, suggests there may be twelve different ways of learning in a list that she calls The Eclectic Teaching Approach and Learning Profile. In addition to the traditional four sensory styles, she adds the additional categories of preferences for sequential learning, big picture learning, thinking aloud, group learning, logical processing, life experiences, demonstrations, and incorporation of rhythm and song. A quick internet search of different learning styles will identify diverse individual philosophies on this topic. 

As recipients of communicated information, we bear responsibility for assimilating and processing information which requires us to grow our personal resilience to learn outside of our natural strengths or preferences. Yet, a compelling truth about learning styles still remains: to become an effective communicator in any realm of life, one must take into account the wide variety of techniques that individuals use to receive and store the information they are given, and a speaker is called upon to tailor their presentation to meet as many modes of learning as possible. Mindful teaching of this sort yields remarkable learning results.

Homeschool Conference Planning

Friday, March 31, 2023 by Catherine Gilliland | Homeschool Planning

The season has arrived for long-awaited refreshment, learning, and encouragement for homeschool parents. How can you maximize your homeschool conference experiences? Make a personal itinerary ahead of time! 

If you have already created a 5-year, 1-2 year, or even 12-month plan, you possess a powerful guide when planning your conference attendance. If not, plan for your best experience by taking a careful inventory of various facets of learning in your home. Follow this up with some thoughtful planning for the upcoming year including internet or catalog research to help you to reap the greatest benefits from your conference attendance. By knowing the future needs of your students, you can make educated decisions regarding the different main or breakout session topics of the most benefit to you. If your homeschool fair includes vendors, your prep work can also be a guide to those vendors you want to meet and/or from whom you desire to make purchases. Often purchases made at a conference can be secured for a reduced price.

Some questions to ask yourself when planning your homeschool conference itinerary:

1. What have been areas of struggle this year for which I need answers or encouragement? Are there main sessions or workshops that may provide this information?

2. What other sessions or workshops am I interested in learning from? Create a workshop plan for yourself.

3. What are the appropriate basic academic requirements for each of my children?

4. What is my budget? Do I know the correct forms of payments accepted at this conference?

5. What previous curriculum experiences have you had? If a curriculum is working, consider continuing with it. If not, try to determine why and investigate viable alternatives.

6. Do you know your child's best learning style? Try to match any curriculum you purchase with this learning style. Don't expect that the learning books that were perfect for an older child will automatically work for their younger siblings.

7. Could I enhance my children's experiences by grouping learning lessons together? Often this method works well for science, social studies, and literature when you have children who are close in age or who naturally challenge each other (friendly challenge) to perform their best. 

8. What are the special interests that my child has expressed? Can I create some mini units to fuel his/her natural interests? Can I select learning games/kits to purchase for upcoming gift-giving occasions?

9. Will the vendors from whom I wish to make purchases be attending this conference? Conferences will publish their vendor list ahead of time, sometimes including a map. 

10. Will vendors for whom I have questions be in attendance at this conference? If so, write down the questions you wish to ask them. Is this vendor presenting a workshop about this topic? 

11. Is there a way for me to attend the conference child-free? If not, make sure you plan ahead to anticipate children's needs. Conferences are exhausting for any age child and certainly their mommies and daddies. Preparing a crock pot dinner or picking up a dinner to take home may help prevent nerves from fraying due to hunger and exhaustion.

As you attend homeschool conferences, fairs, and practicums this spring and summer, may your purpose be refreshed, your vision refocused, your skills strengthened, and may your excitement for future learning experiences grow.

Scholarship Essay Writing During the Summer

Friday, March 31, 2023 by Catherine Gilliland | Scholarship Essays

Summer is an awesome opportunity for high school students to begin exploring career interests.

There are plenty of free and not-so-free career interest surveys which can provide valuable information for students who are beginning the process of discovering or narrowing down their interests. Trying two or three surveys and looking for results that crossover is a powerful start.

CC Interest survey.indd (careertech.org)

O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move

Career Test Free for Students in High School, College, Teens, and Adults 

Summer is also a great time to begin searching for scholarship opportunities, creating some scholarship essay pre-writing exercises, and preparing practice essays for the 2023-2024 scholarship season. Beginning now is optimal because the distractions and demands of other coursework are minimal.

Scholarships are definitely more available for two and four-year degree programs, but with a little effort, a student can also create a list of scholarship opportunities for funding their vocational training and trade certificates as well.

Don't know where to begin? Have you seen my digital course Writing Scholarship Essays? Consider securing the valuable content in this self-paced, affordable, online course for your student. Alternately, I am available to work one on one with students as they navigate this exciting, but often challenging process.

Topics of Writing Scholarship Essays include:

• Getting your Past Together (compiling past experiences for future essays)

• Searching High and Low (for scholarship opportunities)

• Keeping Your Act Together (organization)

• Yikes, I Have to Write the Essay (strategies for writing essays)

• Managing Word Count

• The Power of Gratitude (effective follow-up)

Check out my blogs on these topics for more free information!