Growing plants in the school yard

This Success Story tells about creative learning and iPads. “The Child at the Centre”. This is a simple and even obvious thought, but very essential in all teaching. Schools have a very important role in building and strengthening students’ self-esteem. I strongly believe that for each and every student it is possible to find individual ways of learning. As a teacher I need to find out students’ strengths and offer different ways of learning and studying. It is important that every student gets positive learning experiences and a feeling that “I can learn” and “I am good”.  

TeacherHanna Fontell

LanguageEnglish

CountryFinlandno-country

School levelSecondary school

WHAT DID YOU DO?

Our project “Growing plants in the school yard” is a good example of how the UDL way of thinking goes into practice. I started this project over a year ago with my students. I teach in a cozy “cottage school” which is located beside the main school building, and this offers us a very good environment for learning by doing. My main idea was to utilize the surroundings, the area beside the school building. I also wanted for my students to have an opportunity to go out and experience learning in an environment outside of the classroom. The learning objectives were to grow different kinds of plants, to learn to recognize weeds from plants and to understand why a weed is different from another plant. We also learned to identify the parts of a plant and what is needed for growing and looking after a plant. Students could choose the plants they wanted to grow and decide in what ways they took care of the yard. All the practical assignments were designed to motivate the students and keep them interested. When we started the project, students were given detailed learning objectives and encouraged to use different ways of studying and learning during the project. So what were the outcomes of our project? The most tangible one was their own individual “Biology Book” which they compiled using iPad Book Creator. Students took a lot of pictures outside in the school yard and wrote their own text. They collected plant samples, pressed and placed them in to their notebooks. They also drew pictures of plants, resulting in a wide range of visual materials. Students were working at their own speed and sometimes individually, sometimes in a group, concentrating on areas that they were interested in. Help and support was made available throughout the project. Kahoot Quizzes were also created and they were great fun! A few of the students presented their biology book in front of the class. The main idea was that every student could choose the way in which they demonstrated what they had learned.

HOW DID YOU DO IT?

 

In Finland we currently face big changes in the field of education. The new Finnish National Core Curriculum from pre-education to the ninth grade is being introduced in the autumn 2016 and it will be rolled out in phases over the next three years. The most significant change revolves around the move from traditional “teaching by subject” to “teaching by topic”. This can also be described as “phenomenon based teaching” where the learning starts with the goal of understanding real world phenomena. For example, students might take “cafeteria” lessons, which would aim to improve their maths skills, language and writing skills and communication skills. This is something I have already successfully tried with my own students. We have our own cafeteria and pupils from the mainstream school can come and enjoy our cafeteria services. This gives our students a natural way of interacting with each other and also encourages inclusion in a very practical way. Other examples of phenomenon based teaching include cross-subject topics, such as the European Union, which merge elements of economics, history, languages and geography. In Finland, teachers have a lot of freedom in how they deliver the curriculum, which introduces us with many possibilities, as well as responsibilities. We can implement the curriculum according to our own pedagogical views, taking advantage of our own individual strengths as teachers. In my view, ICT should be embedded into all teaching so that students learn to use digital media to create and share information, as well as to interact within their peer groups and across communities. During the past 15 years I have been very interested in using ICT in my teaching. A few years ago I took part in Erasmus training “Inclusive Education with Tablets” and that was the starting point for my “iPad teaching era”. Using tablet devices in teaching was a new concept for me and I very quickly realized their potential and benefit in teaching. I started with only one iPad in my class and now every student of mine has an individual iPad in classroom use. There are other changes in the national curriculum, too. The traditional format of the classroom sees rows of pupils sitting passively in front of their teacher, listening to lessons or waiting to be asked questions. Instead of this, the new approach is more collaborative, with pupils working in smaller groups to solve problems while improving their communication skills. Student centered learning and flexible study environments are key concepts of the new curriculum being introduced in Finland.

WHY WERE TABLETS USED/WAS IT BENEFICIAL?

As we teachers think about how to help our students learn, embracing the UDL approach means that we leave the concept of average aside and embrace diversity in people – in school, in community and in society in general. We hope to help our students to integrate and find their own place in society, to develop their potential and to shine and flourish with their own ability and strengths.

HOW DID IT SUPPORT INCLUSIVE TEACHING?

This diversity in their ability means that I cannot only teach one way, but I must use various methods to ensure that every student of mine learns in class. Some students benefit of pictures being used, some benefit of learning by doing, and others benefit of traditional teaching methods. Many students are also encouraged and motivated by the use of technology in teaching. As we teachers think about how to help our students learn, embracing the UDL approach means that we leave the concept of average aside and embrace diversity in people – in school, in community and in society in general. We hope to help our students to integrate and find their own place in society, to develop their potential and to shine and flourish with their own ability and strengths. Everyone must be given an opportunity to learn and it is our duty as teachers to find the diverse ways and means.

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