Due to the requirements placed on schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our schools are creating new ways to hold classes safely. Obviously one of the concerns is that many classrooms are poorly ventilated. Also having class in a contained room can make it more difficult to create safety from this kind of contagion.
One of the options to schools who have environments around them that are conducive to holding classes outdoors is to reset our classrooms so they can be held outside in the open air. It is a much safer way to hold class and as long as it is possible considering space and weather, it can be a very viable way to keep students safe and give them enriching alternatives for being in class.
In Edutopia a recent article by Laura Lee provides some great examples of how this can be achieved in a safe and creative way. Here are some quotes from the article:
Learning in the great outdoors isn’t a new phenomenon, but with the CDC suggesting that school leaders look for opportunities to take learning outdoors more frequently—and with some states like Indiana issuing strong guidance in support of the approach—schools across the country are experimenting with fresh-air instruction in ways they’ve never tried before. …..
New York City’s Department of Education launched an Outdoor Initiative, for example, encouraging schools to consider using public parks or closed-off streets as exterior classrooms—and many schools are planning ways to implement that when they reopen for in-person instruction. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has weighed in on the matter: “Get as much outdoors as you can,” he said in a recent conversation with Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo about reopening schools. “If you look at the super-spreader events that have occurred, they’re almost always inside.”…..
At North Rowan Elementary School in Salisbury, North Carolina, three basic outdoor classrooms provide space for kids to take a break from wearing masks in a safe, socially distanced way. “I always believe less is best. It’s nothing fancy. It’s a platform,” says principal Katherine Bryant-Thrower. “And then I also believe in utilizing what we have in our earth. So: a cut-down tree is used as the ledge for the benches, and then the wooden seat part is just nailed to it.”
The article continues to give illustrations about how schools and teachers are working through the issues of using outdoor education as way of providing education that is safe and allows for fresh air for the students who have been confined to inside classrooms. Maybe this will even be a trend in education that may continue beyond the pandemic.
At Lakeside some classes are using our grounds and outdoor structures to provide new options to make our classroom experiences innovative, fun and enjoyable to be outdoors. Outdoor education has taken on new dimensions for both teachers and students. I hope it will be helpful but also inspiring as we work through new environmental options during COVID-19.