Technowellies - Using ICT and Active Learning to Transform the Wellywalk into a 21st Century Activity

'Curriculum for Excellence recognises that learning is embedded in experience. By taking learning outdoors we remove the barriers that the traditional classroom can put up between young people and first-hand, real-life experiences. Outdoor learning is hands-on and direct, and the knowledge that pupils gain from it is real, first-hand and unforgettable'.

Using this quote as a starting point, this session looks at transforming the traditional Early Years welly walk into a 21st century activity.

We wanted outdoor education to be fun, engaging and help children to understand more about their environment. We also wanted to explore active learning opportunities and make the most of new, more portable ICT equipment. Find out how our children took digital sound, video, cameras and microscopes outside to:

• engage in memorable, fun and meaningful activities

• record experiences

• create multimedia learning experiences

• extend their use of descriptive and comparative language

• develop their experimentation and allow confidence to grow.

We will discuss the activities we undertook, share our evaluations and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of different equipment we used.