2. I have been placed at the Horten Nature Center for my two practice weeks.
Natursenter offers active and exciting field courses for all levels, from
primary school to college. Combine physics, biology, chemistry, physical
education and many more subjects.
In this site every day come one or two different groups. The children enjoy
their time learned about fish or several experiments and some groups spend
the night there.
Natursenter is a good place to learn. Here I have seen how children learn outdoor
activities and the difference between a class of 18 year olds, another for children 8
to 10 years and another for children with disabilities.
3. Activities were very different as:
Make caramel Dissecting fish
Cook fish Make a fire
Soap bubbles Rowing a boat
Make tea
5. Every day do
some different
activities, for
that reason did
not become
monotonous
days.
The activities
depend on the
age of children.
In these two weeks of
practice I have learned
a lot about Norwegian
culture when teaching.
For example, last week
was raining. But the
activities were not
changed and the kids
had no problem to
complete them. In
Spain is very different,
because if it rains the
students are in class,
even most stay at
home.
At first I wanted to
practice in
kindergarten or
elementary class is
really like to see a
class in Norway. But
having been to that
site, I am very
happy because I
have learned a lot, I
enjoyed and I could
see how different
Spain in this topic.
6. In practice I have seen some of the
subjects of the curricula, such as:
Nature comes in many forms and
offers a place distant from the adult
world, a separate peace, freedom,
fantasy, privacy… nature amplifies the
time and offers healing for a child
living in a destructive family or
neighborhood.
Children need be
outside for the healthy
development (senses,
learning and
creativity).
Play in the
playground
nature makes
games more
exciting and
activity is more
intense.
7. QUESTIONS:
What kind of group or projects did you work with?
As it is not a school or kindergarten, there is not a class of students or a fixed teachers.
Normally, the classes were 30 students, who were often divided into two groups. Each group had a
responsible teacher, and one of them was a professor of practice to help. Not only coming a class, but
a class of teenagers came and another younger children. We were 6, so we split into three groups of
two. Two were going with youth, two with a group of small and two with the other group of children.
Teachers of students not involved in activities. One day we worked different in that wine class of
children with special needs. There were four students and four teachers, and six were with them and a
professor of Natursenter.
How was the work organized?
The work was organized as follows:
At first settled and teachers explained to them what they would do
during the day, both orally and in writing. Before each activity they
explained what they would do and their purpose. After performing
the activity themselves, experiencing and learning from the best:
doing.
8. What was the purpose of the Outdoor learning for the pupils,
kindergarten children or other groups of people you are working
with?
The purpose is to connect with nature, flora and fauna, learning
by doing... In addition, the purpose was to motivate children to do
activities for fun at the same time they learned.
As Aristotle says: "What we have to learn to do, we learn by
doing", and I think that this is the most important purpose for
Naturesenter, because the children have an active role in all
activities, and the teachers are supervisors.
Our projects are based in nature, as it was a nature school. Also
based on student interest, since experiments and activities are
made by and for children, thinking about them and what may
interest them and motivate.
9. How did they use different curricula or subject in the outdoors?
For children, nature comes in many forms and offers a place distant
from the adult world, a separate peace, freedom, fantasy, privacy…
nature amplifies the time and offers healing for a child living in a
destructive family or neighborhood.
Another nature factor is that children need be outside for
the healthy-development (senses, learning and creativity).
In Natursenter teaching is to put the interests and needs of the
student as the basis of the act of educating.
In Norway, there are seven key areas for teaching. In two weeks of
practices are, the highlights were:
• Body, movement and health.
• Arts, culture and creativity.
• Nature, environment and technology.
• Local community and society.
10. Experiences and learning.
In these two weeks of practice I have learned a lot about Norwegian culture when
teaching. For example, last week was raining. But the activities were not changed and
the kids had no problem to complete them. In Spain is very different, because if it rains
the students are in class, even most stay at home.
Also, the Norwegian Children love nature and all it has to do with it, such as picking up
plants to make tea, make a fire, dissecting fish… I have also learned that children prefer
to learn by doing, experiencing, living and feeling. Further, so children and teenagers
are more motivated and do the tasks without seeing them as an obligation.
11. In summary, I can say I've learned a lot about the
Norwegian culture, as children and adolescents work
outdoors, the efficiency of explaining things through
experiments and as able to communicate with children
despite the difficulties of speaking in different
languages.
