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Active English
Free ebook with many practical suggestions

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Learning outdoors has been a natural part of Norwegian society since long before the computer screen took over the classroom. Here, it is very common to bundle up babies and park them outside in the fresh air to nap or take school classes on ski days or all-day bicycle trips. The Norwegian expression "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" also applies to the very young. Without hesitation, adults dress them in rain or snow suits to play outside every day, regardless of the weather. As English is taught from Year 1 (children who turn 6 in the calendar year) in Norway, it is natural to also use it in outdoor settings.

Using the outdoors as a learning arena is not unique to Norway. For example, The Guardian recently featured Scotland's outdoor classrooms. Over the last two decades, organizations like the Institute for Outdoor Learning and Outdoor Classroom Project have worked hard to remind teachers that learning also takes place outside the four walls of a traditional classroom. In his landmark 2005 book, Richard Louv also highlights how the divide between children and the natural world can create chaos in their lives. Furthermore, Peter Gray who studies play emphasizes that being in an outdoor environment can make children happier, more self-reliant and enable them to grow both as learners and as people.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has presented new challenges for people around the world as many gradually return to schools from weeks at home. As some are now discovering, utilizing the outdoors can engage and motivate, even while practicing physical distancing to keep children safe from the virus. Using English with outside activities is a natural partnership and this blog post shares hands-on activities to use with your learners. Many of the ideas can be adapted for different English language levels and/or used across the curriculum. Special thanks to my fellow primary English teachers, Johan, Silje, Trude, Nora and Ellen for also sharing their ideas and insights.
Why take English learning outside?
Outdoor play allows for creativity, improves multi-sensory skills and develops independence and collaborative connections. Norwegians have a slightly sarcastic expression, "ute å lufte matpakke tur" ('going out to air your packed lunch') which means by merely finding a place to eat outside, you have succeeded in taking learning outdoors! But an outdoor English classroom is much more than that - it changes the learning dynamic and in line with our 'wider educator' role, primary English language education is much more than just learning a school subject.

It ignites the senses: indoor classrooms can filter our natural abilities to see, hear, touch, taste and smell. Outside those senses are heightened and it is therefore more natural to use them.

It is practical: outside children can get dirty, make noise, and experiment without breaking anything.

It taps into a child's natural energy: it is easier for children to use their energy productively when they are not forced to sit at a desk all day, and often their ability to focus improves.

It provides different expectations for learning: on what should be learned and how that material should be delivered becomes flexible as access to digital and paper resources are limited.

It teaches respect: if we want children to respect nature, we need to help them learn how to interact with it and this provides a context for learning.

It puts children in different social situations: teachers often find that social groups change outdoors, and children play with each other in new ways.

It enables children to use their voices: inside the classroom, teachers may spend a lot of time telling children to be quiet or "use their inside voices". Outside, they can shout, sing and explore their own voices in new ways.

What is an English teacher's role in outdoor learning?
Not every experience in the outdoor classroom is perfect. Children will misbehave and quarrel, and there will be days you may want to give up. But we can all learn to listen to each other, be patient and be flexible. The reality is that sometimes the adjustment to teaching outdoors presents unique challenges for English teachers, so try to keep the following tips in mind:

Be flexible: it is often hard as a teacher to give up control and respond to emerging circumstances. An outdoor environment empowers learners to think for themselves and initiate their own learning. Therefore, it requires that the teacher is very flexible.

Build relationships: when you are walking outdoors with a child, conversation flows easier. The outdoors allows both teachers and learners to see each other differently and, in many ways, relationships become more real.

Encourage creativity: it often doesn't take much to tap into a child's natural curiosity. Trust that process, let go of the control, and allow creativity to blossom.

Foster learner autonomy: teachers do not need to direct everything nor have all the answers. Let children learn in their own way and make their own decisions.

Reflect and observe: listen to children and explore the questions they ask. They often observe things we as teachers miss or overlook.

Practical ideas for taking English learning outside
Learning to ask questions in English is a key communication goal for children: Why? Where? How? Let the children direct the activities and try to use English as the spoken language as much as possible. An important point to remember is that paper doesn't work very well outdoors, so if you make any worksheets, be sure to laminate them.

Nature Writing: nature provides us with many tools we can use for writing. Have the children practice writing letters in the sand or dirt with a stick. Find things that start with those letters and practice writing the names of those objects. Make individual letters out of found objects or find things in nature that look like a particular letter. Older primary children can write whole sentences in the sand or dirt.

Outdoor Bingo: make a Bingo sheet of things children might see outside (flowers, insects, plants). Have them cross out things as they find them and write the word next to the picture. Older primary children can write sentences using each word or write a poem about one of the things they see using a model such as a diamante or an acrostic poem.

Bird Detectives: have the children make bird feeders out of milk cartoons and hang them outside. Ask: Which birds come to the feeder if you put different foods inside? Why is it important to feed the birds? Where do birds go in winter? Does it matter where you hang the bird feeder? What kinds of birds do you have in your area? Be still and listen - can you name any birds by their song? Where do birds make their homes? Have the children keep a class observation journal.

Three Dimensional Stories: ask the children to find objects outside and create sculptures using them. Ask the children to imagine their sculptures come to life and what story they would tell. Write the stories down or have the children tell them to each other. Create a gallery of the sculptures.

It Makes Sense: find objects with different textures. Help the children discover what is edible in nature (taste). Other ideas: children try to identify different smells outdoors; they look for things that are the same colour (sight); they sit quietly and try to name all the different sounds they hear (hearing). Also, have the children make sounds like breaking sticks, shuffling through leaves etc. Ask: what kind of creature might make those sounds? Together, write a class story or use a story they already know and then the children make sound effects with their found objects.

On Stage: act out a known fairytale or story using found objects as props.

Animal Hunt: have another teacher dress up as an animal found in your area and hide. Provide clues (broken twigs, footprints, make the sound) and have children look for that particular animal in its natural habitat. Optional idea: as a group, the children invent their own animal and brainstorm clues that match their creations.

Musical Mayhem: encourage the children to sing a song as loud as they can or make instruments from their found objects. Create a class song about what they found outside.

What if you live in a city?
Many of the activities suggested below help children feel a closer connection to their city. Children often see things we as teachers don't notice. For example, ask: Where are those trucks going and where have they come from? A crucial expression to remember when talking to children about their city landscape is "Let's find out!" Again, try to speak English as much as possible during all of these activities:

Who is My Neighbour? Introducing learners to different types of jobs helps them better understand the diversity of communities. As a class, visit people or businesses in your neighborhood to find out what they do. Ask parents / caregivers if they can help you make connections. Enable children to ask questions and engage in discussions when on the visits.

Pointing the Way: all names come from somewhere and provide a glimpse into an area's history. As a class, try to find out where streets, buildings and parks got their names. A local librarian or city hall could be a big help. Children could even ask older residents to share stories connected to those places and then try to retell the stories in English. Children could make a map of their neighborhood, and have another English class try to follow it and give directions to each other in English.

Urban Gardener: watching things grow provides new perspectives for children on where food and flowers come from. Dedicate a small part of your playground for a garden. If you do not have a piece of ground, use a pot, crate or a box. Have the children care for what they plant and record what happens over time. Your local garden center might donate materials, seeds or even give children some gardening assistance. Perhaps there are older people in the community who could volunteer to help the children with this project and at the same time, learn some English!

Colourful Words: outside surfaces make great palettes for drawing or writing. Draw different coloured squares on the pavement using chalk, one colour per square. Have the children find objects of each colour and put them into the correct square. The children then practice writing the words for the objects in the same coloured chalk around the square. Option: the children could use those words to write a poem on the pavement, either individually or as a class.

Signposts: words and letters can be found in many different places. Have the children read the different signs found in the neighborhood. Sound out the letters. If the signs are not in English, groups or pairs could work together to translate them.

Read and Remember: reading does not only need to happen indoors. Children can take their books outside and read, either together or individually. They can also try to remember a story they have read previously. The children can then find objects to illustrate each part of the story and lay the objects out in the correct story order. Then, they retell the story together using those objects.

World Travel: children might not be able to travel the world, but they can go to a local grocery shop and find out about where all the different foods come from. They can explore what is on their local shelves and try to find out how the items got there. Ask: Where did they come from? How do they grow or how was the product made? Is there a place in your area that makes something you can find in the store? Can you go and visit that place?

To sum up...
Using the outdoors as an English language learning environment creates unique opportunities for collaboration and discovery. In this way, primary children's language learning can become much more tangible and experiential. The activities suggested in this post can help primary English learners actively participate in the language learning process, becoming more aware of the world around them and their relevant place within it. I hope my blog post has empowered you to step outside and see what learning opportunities await you and your primary English classes.
Selected online resources linked to outdoor English learning References
Brooks, L. Scotland eyes outdoor learning as model for reopening of schools. The Guardian, 10 May 2020.

Gray, P. (2013). Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. Basic Books.

Louv, R. (2005). Last Child in the Woods - Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Workman Publishing Company.

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No Reason to Stay Inside - The outdoors as a primary English language classroom

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Learning outdoors has been a natural part of Norwegian society since long before the computer screen took over the classroom. Here, it is very common to bundle up babies and park them outside in the fresh air to nap or take school classes on ski days or all-day bicycle trips.

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Safeguarding-a right not an afterthought 

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Safeguarding-a right not an afterthought 

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page 17 of free IATEFL YLT SIG article. An article on safety online with YLs.

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Our twice-yearly publication TEYLT Worldwide is for IATEFL YLTSIG members. Featuring articles on fresh, creative and innovative topics underpinned by theoretical principles with practical relevance to global TEYL.

To support YL ELT professionals during the global pandemic, the YLTSIG Committee decided to make TEYLT Worldwide Issue 1, 2020 freely available:

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Our twice-yearly publication TEYLT Worldwide is for IATEFL YLTSIG members. Featuring articles on fresh, creative and innovative topics underpinned by theoretical principles with practical relevance to global TEYL. To support YL ELT professionals during the global pandemic, the YLTSIG Committee decided to make TEYLT Worldwide Issue 1, 2020 freely available:

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Chris mentions this in the live session. https://codenames.game/

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Magical learning moments: using puppets with early years and primary children - YLT

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My blog post focuses on using puppets with early years and primary children to foster more magical English language learning. I will also provide some practical ideas for ways to do this in your own classroom. A puppet is an inanimate object which when brought to life enables new worlds and narratives to be created.

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Why you shouldn't post images of a child online.

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'Safety first' should be a familiar mantra for all who work with primary learners. Making the most of educational technology and online tools in the primary ELT classroom brings considerable responsibility as regards the welfare of the learners. During English lessons for primary children, we are 'in loco parentis' and this role should never be taken lightly.

Online safety may mean different things depending on the teaching and learning context, the country, the tools and devices being used and existing AUPs (Acceptable Use Policies) in place. An AUP could involve rules regarding the use of school equipment, appropriate sites to visit, privacy settings, acceptable use of mobile devices, non disclosure of personal information, respectful behaviour online, and what systems are in place if these rules are abused, for example, in the case of cyber bullying.

In this blog post I'll look at the, surprisingly, still controversial, issues of posting images of children's faces online. My aim is to raise awareness, before going on to suggest ways to ensure safe practices are followed. Firstly though, a couple of general comments.

To begin with, I'm referring here to 'teaching' situations, as opposed to that of parents / caregivers (hereafter referred to as care givers). For example, a care giver may decide it's fine to post photos of their children on their social networking sites to share with family, friends and the world. However, as educators, I believe we need to understand and consider the far reaching implications of digital literacy and safety, and recognise our responsibility to uphold the rights of the children we teach.

Secondly, the beliefs expressed are my own. They're based on many years of using technology with children in my own primary classes, and contact with their care givers. They're also based on discussions with other teachers, through the implementation of school projects, observations and training. So, let's start bold, and contentiously.

No photos or videos of children's faces should go online.

This issue first came up for me, many years ago, when a UK school came to Spain on an exchange trip, and they told us that for safety reasons, photos were not allowed. My initial thoughts were first, the world had gone safety mad, and second, how sad that we could no longer capture the experiences of the learners. However, in those days, social networks and similar blogging tools were in their infancy, and mobile phones a rarity. I've since been convinced of the importance of not posting children's faces online, and would give the following main reasons.

Is it safe?

Adults would agree that it's unacceptable to post personal information online, for example, our addresses. However, if you, as a teacher, or your institution posts a photo of a child on a social network, are you not saying this child can be found at this place? I've even seen language school posts such as ' Pablo's class, 5.30 Tuesday and Thursday, XYZ school'. Is this not tantamount to not only giving an address, but even the time the child is going to be there, or possibly be walking to and from the school?

Publicity vs child safety?

Let's consider the main reason for putting children's images online in a primary ELT context. As teachers we're proud of our learners and the internet gives us a vehicle to show them off to the world, for example, by recording an end of term performance. But, what is the true purpose behind this? Surely, the videos could be shared with care givers within a closed, secure virtual environment? By posting on social networking sites we should consider whether the objective is actually just for marketing. Are we selling our teaching, or institution at the price of children's safety? Do we work for the education of children, or is their safety a price they are forced to pay to learn English?

I recently came across another example. A teacher posted a photo of a child in a class group on a social network site. The child was upset about how they looked. The care givers approached the school, asking them to remove the post. The school, somewhat reluctantly, finally agreed to do so, not without some considerable fuss and comments such as, '(name of child) looks fine'. My point is, surely, it's up to the child to decide if they look fine, or not? Any photo online is a digital footprint, possibly left online for years to come. Yet, how often do children get the chance to make their own choices? Who actually makes these decisions? The teacher, the institution, a marketing or social network person, the care giver? Rather than what is convenient, we should instead uphold the right of each individual child to decide.

So, what can we do?
1. Raise awareness in your wider teaching and learning context
Perhaps you could give a workshop. Discuss the issues with your colleagues, and work together to devise a common policy for your classrooms and school. If you do make one, see this as a really positive step, publicise your commitment, and explain to care givers just how seriously you consider the safety of their children
2. Raise awareness among your primary classes
Design lessons to raise the issues of online safety in general, and include the importance of the dangers of posting images online. Take in pixelated versions of faces in photos from magazines or online, and ask the children why this is done, to act as a springboard for discussion. Show them that in, or out of class, if they aren't comfortable they should say no. Develop a class slogan. A colleague uses 'No faces!' and her class will tell anyone who tries to take photos, that this is the case.
3. Focus on children's work in English classes, not their images
By emphasizing this, you'll be encouraging the children to produce quality work that they can be proud of. You can take photos of the final products, and encourage the children to explain what's happening in them. There are many smart board apps, which lend themselves to voice recording on top of visuals.

Also, the work in progress is often more important than the final product. Once your learners are used to having photos without their faces, they learn to work in ways which enable you to capture the process, for example moving back so you can focus on their hands for arts and crafts projects. You can monitor, praising and discussing their work as you record. This can then be shared with care givers, giving them a powerful window as to what happens during a lesson. You can also try recording process work, filming only the backs of the children.

Sometimes, the distraction of what's happening in a video, can lead to wanting to concentrate more on the visuals than the clarity of the children's pronunciation. By making the most of audio recording apps, and sharing these, the children can practise speaking clearly in English and re-recording, until satisfied, without the additional pressure of 'performance'.

Many projects I've worked on with primary learners have included audio, video, and a need for the learners to be present. With lower primary, more teacher suggestions will be needed, but we've found upper primary children have been incredibly creative in finding ways to 'appear', and give themselves a sense of identity, without showing their faces. This includes using masks with their faces, identifying themselves with their shoes or even backs. Primary children often love dressing up, so you could take in, and encourage them to bring in, sunglasses, hats, wigs, and even rolled up paper for the children to disguise themselves.
7. Permission forms
Despite the general 'no faces' rule, there may be special occasions, such as a video of a school play, when, if all the children are in agreement, we might want care givers to sign a permission form. I've heard some schools say that for convenience, care givers have already signed a general form allowing use of the images. For the reasons stated above, this is not addressing the real issue, and, is also insufficiently robust. Each occasion should be looked at on its own merit. So, when a really special project does come up that requires the need to see the children, then the effort required to collect permission slips, along with proper risk assessment of safety precautions, demonstrates how deserving the project is.
8. Limit where you share
There are some excellent educational communication websites and apps that allow you to set up closed groups and communicate with care givers safely. In this way you can upload a range of different file formats to show work from the classroom, but in the knowledge that only people you choose will be able to access
9. Create avatars
An avatar is the graphic representation of a user. Some online tools may ask for a profile picture. Show the children that they shouldn't use a photo of their face, but can create one of their own, through drawing and taking a photo of their avatar, to then upload. Alternatively, you can make use of avatar tools on the web.
10. Stop, and think
Before using any photo online of a child's face, stop and think. Write down your reasons to justify them to yourself, your institution, children's care givers, and above all, and always, the child. Consider all the possible alternatives. I hope you will conclude that you shouldn't post a child's face online.

Useful links

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Online Safeguarding in Primary ELT - Why you shouldn't post a child's face online

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'Safety first' should be a familiar mantra for all who work with primary learners. Making the most of educational technology and online tools in the primary ELT classroom brings considerable responsibility as regards the welfare of the learners. During English lessons for primary children, we are 'in loco parentis' and this role should never be taken lightly.

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My top ten tips for a successful early years class