Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2009/January 2010 | Page 66

life

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

Photo above and right: Hampshire Wippingham Forest School

Learning outside the classroom
By Kathy Grogan, Education Officer, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

“Learning outside the classroom is about raising achievement through an organised,
powerful approach to learning in which direct experience is of prime importance.
This is not only about what we learn but importantly how and where we learn”.
(Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto)

Kathy Grogan is not a big

garden. The same is true of environmental

learning experiences outside the

fan of “virtual” technology.

education. If you really want to

classroom and, with its wide range of

“We all know that children

understand nature, you have to get

special coastal and countryside sites, the

standing in front of a TV

outside and experience the real thing!”

Island has a wealth of habitats to explore.

screen waving a console

As Education Officer for the Hampshire

“The Isle of Wight has some of the best

about are not getting anything like a

and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust on the

chalk grassland sites in the country,

real experience of sport, such as playing

Isle of Wight, Kathy aims to give Island

rich in wild flowers and butterflies;

tennis on a court, in the park or even the

children memorable and enjoyable

our woodlands are strongholds for

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