OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING-GRANADA

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” Rachel Carson (1962), pioneer of contemporary environmentalism. Contemporary societies face alarming levels of technological hyper-stimulation and disconnection from nature. In response, outdoor education is emerging across Europe as a vital trend – not as a mere recreational trip, but as a rigorous setting for formal, non-formal and informal education. This course proposes moving beyond the “indoor vs. outdoor” dichotomy and tackling the so-called “null curriculum” (the idea that what happens outside the classroom lacks educational value). We will understand the outdoors as a spectrum of learning: starting in the greened school playground and expanding out into the community. Across six modules, teachers will learn to combat institutional “culture of fear”, discovering the pedagogical value of manageable risk. They will understand how to raise the cognitive level of their activities using Bloom’s Taxonomy, and master the art of harnessing students’ intrinsic curiosity to generate Learning Situations. In this regard, the course addresses 4 crucial aspects that experts in outdoor pedagogy consider essential for the successful implementation of these methodologies:
● Moving from the role of “expert” to that of “facilitator”. ● Being perceptive and sensitive to the environment. ● Harnessing uncertainty and risk as part of teaching. ● Developing the capacity for critical eco-social reflection. Added to this is a core focus on wellbeing and emotional management based on practices validated by affective sciences. Thus, while the healing effects of learning in open spaces naturally yield positive outcomes, explicitly integrating them vastly expands the potential of this approach. To consolidate this expert framework, participants will practice evidence-based methodologies internationally supported for their efficacy, adapted to the specific educational levels at which they teach. Finally, the course culminates in a real curricular design project and the creation of community networks, tailored to the unique spaces of each participant.