(Québec) Take Learning Outdoors This Spring: Explore Engaging Apps and Resources presented by LEARN!

Spring is in full bloom now 🌱, and the LEARN blog is encouraging educators to take advantage of the beautiful weather by bringing lessons outside! Outdoor learning offers a multitude of benefits for students, fostering a deeper connection with nature, promoting physical activity, and enhancing creativity.

Of course, technology can help enrich these experiences by, for example:

• Identifying flora and fauna: Imagine students using apps to discover the different types of trees or bird species they encounter during an outdoor excursion.
• Tracking weather and environmental data: Apps can help students collect and analyze real-time data on temperature, sunlight, or even water quality, turning their outdoor space into a living laboratory.
• Sparking creativity and storytelling: Apps designed for photo scavenger hunts or collaborative storytelling can transform an outdoor space into an adventure zone.

Inspired by a recent “Open Creative Space Day” focused on outdoor education (you can access the presentation slides here), the author and consultant Stacy Anne Allen suggests a few interesting apps that can be leveraged:

• Merlin Bird ID: Imagine students using apps to discover the different birds they encounter during an outdoor excursion by song or image.
• Seek: Seek lets you recognize plants, animals, insects, fungi, and other organisms through photos. 
• Plantum: Plantum app. can identify plants, of course, but also diagnose your plant’s health, which is handy for school gardens.
• Goosechase: This fun app allows teachers to create scavenger hunts for their students.

So, teachers, ditch the textbooks and embrace the fresh air! Head over to the LEARN blog today and explore the exciting possibilities of outdoor learning with technology!