Written by : Laura Knechtel
Photo, by the author – outing by the
shore Ullapool, Scotland demonstrating
the experiential and interdisciplinary
nature of our lives and learning with the
environment around us: impact of
humans on environment with the
introduction of glass to the sea; impact
of sea environment on glass; sea glass
collected and used for trade, maths and
art (collect for a mock stained glass art
project; craft into jewellery, etc. items
sold in businesses); history of the
environment, the people inhabiting the
area, and the products they craft/elements used for those products
(glass, clay for pottery, etc.); develop
community/ team during collection…
Though I cannot in this short space delve into the rich histories and definitions of Catholic
theology, the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence, and various teaching pedagogies, I hope to offer a window into my own experiences of these – experiences that have led me to my present opinion that, along with teaching intentionally from within the worldview of our theology, incorporating aspects of experiential and outdoor education pedagogies lays a foundation for learners to come to know the Creator and to care for Creation.
When I was twelve, I had a teacher whom I have never forgotten. An unconventional lesson is a standout experience from that year, and the tale of it impressed my university professors to whom I regaled it during lessons on experiential and interdisciplinary pedagogies in my teacher training programme.
With an expensive fieldtrip to an outdoor camp looming, our teacher decided to provide our class a means to raise funds for the trip, whilst not taking time away from our studies.
Dividing the class into groups of four to five pupils, the teacher became the Banker, offering a loan of up to £40.00 of her own money to each group. To obtain a loan, the groups had to devise a business idea and present to the Banker their business plan, identifying the delegation of roles and responsibilities of group members, along with a detailed breakdown of costs and estimated profits.
The group of which I was a part presented a proposal for a cinnamon roll business and, with the expertise of parents who helped us understand and calculate overhead costs and how much time and effort goes into making cinnamon rolls from scratch, were approved, and given our loan from the Banker. We then set about getting parents to run us to the shops, collected necessary ingredients, and drawing up posters to advertise around the school for the upcoming sale! While at the time it felt like a fun way to spend the school day (and some evenings besides), I did not then appreciate the extent of the lesson I was learning. This ‘lesson’ touched on at least the following disciplines: math
(budget, cost of overhead expenses, product evaluation, pricing, and profit), art (for
advertising, product packaging and sales booth decoration), presentation skills (to obtain our loan, and with customers), baking (which involved even more math!), and management (of personnel, time, and money). As a child it was a fun way to learn; as an adult I now see how fortunate I was to have had such an experience.
Unpacking this single lesson during teacher- training has had an impact on my approach to teaching pedagogies, and how I understand and experience the interconnectedness of disciplines (both academic and in the natural
world).
During teacher training I first began to realise the significance of my childhood lesson. Our
professors would excitedly tell us of the newest pedagogical trends, including
interdisciplinary and experiential practices.
It became evident that, although the approach
might have been less well-known or even called by another name, the lesson I experienced at age twelve was both interdisciplinary and experiential in nature. (A Google search offers an overwhelming list of definitions of these concepts. To understand these concepts, and how outdoor, experiential education and theology can interact, it may be helpful to start with the books Learning Outside the Classroom, and Educating for Eternity, along with Jennifer G. Jesse’s thoughts on interdisciplinary study and the Association for Experiential Education’s webpage. Visit Dunamis Project for a list of more resources and practical ideas.)
Going into the field to teach, I frequently heard experienced teachers reflect ‘nothing is new under the sun’ pedagogically – the pedagogies they have practiced for decades were simply being given new names and zeal. Interdisciplinary and experiential education were presented as new concepts during my teacher training, yet they both have a long history in modern [Western] education, as well as earlier societies (Brazal and Pilario are some of many who have written about the history of disciplines and interdisciplinarity in academia).
In my own experience and practice, theology has become the ‘discipline’ that connects and
guides all others. I agree with Brett Salkeld, that theology [for Salkeld and myself this is a
distinctly Catholic theology] “informs academic instruction in every subject area.”1 The need for theology to wind its way through all our endeavours became all the more evident when Pope Francis brought the plight of the environment, and all of humanity which depends upon it, to the forefront of [Christian] thought with his encyclical, Laudato Si. Coupling my own background with outdoor education and studying Pope Francis’ encyclical became the springboard by which I have come to perceive that Scotland, and Scotland’s education system, is a prime candidate for experiential and interdisciplinary pedagogies that respond
to a theological understanding of our responsibility to care for creation.
(Without taking space here to explore this in detail, visit the Dunamis Project site linked in paragraph above if you’re interested to see how I’ve practically connected the theological concept of caring for creation to outdoor experiential/interdisciplinary education within the context of Scottish curriculum.)
Yet how do we put this into practice in Scotland?
Combining what I had learned through my varied studies, I came to practical approach I term SPARA, an acronym for: Scripture Prayer Activity Reflection Action. Basing each lesson on a Scripture and beginning with prayer, lessons then move through stages of an experiential activity (preferably out-of-doors), reflection (of the Scripture, prayer and/or activity) and action (a take-away or ‘homework’ task). These elements were chosen not only to fulfil .
curriculum requirements, but because they are essential to both experiential teaching
practices and Traditions from the practice of the Catholic faith. Using the SPARA format, I
1 Brett Salkeld, Educating for Eternity: A Teacher’s Companion for Making Every Class Catholic
(Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2023).
created a short educational programme called Dunamis Project. Some example lessons and
leader guides are accessible online. I have identified how these lessons tie to the Scottish
Curriculum for Excellence Roman Catholic Religious Education on this same site. Lessons
following the SPARA format are easily adjusted for a variety of learners and learning
environments. Originally developed to be used in Scottish schools, I have also successfully
implemented the same format with young learners from a local parish Church, outdoors inan urban landscape.
One thing I would encourage educators to do before implementing
these ideas is to take themselves outside and first practice and experience for themselves
what they are asking their students to do. I’d further encourage you to not be afraid to push
your own boundaries, get a little messy, and have more fun than you might have been
expecting!
As Pope Francis notes in his encyclical, the world we inhabit is diverse both in regard to
people and the natural created world around us. As such, how we respond to the needs of
people and the rest of creation also must be diverse (See Laudate Deum, esp. para 27, and
Laudato Si). The examples I’ve provided here of the SPARA format and the Dunamis Project
are not meant to be seen as ‘the’ way to incorporate theology and experiential practices, within the Scottish curriculum.
Rather, I pray the insights I’ve hinted at in this article and, compiled on the Dunamis website hit a nerve, validate a suspicion, or just intrigue educators
to step outside comfort zones and explore ways of incorporating not only experiential and, interdisciplinary pedagogies into their practices, but also allowing their theological
worldviews to inform their everyday instruction. As Salkeld notes, “education should, certainly prepare students for the job market and responsible citizenship, these are
subsidiary goals that must never blind us to the highest goal [: God]”.
Incorporating theology and our faith into all aspects of teaching and learning through
experiential pedagogies and interdisciplinary thinking, demonstrates our own willingness to
keep God as the highest goal. This is a great witness to our faith and Creator, and further lays, the foundation for learners to practice the same, whether in a classroom managing a
cinnamon roll business or learning about the Creator in the wilds of Scotland.
About the Author: Laura Knechtel, MLitt, MSc, is an emerging educator and academic who has spent the last decade studying and practicing both indoor and outdoor education pedagogies, and theology. Her long-term aims include continuing to identify and engage with practical outdoor, experiential, and interdisciplinary pedagogies; and to enable and equip other learners and educators to engage in these practices, specifically to incorporate theology and faith into everyday aspects of life and learning. Laura may be contacted via her
Dunamis Project website.
Written by : Laura Knechtel .