By Sam Anderson
Since I have started my career I have herd nothing but jokes from other peers, about my profession. They don’t understand how beneficial the backcountry can be as a classroom. Most average people have not experienced the teachable moments we have. Being in such an independent field as adventure education you will constantly here people poking fun at you. I am also a strong believer that nature has an extreme effect on the learning process.
When we do our teaching as backcountry teachers we make our lessons appealing to people. They get most of the human senses going such as hearing, seeing, touching etc. With some lesson little kids explode with joy when they get to run around, rather then just sitting in a chair. You learn by doing activities hands on with others or just by yourself. Everyone works as a team and help each other out with different chores. It also helps in the fact you can do practice your skills when you physically do it 50 times. It has a way of sticking in your brain to know that people will help you when ever you need it. There is no lack of teacher interactions with their students. I like the physical pressure it demands from you with certain activities. Your life depends on how much you learn, if you a careless and didn’t pay attention you could miss out on lifesaving information. It puts more pressure on the student when there is a risk of injury to learn the information. There are good presentations even in the woods; teachers improvise with props, and various poster boards. Kids are excited to learn, they learn by doing, and interacting with their learning environment. The backcountry classroom pushes its teachers to the next level; it expects you to rise to the challenge of getting your group through dangerous situations. I feel that nature is there to test out the strongest from the weakest people. It’s like the old saying “only the strong survive”, nature demands perfection from its followers. The others that aren’t pushing there skills constantly are not capable of being in the backcountry classroom. I think I have a different perspective on how I judge people character now. Nature has a way of bringing out the flaws in people, you can tell a strong person from a weak one. You also grow to respect those people that are up to your judgments. People that are accomplished successfully in dangerous fields I have more respect for then most.
After being out for the last two weeks I will definitely admit that any time spent in the woods will force you to look at the real world differently. It puts a new perspective on things in your every day life when you get home. You will appreciate normal luxuries that you would not consider while being in the woods. Small things like having a shower, a stove, and especially using a toilet, are something I’m grateful for. I like the fact that those little things will choose you to appreciate life more. Weather factors change the way you can perform tasks, a day of canoeing in the rain is harder then doing it on a sunny day. You need to know your stuff; nature demands your perfection as a leader. The risk that we encounter on a daily basis is something that no class room can prepare you for.
The backcountry classroom should be the only classroom. It applies to all the ways in which people learn information. Nature is the perfect tool to have your students use while learning about their environment. I am excited to get to use my skills these coming seasons, I want to use the power of the backcountry classroom with my students. I want people to experience the benefits I have been able to learn.
Archive for November, 2008
Why use the backcountry as a classroom? What effect does nature have on the learning process and on the participants?
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008Why use the backcountry as a classroom? What effect does nature have on the learning process and on the participants?
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008By Lindsay Hill
The Backcountry Classroom
The society we live in today has pushed us to believe that intellect is measured strictly by numbers and test results. Experiential education is the step in a new direction, and can be extremely effective if presented in an appropriate manner. Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, once said “Intelligence is the capacity to do something useful in the society in which we live. Intelligence is the ability to respond successfully to new situations and the capacity to learn from one’s past experiences.”
I knew that I would come away from the Immersion Semester with new thoughts and ideas about living in an outdoor environment as well as great tips and practical experience leading others to do the same in a backcountry setting. What I didn’t completely understand was that I would come away with a deeper passion to use the outdoors as a semi formal classroom. Over the past weeks, we all have learned a lot about structured teaching in a backcountry setting. When using the backcountry as a classroom, students are able to “learn by doing” as they participate, make choices and accept responsibility for their role in the learning process. (The Backcountry Classroom: 2nd Addition)
Students are often forced to sit in a classroom and stare at a white board while a teacher goes on for hours on end about his or her experiences and how they may have learned from them. They are expected to learn from lectures and retain information that does not apply to their lives in any way. Grades are always an incentive to try to learn the material, but are they learning it for themselves or someone else? Experiential learning allows students to see education in a unique manner that in a lot of cases can bring out a different outlook on learning and allow them to see how and why the presented material is beneficial and helpful for them to know.
As I sat semi sheltered from the wind on White Island during our solos, I was very inspired by the words of Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in the Woods. One way or another, I was constantly comparing his words to the path that I have chosen, and with each page turned, I found myself even more thankful that I have chosen Adventure Education as a career path for myself. On page 97 he wrote, “Immersion in the natural environment cuts to the chase, exposes one directly and immediately to the very elements from which humans evolved: earth, water, air, and other living kin, large and small.” I read that and immediately dug through my dry bag to pull out a pencil to underline it. He had essentially just described the value of Adventure Education without even being aware it. It’s true, being immersed in the wilderness teaches self reliance, confidence and determination, which are three crucial characteristics in having a successful and enjoyable lifestyle.
So as is expressed in The Backcountry Classroom, wilderness travel is rich in opportunities for personal growth. When students are faced with the harsh realities of backcountry living, they must engage in the struggle to meet the real challenges that confront them. With this development, they gain the knowledge and skills necessary to solve problems independently and as a team. When these experiences are debriefed and processed properly, they often encourage leaps of individual insight and growth. I believe Experiential/Adventure based education in an outdoor setting is extremely useful to people and students of all ages. It offers a promising alternative to learning with different methods and I feel that as more studies and research is done, we will soon be seeing nature being used more and more as a place of education rather than just recreational enjoyment.
“A well-rounded education would mean learning the basics to become part of a society that cherished nature while at the same time contributing to the well-being of mankind.” (Louv, Last Child in the Woods; pg 135)
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Why use the backcountry as a classroom? What effect does nature have on the learning process and on the participants?
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008By Chris Grosjean
Over the last few months we have gone on trips and experienced using the backcountry as our classroom. Over all of the trips I came to a realization. I found that in the backcountry I am way more attentive in the classes. I also found that the information that I did learn about plants and animals was retained in my brain solidly without me even trying. How did this happen?
I do not care who you are, when people are in the backcountry they grow in many ways that cannot be accomplished in any other setting. In a normal class room setting we have grown to have certain habits about how we learn in the class room. The sole reason we do this is because we have been in classrooms for the better part of our lives. What this leads to is when we go into the backcountry to learn anything, we have learning habits are different and that have not been poisoned by bad habits. Also when you are in the woods I found that it is much easier to be “here and now”. I think the reason is – this classroom is a break for most of the group to just sit and listen. We always spend the rest of our day moving, packing, cooking, etc. But when we get class, we get the chance to just chill and relax. It is this ease that we feel in the class room that I think powers the good retention of all the information we learn.
When you look at the factor of nature alone when added into the learning process. I greater sense of realism is conveyed in whatever you are teaching about. When you sit in a classroom and someone tells you something is real, it can be really easy to brush that information off as not being really. But, if someone takes you somewhere and shows you and you make a self discovery of the idea, then you know it’s real! This process makes remembering the information or idea easier and with a greater understanding. The factor of nature really allows students to go through this process, by themselves at most points. No matter what the subject is that you are teaching nature give people a feeling of self discovery. The feeling of when you have discovered something for your self is a powerful emotion. I believe no matter who you are if you have gone through a self discovery, you become more motivated about learning. Now, I am not saying someone will all of a sudden become really motivated in school work. No, what I am saying that that you will be motivated about learning, it can being anything from, learning about different types of art or a musical instrument, or learning about how do to a specific skill. I have witnessed this with everyone that I have seen take part in an awakening or sorts, all powered but the factor of nature. And this power of nature comes from fact that we are using nature as a classroom. So, you take students into the woods, kick start them in the cycle of self discovery and you will better them for the rest of their lives.
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Why us the Backcountry as a Classroom? What Effect does Nature have on the Learning Process and on the Participants?
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008By Adam Bofinger
For years now schools, business, and specialized outdoor programs have been using our backcountry settings and the natural world as a tool for learning. Many find the idea of using the backcountry as a classroom a puzzling idea. As this idea of “Natures Classroom” becomes more popular and familiar amongst today’s society it will truly be able to be deemed a legitimate way of both teaching and learning. Hopefully as the idea grows and more popularized, people will accurately understand the value it holds.
So why use the backcountry as a classroom and what effect does nature really has on the learning process? Using a backcountry setting for desired learning outcomes can be effective in many ways. First let’s explore what the natural world has to offer. As many of us know nature can be both beautiful and unpredictable. For example, during our 14 day canoe expedition in Maine we experienced a variety of adverse weather conditions. One particular day we encountered some dangerous winds on a large lake crossing which resulted in rough waters and unnecessary risk. This caused us to take shelter and wait out the winds before making the crossing to camp. As a group we learned many valuable lessons that day due to the setting we were in and the real life scenarios nature set forth. Settings like these are what teach us to think quickly and react in a fast, safe, and efficient manner.
More evidence of the positive effects nature has the learning process can be discovered by exploring the serenity and beauty the natural world presents to us. Using the natural world is a great way to slow down ones thought process and create a clearer more concise train of thought. Being in the back country allows us to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of today’s ever so chaotic society and think in an almost meditative state. I think this way of manipulating ones thoughts can really enhance the way of looking at everyday life and even more specific problems or situations that may result. Nature allows us to think and think differently, which to me is a very important quality when time for learning.
The backcountry as a classroom can also be extremely beneficial due to the wide array of settings it has to offer. Venturing into the woods is a great way to learn because most wilderness experiences are truly unforgettable. I feel that if one is continually immersed into unfamiliar and fresh surroundings it will make retaining information easier and more pleasurable. The backcountry is very versatile. If used correctly, many different experiences and learning outcomes can be derived from teaching in nature. I feel that one of the most important aspects about using nature’s backcountry as a classroom is the way it immerses us to our prehistoric roots. It allows us to live like we used to learn from our surroundings, and learn by doing.
Nature has many effects on the learning process. By becoming immersed in wilderness and physically placing ourselves in the surroundings we seek to learn about is one of the most crucial steps of the learning process. The reason this semester has allowed not only me but my peers as well to obtain so much new knowledge is by flooding ourselves with everything nature has to offer, challenge, adversity, peace, happiness, and even misunderstanding. Everything the backcountry throws at us can be processed and manipulated into thousands of different learning outcomes. The learning is endless.
To conclude, using the backcountry as a classroom can indeed be extremely beneficial. I have learned from first hand experiences just how beneficial it justly is. Ending our three expeditions has given me the enlightenment and understanding of just how effective and powerful being immersed in a wilderness setting can be on ones learning. Immersion in the backcountry is truly a beautiful concept.
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Why use the backcountry as a classroom? What effect does nature have on the learning process and on the participants?
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008By Ben Trister
Why Wilderness?
The unique challenges offered by the backcountry classroom can have a profound effect on peoples understanding of themselves and the world around them. The revelations one could make about interacting with leaders and peers, our place in the natural world, relationships with family members, and the list goes on and on. People go into the backcountry with three things; their belongings, each other, and the memories of their past experiences. People are confronted with isolation impossible to reach in the front country; their deepest emotions are revealed to them as they are immersed in a simpler yet profoundly more animalistic state.
Every human of sound mind is an actively learning organism interacting unstoppably with the world around them. Have you ever stopped and thought about just how many thoughts you think in the average day? How many days you’ve been alive and you will see an almost infinitesimal amount of thought history within your own personal universe. Immediately upon entering the challenging state of being on an expedition people are actively engaged with improving their situation whenever a chance arises. If you can teach people something that will immediately make their suffering diminish they will learn it with amazing speed. You will have their devote attention. During our last trip Chris Grosjean volunteered to take over the solo boat for a couple of miles. Before starting he asked me for any tips that would make the job easier. I told him if he aggressively leaned the boat to his onside and held the lean the entire time it would help the bat track that way so he wouldn’t have to emphasize his jay stroke as dramatically, ensuring faster travel. Without hesitation he put the boat on edge and learned by doing, occasionally saying what he was noticing working best to me. He powered through paddling and stayed comfortably with the pod. The advent of new challenges allows people to improvise new solutions to new problems they have never encountered before. During my LOD I was confronted with river navigational problems I have never encountered. I was confronted with the challenge of reading were the river was to shallow to paddle. As a consummate play boater I have never paddled under such low water situations very much on purpose. By being forces into this scenario by the forces of gravity I learned the hard way that if you don’t make the right moves to stay in the main current flow you go SCRAPE and get stuck. After about the second time I got stuck I had already memorized what these features looked like and worked hard to avoid them henceforth so I could maintain my position as lead boat.
The most important piece of equipment you bring with you on any trip is your brain. When in the backcountry people are cut off from the advantages of information technology and are forced to rely on their memories and fact retention capabilities. People’s cogs are always turning as they work to recall information. This attributes to what I think can be called a heightened state of awareness among everyone faced by these challenges. People have no time to let their guards down and their true fears and insecurities are revealed to themselves. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is made apparent in daily life. The challenge of addressing such basic needs of shelter and food, what Thoreau summed up in on word as warmth, takes priority over secondary educational objectives? Under adverse conditions you must prioritize personal survival needs. People revert into instinctive, primal-survival mode to maintain as strong a position as possible. On nice days margins for error are reduced and demanding tasks become impossibly easier with improved psyches group lessons not only become feasible, they are downright engaging and fun to participate in. There is nowhere else to be and nowhere else you’d rather be than learning and having fun with your group. On my solo I found myself reverting into a survival mode I have never seen within myself. Severe consequences for silly mistakes loomed as distinct and unwanted possibilities if I wasn’t totally careful at all times. Spending a long fall night alone and freezing is something I don’t want to deal with. Warmth was my primary motivation for living.
The challenges offered by the wilderness classroom are impossible to replicate in any contrived way. The lessons learned by dealing with real consequences are never forgotten and become like instinct. People will learn how they learn better than they ever have known before. Finally people overcome challenges that they have never before been able to test themselves against. All new knowledge will be invaluable for the rest of their lives.
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Why use the backcountry as a classroom? What effect does nature have on the learning process and on the participants?
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008By David Aguasca
The first reason I can think of to use the backcountry is an evolutionary one. While our brains are extremely adaptable and our neural patterns are capable of configuring themselves in limitless patterns specific to a particular environment, our brains first developed in what is now called a wilderness setting (back then it was just “home”). As early humans, our only options for learning new skills were to see them done by our parents, and then trying them ourselves. Ever since our evolution into Homo sapiens no later than 200,000 years ago we have learned experientially, until the first recorded instances of formal teaching, no earlier than the last 3,000 years.
The backcountry also presents unique situations for teaching. One of the best examples is the “teachable moment”; learning about weather in a fluorescent-lit classroom pales in comparison to learning weather by experiencing the development, occurrence, and retreat of a storm on an accurate time and size scale, with narration and visual aids provided by an instructor. I feel backcountry settings are also particularly effective for teaching and reinforcing group and individual behaviors, because the consequences of group dysfunction can be serious and don’t feel contrived, two things classroom scenarios do less effectively.
The removal of common distractions such as TV, radio, computers, iPods, magazines, and other media creates an environment more conducive to learning. That is not to say that there are no distractions in the backcountry; weather, animal sightings, and hunger can deter learners from paying full attention to the topic at hand. Returning to the point previously made, many of these distractions can make great teachable moments.
When it comes to personal development, the options for the modern human are limited; we are lacking that opportunity which is so readily achieved in the backcountry, the solo. Spending time alone in the wilderness, whether it’s part of a curriculum or simply a backpacking trip on your own, is potent medicine. Removing a person from modern society for even a brief period of time gives them great insight on how their inner workings operate; there is nothing to hide it. This is especially true of challenging situations, which present themselves in the backcountry without any need for planning them.
As you can see, almost every moment in the backcountry allows for learning. If handled properly, this can create a seamless transition from one learning experience to another, a cohesive tapestry of knowledge encompassing every aspect of life in the wilderness.
