From a Ryan Brady Photo
Instructional
Team: Clayton Russell – Assistant Professor
Susan Mackreth – Park Ranger
Michael Joyner – Park Ranger
Class
runs April 29 – May 24, meeting at variable times – usually 8:00 or
9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Statement
of Philosophy:
The Apostle Islands School is the OE natural history and
environmental education program’s capstone course.
The course is designed for the Northland College student to
actively reflect on and demonstrate four years of learning in a
real-life/real-consequences field experience. At the same time, the student will be refining strengths,
identifying and improving areas of weakness, and actively preparing both
philosophically and practically, for a professional career.
The
Apostle Islands School mission is to provide area youth with an
environmental education experience that will promote an awareness,
appreciation, and understanding of the Apostle Islands’ environment, and
to provide a field-environmental education teaching experience for
Northland College students.
Note:
Any student with a learning difference, which might affect that
student’s ability to perform in class, is encouraged to notify the
instructor, and every effort will be made to accommodate that student.
Statement
of Learning Outcomes: The student will…
…understand
that effective environmental education includes awareness, knowledge,
attitudes, skills, and participation, and will be able to incorporate
these principles into their programs.
…draw
from their four years of education at Northland College and blend together
their knowledge of the environment, their social and communication skills,
their organizational and program design skills, and their originality and
imagination to create a meaningful and enjoyable experience for visiting
schools.
…understand
that creativity, imagination, logical organization, thorough preparation,
audience participation, and clear communication are essential to the
success of any program, and apply that learning to future situations.
…choose
appropriate environmental education techniques given subject matter,
locations, conditions, and audience.
…develop
imaginative and functional approaches to interpretation that will
encourage participants to spend time reflecting about meanings, values,
and relationships.
…facilitate
a safe and healthy environment for each participant’s physical and
emotional interaction with his or her surroundings.
…exhibit
behavior towards improving their skills in communication, organization,
teaching, research, interpretation, and programmatic and self evaluation
throughout the course.
…gain
confidence in themselves as teachers, writers, program planners, and
organizers.
…gain
experience in working with teachers and colleagues, while understanding
the concerns and needs of everyone involved.
…exhibit
skills and attributes important for leaders (those who involve and
motivate, build and maintain the group, get the job done, help the group
feel comfortable and at ease, help to set and define objectives, and the
cooperatively work towards an outcome).
…communicate
with co-workers and staff on a regular basis with the understanding that
the communication is an essential skill to develop and practice for
success along the professional path.
Personal
Learning Goals:
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Grading
20%
= development of personal environmental ethic paper (#1)
20%
= overall contributions to group and class (#2)
30%
= preparation of outlines (# 3 and #4)
30%
= teaching performance 9 (#5)
Course
Texts:
Required
A
Sierra Club Naturalist Guide: The
North Woods by Glenda Daniel and Jerry Sullivan
Recommended
Trailside
Botany by John Bates
Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell
Teaching with Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen
Course
Fee:
Your
course fee is used to cover transportation to and from the islands and for
partial compensation for travel mileage to and from the work site.
