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From a Ryan Brady Photo
Fall
Professional Development Block
OED
381 Outdoor Education
Teaching Techniques (4 Credits)
Instructor:
Craig Prudhomme, IMPORTANT NOTE!!! In order to attend Fall Block you must be registered with the registrar and have made arrangements with Student Accounts. If you are not on their list you will not be allowed to attend since the Audubon Center will not be paid. All arrangements must be made before the first day of class. Enclosed is the course information and a brief, tentative schedule for the 2001 Fall Block. There will be some alterations in the schedule as we plan around various opportunities, so we'll finalize the schedule on the first day of class. Course Dates: Fall Block 2001 begins at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, September 4th, and will end by late afternoon on Tuesday, December 4th. Course/Block Overview: The Fall Interpretive Block is actually an integration of three courses. The largest is the Ecosystem Interp course (OED 383). In this you will learn how to tell interpretive stories. You will be given the tools to go to any site, and to be able to figure out what happened there. In the OE Teaching Techniques course (OED381) you will learn creative methods of interpreting to others and have practical experiences with a wide spread of age groups and classes. In the OE Practicum course (OED 382) you will tie it all together with a short internship with another program to learn about program operations and goals and get exposed to different teaching styles and strategies. The capstone of this course and the Fall Interpretive Block is an interpretive weekend planned and lead entirely by the Fall Block students utilizing all of the skills and lessons learned during the semester. Book and Lab Fee: Approximately $85 - (includes text books, photocopies & geology maps)
BOOK
LIST: (This may change with 1 or 2 additions
before Fall & all are for sale at the center) This is the 24th Fall Block and each differs from the others because of weather, group size, personality, and opportunities. It is important that you recognize that this course is unlike anything else you have taken. As instructors, we will present you with opportunities, and it is up to you to make the most of them. The block has two distinct elements. One is the group process. You will be living with the same group of people for three months. You will need to share in cooking, cleanup, packing, and preparation as well as class activities and assignments. Your activities will affect others, and the other students will have an impact on your experience. You should come prepared to adapt, and you must be willing to communicate your needs right from the beginning. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU CAN E-MAIL US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSES. prudhomm@ecenet.com, ellis@ecenet.com. The Center website is at www.audubon-center.com We have taken the schedule and broken it up with internship projects and the field research. This means that you really have only 2-1/2 months of sharing lodging on the Center. In addition, there are a number of weekends and evenings in which you are free. We recommend that you take these opportunities to get personal time. There is a good bike trail nearby, as well as some good rivers and lots of parks and forests to explore. The second aspect of the Block is the individual. While we want you to function as a group, it is important that you grow as an individual. This course is a professional preparation program. We try to apply classroom studies to field experiences and to challenge you to do your individual best. Recognizing the fact that upon graduation you must function as an individual, we want you to look at your own potential and to accept the challenge of personal growth. INSTRUCTORS Your Primary instructors for the Block are: Craig Prudhomme: Ecosystem Interpretation in Natural Sciences, OE Practicum Clarissa Ellis-Prudhomme: Teaching Techniques. Teaching Assistant: OE
Practicum, Group Living/Housekeeping/Kitchen Assignments. We will supplement the primary teaching staff with other center staff who will share with you their expertise. GRADES Grades will be based on written and oral reports, participation in field experiences, teaching experiences, and field tests, a research trip proposal and other personal and group projects. Specific grading criteria will be discussed the first week of the Block for each class. THE COURSES
These are brief descriptions.
Since Outdoor Education is eclectic by nature, any one experience
in the Block may cover material from any or all of the three courses.
We'll discuss exact details of the courses as well as grading
criteria and projects during the first week of class.
Generally, class hours will be 9-Noon and 1:30-5:00 each day.
This will vary with the exact activities. Some days will be lecture or field experiences, others will
be self directed student activities. Ecosystem Interpretation in Natural Science (8 credits) (OED 383) Formerly Ecosystem Interpretation in Biology (4 credits) and Earth Science (4 credits). The purpose of this course is to train the student to be able to interpret the full ecology of an area including geological, animal, plant, human and meteorological factors. Emphasis is on field application of previous work to make the on-campus, in-class experiences come alive. Field trips include northeastern Minnesota and the North Shore of Lake Superior, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Pine County, and can cover such topics as fire ecology, flood plain ecology, hardwood and coniferous forests, prairies, plant and animal distribution, natural patterns in ecological systems, and present and historic human uses and effects upon the land. Students will keep field interpretive journals, interpret from maps and other resources, and turn in various field projects and quizzes. O.E. Teaching Techniques (4 credits) (OED 381) This course will involve a combination of skills and interpretive techniques for trail, school and public programs. Included are Native American crafts, leadership of an Open House workshop for the general public, in-class and outdoor school teaching experiences, development of lesson plans and instructional materials, evaluations, and quizzes. After initial lecture/discussions to give you a firm basis to work from, you will have a number of opportunities to develop and test your skills in the field with various groups. The final product will be a teaching portfolio.
Outdoor
Education Practicum (4 credits) (OED 382) This course is an application of many of the skills of outdoor education. You will complete a two-week nature center internship and participate in an interpretive weekend for freshman Outdoor Education students. The internship will provide you with experience at a center different from the ACNW, exposing you to different teaching styles of other professionals and new teaching experiences. The Freshman Interpretive Weekend will give you the opportunity to follow through a program from its inception to completion and evaluation. You will prepare a written logistical plan for the weekend to include such items as Mission, Objectives, curriculum, travel, equipment needs, food, budget, safety, and staffing responsibilities. You will not only be involved in planning the weekend, but you will also be leading a group of Freshman Block students who are interested in learning more about your chosen majors and the field of OE. This is truly the capstone experience of Fall Block and takes the place of a final exam. THE SETTING The Audubon Center of the North Woods (ACNW) is an old estate and a National Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. The buildings on the site have been adapted for program use except for the Lowry Student Lodge, which was built in l983, expressly for program use. Classes are held in the Bremer classroom attached to the Lowry Student Lodge (completed in 1996). Meals are served in the new dining room at our new RELC (Residential Environmental Learning Center). The living room of the Schwyzer Lodge also serves a classroom role. Upstairs is student housing. Our buildings are rustic and cozy and though spacious enough for a group such as yours, it will be important for you to realize your impact on your fellow classmates and the staff. ACNW PROGRAM OVERVIEW As an environmental education center, the ACNW has programs throughout the year. Our programs run the gamut from straight environmental education to birdwatching to outdoor skills, research, and consultant work. We have a small (in number, not necessarily in size) and active staff who are all involved in a wide variety of the Center's activities. Following is a list of some of the programs for this next year.
North
Woods Wilderness School- youth ecology camp Native American Technologies
Courses Wildlife Education
January Interim Wolf Research
Northland College Fall Block/Spring Transition
International Wilderness Weeks for Foreign Exchange Students
Development of Trails, Curriculum and Programs for the Audubon
Center's New Residential ELC
Acid Deposition Monitoring for the MPCA/EPA
Outdoor Skills Courses for Inver Hills Community College
Adventure
Education with High Ropes Course, Indoor Climbing Wall and Initiatives
Course Environmental Education Teacher Training
You
will work with teachers from the Sandstone schools, naturalists from other
nature centers, and other staff from the Audubon Center who will share
their skills and ideas with you.
There
will be concurrent classes from Inver Hills Community College on two
weekends and numerous other school groups and conferences which will be
using the new RELC. You will
take many meals together with these other groups and have to work around
each other for classroom space and use of the site.
HOUSING
Housing
is in the Lowry Lodge with
2-4 students sharing a room. There
are bunk beds, dressers and closet space. You should have your own bedding, alarm clock, and reading
lamp.
CLOTHING/DRESS CODE
While
there is no dress code at ACNW when we are in class or the field, you will
be representing both ACNW and your college as well as yourself during the
course, especially during your teaching experiences and internships.
When we are sharing meals with other groups you will need to dress
in a clean/neat fashion. Especially
when teaching, you will need to be conscientious about proper clothing and
grooming. Be prepared to be outside in wet and cold weather.
MEALS
Meals
are served family-style in the new dining hall.
While we are pretty flexible in our meal planning and seek to
supply a variety of options in most meals, we cannot be responsible for
accommodating special diets. If
your diet is limited due to health or personal preference, it is your
responsibility to notify us ahead of time.
For super-specialized diets, you may be responsible for providing
some items. Now is not the
time to decide to go on a diet that limits your meal options. We will be sharing a
dining facility with many other groups so meals are going to have a bit
less flexibility than in the past in terms of content and especially
timing. Vegan diets are going
to be difficult to consistently accommodate.
Please do not choose the Fall to limit you diet options if at all
possible.
PHONES& MAIL We have a phone in the lodge for your use; however, you cannot make outgoing calls without a credit card or calling collect. It does accept incoming calls. To call you direct, have people call 320-245-2986. If anyone needs to reach you with a message, they should call the ACNW office at 320/245-2648. Our secretaries are in the office Monday-Friday, 9:00-4:30. After hours, calls are taken by an answering machine which is checked regularly. You will also need your own long distance phone account or one of those cards you purchase at the store. They are available at the hardware store in town. Mail can be sent directly to ACNW. You should have your own supply of stamps and envelopes.
TOBACCO/ALCOHOL/DRUG POLICY
There
is a no smoking and no
tobacco chewing policy in all our buildings and vehicles.
Smoking is restricted to one area outside of the old lodge. No
recreational drugs or alcohol are allowed on the property, in Center
buildings or vehicles or during class times.
This includes the internships and expedition.
Failure to adhere to this rule can result in dismissal from the
Block with three "F" grades.
The ACNW is a learning center, not a party place.
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