From a Ryan Brady Photo

View photos of the 2003, Winter Block trip to Breckenridge, Colorado

Winter Professional Development Block 2001  

The Winter Therapeutic Block consists of the courses OED 378 Leadership and Programming, OED 379 Therapeutic Design, OED 381 Outdoor Education Teaching Techniques, and OED 382 Outdoor Education Practicum taken concurrently.

Texts:           

Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming, Priest and Gass. (EL)
Experiential Education an activity training guide. Rothman and Spurrier (EE)
Outdoor Leadership: Techniques, Common Sense and Self Confidence, Graham
PSIA Adaptive Skiing Manual, Professional Ski Instructors of America. (AM)
PSIA Alpine Study Guide Level I and II, Professional Ski Instructors of America. (ASG)    

Optional Texts:      

Risk Management 3rd edition, Peterson and Hronek.
PSIA Alpine Manual, Professional Ski Instructors of America

Course Descriptions:

OED 378 Leadership and Programming is designed to help students develop their leadership ability to plan programs for a variety of populations. The students will learn to plan and implement safe learning environments from a physical, emotional, and environmental point of view.  We will also explore issues of leadership that are applicable in different settings. The learning will be experiential and interdisciplinary. An exhaustive program plan will be completed by the members of the class. See course specific syllabus.

OED 379 Therapeutic Design will continue where Access and Diversity (OED279) left off. We begin with a look at the population Youth at Risk, identifying characteristics and needs. You then learn how to write goals and objectives for prescriptive purposes and analyze possible activities for therapeutic appropriateness.  With these tools in hand you will design and implement two therapeutic interventions for youth “at risk”. At the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center you will experience how specific needs and disabilities of individuals affect the design and implementation of outdoor education programs. You will also learn to choose and design activities based on a critical analysis of benefit to individual participants.

OED 382 Outdoor Education Practicum is the application of theories, models and concepts developed in all courses within the Block.  Each student will have the opportunity to take leadership roles, present themselves as professionals in training, assist with logistics, budget management, risk management, small group facilitation, conflict resolution, program evaluation, skill instruction, inter- and intra- agency coordination and program adaptation.  In addition you will participate in a mini-internship at an outdoor education program that serves to enhance your professional development.  This site will be selected with approval from the faculty and is based on individual student development goals.

Explanation about Block:

Block is unlike other semesters you will have in college.  It has been created to be an immersion experience into the profession of Outdoor Education.  As faculty, we feel it is the transition point for most OE majors. Students enter Block thinking, feeling and acting like students and exit Block thinking, feeling and acting like professionals.  We feel great about this. 

Because of its design, Block is tough. It demands commitment, effort, time, energy and cooperation from all of us.  If one person is lacking in any of these areas it affects everyone.  Because of its design, Block is a turning point.  It gives you experiences that lead, push and guide you to success.  If you want to become a professional outdoor educator, you can whet your appetite while working within a team of highly committed students like yourself. Your instructors will hand you the challenges of the profession while providing you the security of being able to create, experiment, reflect and try again.

As an instructor, I view my job in Block as a guide, coach, mentor, an experienced voice, sharer of information, interpreter, a resource to other resources, reviewer of safety and quality, a partner in learning, a mirror of the profession, and a safety net.  

Your job as a student is to squeeze every drop of learning out of each opportunity, to critically review each experience for another bit of knowledge, to crawl out on the limb of experience for a different view of yourself, others, and learning, and to share your insights.  To metamorphose from one who thinks about how to teach, lead and create, to one who does teach, lead and create.

The reality of being invested in learning is that it takes ENERGY.  You will not always like the experience; that often depends on your attitude and the attitude of the group.  If you invest yourself, you will come out wiser and more capable and so will all of us.

Participation by everyone contributes to the comfort and success of Block.  Without full participation group cohesiveness is jeopardized and “scapegoating” becomes possible.  Participation includes contributing observations and input, asking relevant and clarifying questions, demonstrating readiness for class topics and experiences, volunteering to take on tasks, maintaining a high standard of quality, demonstrating positive attitudes, working effectively with classmates and instructors, constructively resolving conflict, practicing critical thinking skills, practicing safety awareness, appropriately representing Northland College and Block to outside groups and individuals, demonstrating proficiency in skills and actively seeking to improve skills, being reliable, using appropriate language and behaviors with participants, classmates and instructors, actively developing facilitation and leadership skills, and demonstrating honesty and effort in all areas. Participation will be considered in grading of Block assignments and performance.

Timeliness is critical in Block as it is in the professional world. Because most of our activities are performed as a group, late arrivals of classmates, written work, or missing deadlines of any kind will affect the ability of others to succeed; therefore, lateness will result in a lowered grade and may prevent your participation in certain workshops or activities.  However, late work is better than no work. Professional courtesy dictates you notify classmates and faculty prior to arriving late or missing work deadlines.

Professional Presentation in written work as well as performance is expected.  Because we interact regularly with outside groups and agencies it is critical to present yourselves as professionals. Dress and act appropriately for the day’s experiences and for the persons you will be interacting with. Demonstrate personal and professional pride in all the work you do as your reputation and the reputation of the college is created with each contact. Attempt professional level writing for all assignments since much of the written work you complete for class is compiled and published in your program plan or is mailed out as a professional contact. Contribute fully to all activities as your classmates are counting on you to carry your portion of Block; whatever you do impacts every person in Block.

The outcomes of Block are yours to keep. Upon the completion of Winter Block you will have had the opportunity to engage in a very wide variety of professional development experiences. What you take away from these experiences is in your hands. If you immerse yourself as completely as possible in these experiences you will be well prepared to assimilate the lessons of block immediately into your academic and professional careers. However, the opportunity to learn from Block does not end at the completion of the term. If you reflect on your Block experience you will continue to learn new lessons about yourself and your profession far into the future. Best wishes for a fantastic semester.