PAST SEMINAR TOPICS
2004 Event:
Land as an Endangered Resource: Discussion on what it means for a section of land to be endangered, what we can do to prevent/help the slow destruction of some of our most beautiful lands. We will also learn about organizations committed to preserving land, such as; The Acess Fund, Nature/Land Conservancy, Patagonia Land Trust, and more.
Adventure Education in the Community: Discussion/presentation of Adventure Recreation Programs carried out in a community setting. How to initiate, run, and organize programs; and the value Adventure Recreation can have to a community.
Children's Lit in Environmental Ed: Children's Literature should be an essential part of any environmental educators "toolbox." If used appropriately it can be an interactive and exciting way to introduce topics, debrief programs, focus attention and toencourage discovery and imagination with a wide range of audiences.
Outdoor Teaching Techniques: The different types of outdoor teaching techniques. I will introduce several categories (seeded questions, guided discovery, lecture, etc.) in context and discuss their applciations in different situations.
3rd World Wilderness Perspectives: The view points of 3rd World native people and how the "American Wilderness" does not work. How can it be changed? How will it detract? Covering any points covered in a debate format as well.
Tripping Internationally: Our topic will cover the subject of international travel. Aspects such as planning, hazard consideration, cultural differences, and working abroad will be addressed. Information will be derived from the international experiences of the presenters in China, Thailand, Ireland, Tahiti, New Zealand, Burma, Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada.
Conflict and Failure: Through the use of case studies this presentation will be a guided group discussion addressing the question why outdoor educators shy away from conflict or failure. An argument will be proposed that there are times you should let a participant fail and maybe even force them to fail. Together we will explore the ethics surrounding this issue.
So You're Majoring in Camping?: An inside look at NMU's outdoor recreation opportunities both academic and extracirricular.
Initiatives: We will learn how to use initiative games, along with learning many initiatives to use with groups.
Ecological Art: Collaboration with Nature: Become aware of a relatively new type of art called, Ecological Art, and have the chance to make your own. As a group we will briefly discuss the art form and show examples of ecological art. Together in small groups or as individuals we willc reate our own ecological art. We will use the nearby woods, open grassy areas, and campus to create our art within.
Group Process and Communication: Join us to learn the ins and outs of small groups. We will cover topics such as group formation, communication, outcomes of ineffective communication, norms and their construction, leadership types, cohesiveness, challenge levels, handling conflict, and giving effective feedback. About one half will be spent outside, so come dressed for the weather. Be prepared to learn more information about groups than you ever thought possible.
Teaching Orienteering Get introduced to several methods and activities for teaching map and compass navigation through a learn-by-doing approach. Emphasis will be placed on how the activities can be transllated into learning that matches standards in several disciplines including geography, math, science, language, physical education, and natural history.
Full Bellies! Adventures in campfire and trailside cuisine!: Ready for some tasty vittles? The campfire will be roaring as we prepare an array of delectable treats while we discuss a variety of topics and concerns regarding cuisine within the field of outdoor education.
Creating Opportunities - A boat builder's personal case study: An open discussion using the example of a project that I am beginning to implement on the campus to guide discussion about and provoking doing in life what it is that we are truly passionate about.
Wisconsin Hoofers: making the Club Model Work in a University Setting: During the workshop we will briefly discuss the continuum of outdoor adventure programs from common adventure to guided trips. Additionally, we will facilitate a discussion about the wide variety of interest and proficiencies that naturally exist within a university and even many communities. Within those contexts we will present the Hoofer Model. Participants can expect to come away from this workshop with some new ideas on the importance and value of student involvement in all levels of a university outdoor program.
Do's and Don'ts of Winter Camping: Planning and Travel: Lecture/semi-interactive talk on winter camping, how to plan; what do you need to do as a leader, safety and equipment to take. This will be a good introduction for anyone who has not goone on a winter camping trip.
Leadership in Outdoor Education: Participants will learn how to incorporate development of leadership skills into teaching initiatives and confidence builders will be discussed and explained. The question of how to produce leaders for the future will be discussed.
Motivating Climbers: Discussion of strategies for helping kids climb. Knowing when to push or knowing when to back off. Problems could be fear; fear of failing, falling, or looking bad. Also - how to deal with overprotecting parents, or parents that push too much.
2003 Event: How to Cook Up a Great Outdoor Educator: We will highlight the qualities necessary in an outdoor educator or interpreter according to the philospohies of Freeman Tilden and other noteworthy contributors to the field. Socio-politico-econo-culture-natural History: Things are all connected. We can use this connection to relate anything that we teach to any student so that they can't help but become interested. We will realize the connectedness of all things and discuss how we can use that to our teaching advantage. Women in the Outdoors: We will explore the surgence of women participants in predominately male activities. We will also address the issues of body image and stereotypes, and look into gear designed for women. Debriefing Cristian Principles: We are going to discuss how to debrief in a Christian setting, and pull out of the participants' spiritual principles that God has given us incorporated within their answers. Discussion on Belay Techniques and Style: Bag O'Tricks Utilizing props that can be taken on trail to explani intangible ideas through tangible objects. The Wilderness Kit: The Purpose of the wilderness kit is to teach people what wilderness is with a specific focus on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Turning Experience into Experiential Education: Participate in a service project while learning a plethora of teaching techniques for facilitating reflection in group settings. This will allow you to help students go beyond the simple outdoor, group experience. Session will be hands-on and outdoors. Come prepared for weather, excitement, and fun! Ropes Courses: This discussion will focus on facilitator's experiences with, or without Statistically and Dynamically belayed High Ropes courses. We will be talking about the pros and cons between both types of setups ranging everywhere from safety, facilitation, cost, design, and the ability to incorporate disabled populations into a ropes course. Group Dynamics: Teenagers vs. Adults: Trips with teenagers, at times, can be much harder to lead than trips with adults. The presentation will explore those differences and discuss how to deal with them. A Guide to Teaching the concepts of Death and Dying Through Environmental Education: Learn the basics of how to introduce and implement the concept of death and dying through environmental education activities, children's books, native, and personal experiences. Work Outdoors: Opportunities in Advenute, Experiential, and Recreation Education: This workshop is designeed for students who love the outdoors and would like to incorporate this in future employment and career options. At this workshop there will be discussion of graduate programs, gaining experience, working abroad, beneficial trainings for field, and how to write experiential research. Vegetative Inhabitants of the Midwest: Various tree and plant types will be covered, for the participants to be more aware of their surroundings in the outdoors. Participants will ID types of tree and plants. The Ecology of Paper & Ink: Discuss the different environmental authors and look at the influence and effectiveness of nature writers with specific examples relating to specific quotes and their overall impact on the environmental movement. Cultural Teaching Strategies of Martial Art: An Environmental Resource: By examining movements of various martial arts from the Philippines, France, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Unites States, participants will come to see differences n cultural preference of movement, teaching strategy, and philosophy they will be encouraged to participate and discuss similarities and differences, and think of how they can apply various strategies in their own field of study. Leave No Trace: We will take an interpretive hike through the Northland College ravine that illistrate the main points of the Leave No Trace principles along with interactive stops and provide an informational guide or map. Animals As Teaching Aides: We will discuss how to best use animals as teaching aids, both only for teaching about animals but also for teaching other topics. Women in the Wild: We will share and discuss the experiences of women as Outdoor Educators. Participants will share stories, challenges, ideas, and theories and walk away with a feeling of excitement and empowerment as a female in the outdoor education field. Sewing Outdoor Gear: This workshop will provide information on how to sew outdoor clothing and gear. We will also go over where to buy fabric and supplies. 2002 Event:
2001 Event:
2001 Seminar Titles included: Sunshine Community Bicycle Program; Sustainability;Gender Issues in Outdoor Education; Devastated Land: Learning from Our Past to Improve Our Future; Music, Rythum & Song in Outdoor and Environmental Education; Primitive Fire Making; Cure for the Debriefing Blues;Cross country & Alpine Ski/Snowboard Waxing/Tuning Clinic; Tracking Overload;Winter Camping in Style!; Wilderness... What Is It?; Zion National Park Show; Discipline Strategies for Youth; Botanicial Treasures of NE Minnesota; Kayaking the Florida Everglades; A Dramatic Approach to Outdoor Education; Applied Climbing Techniques; Icebreakers/Initiative Games; and Intro to Desert Camping.