Tag Archives: Ropes Course

How To Do EDUC 315: Update for Wednesday, 29 September 2010

Leave a reply

Today was a follow up from yesterday’s goings on.  Here’s what shook down:

Me In A Bag Speech Analysis Task

I reviewed the expectations for the assignment and reminded you of the Monday, 4 October 2010 due date.

Ropes Course Debrief

I asked you to give me the following information:

  • List of activities you engaged in
  • Your favourite ropes course activity and why
  • A rating of the Ropes Course experience from 1 to 11 and your reasoning
  • A completion of this sentence stem… “I used to think… but NOW I think… because…”

(I’ve left your feedback slips at home but I’ll insert it into this post when I’ve put it together. -LH)

Professional Demeanour on Practicum

I asked you to consider the question “What will professionalism look like in a school setting?” and to create a role play around one professional behaviour.  The role play had to give a no example and a yes example.  After developing criteria for an effecitve role play, you took time to plan, rehearse and present.  The role plays were enlightening and humourous.

Of course, we can’t fully prepare you for the practicum through classroom work on campus.  You need to be in the schools and experience it for yourselves.  There is no “How To Do It” video for teaching like there is for these the skills covered in this clip:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNfGyIW7aHM[/youtube]

Cheers.

– Lawrence

Looking Ahead to EDUC 315 Practicum Prep & Ropes Course on 28 Sept 2010

Leave a reply

We’ve got an exciting day planned for Tuesday, 28 September.  It breaks down nicely into three parts.  Here’s the scoop:

PART 1: PRE-PRACTICUM PREP AND INFO GATHERING

We will meet from 10:00 am to NOON in PONDEROSA E 123.  Here’s a map if you need help finding the building.

During this time, we will:

  • Gather Information on Your Practicum Preferences
  • Highlight the Goals and Expectations of EDUC 315, the Tuesdays Practicum
  • Discuss How to “Suck Out All the Marrow” of the Practicum Experience (with apologies to Thoreau)
  • Stress the Importance of Professional Demeanour
  • Share Tips for Classroom Observations
  • Answer Any Burning Questions

PART 2: POTLUCK LUNCH

Your friendly neighbourhood Social Committee is taking the reins on this one.  Look for more details soon via this blog or, perhaps, even old school face-to-face communication in class.

PART 3: THE UBC ROPES COURSE

We’ll hit the UBC Ropes Course from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.  The experience promises to provide challenge, team building opportunities, and fun.   The cost is $25 per person.  Please bring your money on the day as we will pay when we arrive at the course.

Check out the facility’s website if you’d like to see some photos of course participants in action.  Also, you can view this clip of high schoolers at ropes course.  It’s different than the one we’ll visit, but the video should give you a sense of what you can expect:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_82Zr1qTp8[/youtube]

Background Information

Here is some information about the course and the philosophy that guides its operation:

The UBC Ropes Course is an entirely outdoor, forested facility located between Thunderbird Stadium and 16th Ave.  We offer a variety of great programming…

We allow all members of the team to be as active in each activity as they choose to be.  Our “Challenge by Choice” philosophy allows each team member to choose their individual challenge for each initiative– we fully understand that not everyone has the same comfort level for various challenges.  Peer pressure will not be tolerated to coerce people into doing something they do not choose to do.  However we will ask for permission to encourage all team members.

The Supply List

Here is some important information about what and what NOT to bring to this outing:

Please be sure to bring the following things to the course:

1.   Signed waiver & medical history form – we will complete these on the morning of the event

2.   Snack and a water bottle — to keep energy levels high

3.   An extra sweater or jacket — It’s always 5oC cooler in the shade of the trees

4.   Closed toe shoes — no sandals or flip flops

Optional items:

5.   Raincoat or poncho (not umbrellas) for wet days— we run rain or shine

6.   Gloves—hanging on to ropes can occasionally cause rope burn or blisters.  Mountain bike, weight lifting, or batting gloves are the best.  Something with grip, but that fits snugly.

7.   Camera – it’s great to have lasting memories of the day, but realize that taking photos will not always possible as you will need to be an active participant in the program.

Please DO NOT bring:

  • MP3 players
  • Valuables
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Narcotics
  • Pets
  • Garden gnomes (they creep me out!)

If you have questions, please check out this list of FAQs – UBC Ropes Course FAQs.  If you still have questions, please see me in class or drop me on email.

That’s all for now.

Cheers,

– Lawrence

Me in a Bag Speeches Redux: Update for Wednesday, 22 September 2010

Leave a reply

While you rolled into class I asked you to take a small slip of paper and write on it something that you would not find in your grandmother’s kitchen.  We used these slips of paper for our first activity:

A/B Partners Impromptu Speaking

After brainstorming a variety of ways you could approach an impromptu speech on an object, I asked you to find a partner and speak for 50 seconds – after 10 very important seconds of think time – on the object listed on a randomly selected slip of paper. The items you had to speak about were liquor and a coffee maker.

Me in a Bag Speeches: Take 2

We continued with the Me in a Bag speeches today.  Thanks to all who presented.  We’ll finish the final 6 in Monday’s class.

Administrivia

  • TC Profile: It’s due on Monday, 27 September.  Please see an earlier post for the template and more details.
  • Pre-Prac Prep & Ropes Course: I handed out the waiver and medical form that need to be completed in order to participate at the Ropes Course.  While ‘ll put up another post with more details about this day, the forms can be found below:

Beyond Verbal Delivery: A Reading from Communication for the Classroom Teacher, 9th Edition by Simonds and Cooper

In an effort to extend your thinking about language and its use in the classroom, I’m asking you to read Chapter 4 from the Simonds and Cooper text.  Please use the Sticky Notes strategy to pick out 3 interesting ideas in the reading and to comment on why those sections speak to you.  Write your thoughts on the text’s ideas on the sticky note itself.  You could write:

  • a conection
  • a reaction
  • a question
  • an inference
  • a prediction
  • or some other thoughts that occur as you consider the piece of selected text

Be prepeared to discuss your 3 sticky notes and the text chunks they relate to in class on Monday, 27 September 2010.

Sticky Notes is a simple but powerful strategy that can be used in both non-fiction and fiction contexts.  Here’s a quick blurb on how to do it:

OK, that wraps it up.  Enjoy your weekend and I’ll see you on Monday.

– Lawrence

Let the Artifact Speeches Begin: Update for Monday, 20 September 2010

Leave a reply

I’ll start with a big thank you to Alice for doing this morning’s videotaping.  Who will be the victim, er… budding cinematographer next class?

Artifcat Related Warm Up

To get your body moving and your brain fired up we played What Is It?, an object transformation drama game.  Each class member took a scarf and transformed it into another object – a kite and an elephant’s trunk, among many other things – while class members guessed about what “artifact” the scart had become.  You’ll find the guidelines for the game, along with instruction for many other drama games, in this handout:

What Is It? & Other Drama in the Classroom Activities

Me in a Bag Speeches

After discussing the learning intentions – the goals – for this task, we:

  • Reviewed the task criteria
  • Rehearsed with A/B partners
  • Looked at past examples of the Post-Speech Analysis activity
  • Chose a speaking order
  • Reviewed what active listening looks like
  • Started the speeches

Here is the full speaking order, if you’re curious about where you fit into the mix:

  1. Sarah
  2. Jeremy
  3. Maria
  4. Amber
  5. Lou
  6. Devin
  7. Melanie
  8. Jenna
  9. Jennifer
  10. Farisha
  11. Tyrel
  12. Kat K
  13. Aaron
  14. Amanda
  15. Leanne
  16. Sally
  17. Kat M
  18. Alice
  19. Lars
  20. Shaun
  21. Miguel
  22. Christian
  23. Ian
  24. Ross
  25. Caitlin

Thanks to those who’ve already presented.  You can all take a lot of pride in the knowledge that you, while you may have been nervous at the front, none of you let the pressure get to you like it got to Miss Teen South Carolina (2007):

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww&p=40547FE48EBE79D7&playnext=1&index=2[/youtube]

Please keep the video of your speech on your flash drive.  You’ll get further instructions on how to analyze it in an upcoming class.

Administrivia

  • TC Profile: Please see the previous post – Completing the TC Profile (September 2010) – for the Word template and details on how to fill it out.  Your profile is due on Monday, 27 October 2010.
  • Social Committee: Thanks for Melanie, Miguel, Alice and Leanne for volunteering to form the Middle Years Cohort’s Social Committee.   The SC will be organizing a potluck on Tuesday of next week before the Ropes Course.  Stay tuned for more info.
  • Copying Fee: I will be charging a copying fee for copies I make during this term.  I’ll do my best to keep my copying to a minimum and, therefore, keep the fees down as low as possible.
  • Pre-Prac Prep & Ropes Course Day on Tuesday, 28 September: On this day we will have the following schedule:
    • 10:00 – Noon: Pre-Prac Workshop in PONE 123
    • 12:00 – 1:00: Potluck in Room TBA
    • 1:30 – 4:30: UBC Ropes Course Activity

I’ll share more details on the Ropes Course- what to wear, what to bring, and what not – next class and I’ll post it on the blog.

That’s all for today.

Cheers,

– Lawrence