Search

Presents a rationale for integrating outdoor education with all subject areas that focuses on the interdisciplinary nature of outdoor education, authenticity of outdoor experiences, and affective component of outdoor education. Summarizes information submitted to Canada's Ministry of Education and Training from secondary science teachers and supervisors of residential outdoor education centers regarding the benefits of outdoor education. (LP)

Ontario centralized education funding and stripped school boards of the ability to respond to local needs through local taxation. As a result, locally popular outdoor education programs are being cut. Those responsible for educational financing must recognize that much learning happens best through direct experience beyond the classroom and must return school boards' ability to support local outdoor programming. (TD)

Recent empirical research on outdoor education programs describes adjustment symptoms that instructors suffer from after the programs have come to an end. Post-course effects are also documented for students, but those are normally scientifically coded in measured changes in "skills" or "learning effects." In this paper, the author compares the adjustment processes of staff and students, and offers a philosophically motivated explanation for these processes with reference to his own experience of Outward Bound wilderness expeditions.

All "friluftsliv," or "open-air living," is to some degree a "quest." This certainly applies to paddling the big, open waters, although William James (1981) originally used the term to deepen the understanding of the Canadian soul during expeditionary travel on the great northern rivers. James was inspired in his task by the classical quest sequence of "Preparation, Separation, Tribulation and Return." Gaining insight into the panorama of paddling the seas and great lakes of the world could be no less well served through viewing such voyages in terms of these historical quest segments. In this paper, the author begins by examining his paddling life history, which now spans more than half a century and includes both private and pedagogically oriented ventures. This was supplemented by a review of his friluftsliv writings as well as a wide-ranging document analysis of quantitative and qualitative texts and illustrations of canoeing and kayaking. (Contains 3 tables.)

Place-based education seeks to connect learners to local environments through a variety of strategies that increase environmental awareness and connectedness to particular parts of the world. The concept of place meanings encompasses the subjective ways people construct meaning through their experiences with an array of settings. Place meanings are personal, often with a human focus, and are open to interpretation, while place-based education tends to be framed more concretely within the particulars of local environments. In this article, the author argues that these two concepts can work together to broaden thinking around "place" as it relates to outdoor education pedagogy. The purpose of this paper is to promote the utilization of place meanings within approaches to place-based outdoor education by: (1) revisiting some of the conceptual and historical underpinnings of place-based education and place meanings to show similarities and differences between the concepts; and (2) presenting a synthesis of place meanings within place-based theory to inspire a useful approach to doing place-based outdoor education.

For Bert, Mike, like all good teachers, proved early that he had the ability to predict potential problems and also to look back recognizing problems not adequately controlled. He wrestled with these. He worried at them, not in the neurotic sense of worry, but in the sense of thoroughly examining every aspect of the matter. Mike also knew how to get the best out of his teachers. Both Jim and Bert remember that Mike took a lead role in developing integrated curricula as he brought the Community Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) to life at Centennial High School in Guelph and how, at an event at Bark Lake, he took a lead in grappling with an abiding problem with integration. For Jim, his first impression of Mike was by way of a paper he had written for Bob Henderson. The paper was about "warm" versus "cold" approaches to camping but it was apparent in the piece that what he was really talking about was something more profound than the temperature of your skin at midnight. "Warm" living and camping was about a life integrated with nature, but "cold" was more detached from the essential processes of life. And now he's gone. Because of the way he created CELP and Headwaters, they have no doubt that in the fine hands of his successors these programs will continue to thrive and evolve.

As a physical educator in the mid-1980s, Mike came to the author's office with a proposition. Rather than write a research term paper with "X" number of sources properly referenced, a length of "X" number of words, and the correct formula-style structure, Mike wanted to use the "opportunity" to work out on paper a philosophy. Among the author's first memories with Mike include him doodling on the guitar to the tune of "Alice's Restaurant" while Mike singing the song. Another memory with Mike was starting a debate about what is the better water craft for travel in Canada. It was the playfulness of it that they liked as they kept it alive. It was the play that mattered. There is hard work in all these stories. But it was not working that matters to these actions. It was play. Play can be hard work. Play for Mike was a warm feeling, personally satisfying like that term paper and socially engaging like a performance of Alice amongst friends. Play matters in learning and pushes one passionately. For Mike the gem of life experience figured brilliantly. There is a play ethic to be had. Life lessons abound in revisiting these stories for everyone. (Contains 1 endnote.)

This paper describes a research that came about as a result of several converging factors in Ontario: a resurgence of interest in environmental and outdoor education (including outdoor education (OE) centres); recent publications supporting environmental and outdoor education; and curriculum revisions across subject areas that include environmental education (EE) outcomes. Despite the surge of interest in EE, a variety of theoretical perspectives on the subject, and the growing abundance of teaching resources, it is still unclear how EE is being enacted in classrooms. As far back as 1996, Hart identified the lack of existing empirical studies tracking teachers' views and pedagogical practices of EE. A search of academic literature more than a decade later revealed little change. The authors were unable to find any substantial studies mapping Ontario teachers' knowledge, views and practice of EE or its link to OE. This study was designed in response to this gap, to act as a baseline study of environmental and outdoor education in Ontario. (Contains 1 table, 4 figures and 2 notes.)

Misao Dean (2006) discusses the canoe as a celebrated icon of Canadian culture in her critique of the Centennial celebrations of 1967; as part of the Centennial, the Canadian government organized the longest canoe race ever held. This author believes that the canoe has become a universal symbol of Canada and that all Canadians have the right to claim it as their own. However, as Dean (2006) suggests, it is vitally important that outdoor and environmental educators acknowledge and teach their students about the Aboriginal roots of the canoe; to ignore this crucial socio-historical truth amounts to cultural misappropriation. Contemporary outdoor and environmental educators are faced with the challenge and opportunity to facilitate the societal shift towards a deeper collective eco-cultural consciousness. The author suggests educators should reconsider the legacies of the voyageurs, habitants, and Indigenous peoples--inspiring and creating authentic connections for their students and themselves with Nature and history through backcountry journeys and canoe trips, as well as fostering a sense of daily connection through long-term initiatives such as community gardens and farmers' markets. (Contains 1 note.)

Over the past three decades, environmental issues have been on the global forefront and continue to affect people's daily lives. Although the need for environmental attention is at an all-time high, outdoor and environmental education (OEE) plays an insufficient role in school systems. As technology continues to contribute to advancements in every sector of the modern world, there is a dire need for education to find its way back to its roots. In achieving this, the ministry, school board members, principals, teachers and parents need to acknowledge the importance of experiential education and creating a sense of place for students during this important developmental stage of their lives. Sense of place can have many individualized meanings; common goals relate to the basics of individuals' developed relationships and understanding with nature, the environment, wildlife, community, and, most importantly, each other. To this the author suggests the days of endless textbook work, learning for the purpose of regurgitation and standardized testing have long passed their welcome. This article discusses a new direction for teaching methodologies, the importance of creating sense of place, and the potential in working with the traditional curriculum through integration of environmental and outdoor education.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to describe a large research project, which has integrated curricula and is currently emerging as a publicly funded K-7 place-based, imaginative, and ecological learning centre in Maple Ridge, British Columbia; second, to spend some time exploring more deeply the theoretical implications of the project and why integrated curricula are necessary. The challenges for the project have consistently been multi-faceted and multi-layered. For example, there is an onus upon the project to have theory and practice align and yet, given the complexity of the project and the incompleteness of both theory and practice, this is a noticeably organic and messy process. What is an ecological worldview? What, then, would be the practices that best map onto that view? It is in response to these questions that the author thinks integrated curricula begin to make sense. (Contains 3 notes.)

Over the years, the relationship between outdoor education and public schools has been a rocky one, and as a result it can be argued that outdoor education has never gained a significant foothold in the Canadian educational system. Though some believe that a potential incompatibility exists between outdoor education and schools, it is interesting to note outdoor education has its roots in that very system of education. In this paper the author presents research data profiling seven Canadian outdoor integrated programs operating in public schools through a qualitative study of 11 veteran teachers. These programs represent some of the longest and most successful integrated programs currently operating in Canada. From this study, key points are drawn out and collated from the various research participants. A review of the responses found that teachers viewed the success of their programs as contributing to many aspects of a student's school experience.

In a country as diverse as Canada, spread over an incomprehensibly large land mass, the connections between citizens may require more imagination. One way that these connections have been traditionally imagined in Canada is through national myths, including the myth of the wilderness. This myth draws the Canadian identity out of an "untouched" wilderness landscape. As much as there are problems with the wilderness myth of Canada, the land provides a valuable connection between all disparate members of Canadian society. And so, the author proposes a much more inclusive re-imagining of this myth, in which people draw national identity from the land in all the variety of its meanings and uses. In this way, Canadians can work to develop attachments to their specific pieces of land, while acknowledging the interconnections of the national landscape. In this article, the author discusses how to build national identity through place-based outdoor education. She argues that educators need to introduce their students to the places in which they live, and encourage them to find the connections between their selves and their places in addition to fostering an understanding of their connections to others and other people's places.

Interviews with directors at five Ontario summer camps found that three camps exposed children to stereotypes of Indigenous peoples and to cultural appropriation. This is inconsistent with goals of educating campers about and showing respect for Indigenous cultures. Given the current issues of land-claims and Aboriginal rights, non-Indigenous North Americans must move beyond mythical understandings of Indigenous peoples. (TD)

Representations of Canadian wilderness as empty, romantic, pristine places overlook the fact that people live there and reflect the dualism that casts humanity and nature as opposites. Outdoor enthusiasts, outdoor educators, environmentalists, and supporters of Indigenous rights need to recognize where their interests and those of Aboriginal people coincide and diverge, and should not appropriate the Indigenous cause to bolster their own. (TD)

Traditional techniques and gear are better suited for comfortable extended wilderness trips with high school students than are emerging technologies and techniques based on low-impact camping and petroleum-based clothing, which send students the wrong messages about ecological relatedness and sustainability. Traditional travel techniques and equipment create fantastic opportunities for enrichment experiences through cultural and heritage connections. (TD)

Increasing numbers of Canadians are removed from contact with nature and environmental degradation is increasing, yet the Ontario government is cutting funding for environmental and outdoor education in the public school system. Statements by scientists, educators, authors, government officials, and environmentalists note the importance of instilling environmental awareness in children, and of public education's role in that regard. (TD)

A 13-day camping trip to the Wendell K. Beckwith site in Wabakimi Provincial Park (Ontario) demonstrates how outdoor education programs can help students gain a rich understanding of the history of a particular tripping area and realize the interdependence of humans and nature. Such expeditions offer opportunities for curriculum integration, current affairs study, interpretation, and research. (TD)

A former Ontario high school student describes and reflects on her experiences in the semester-long "Beyond the Walls" program--an integrated program that combines environmental education projects, associated language arts, running, and lengthy camping and canoeing trips. (SV)

An outdoor trip leader reflects on the outdoor leader's role and responsibilities and on three qualities that set outdoor education programs apart from recreational programs: they promote continued self-directed learning; encourage reflection on the experience, both through structured activities and the creation of conditions conducive to reflection; and challenge and entice students to teach and lead themselves. (TD)

When people say that children grow up faster today, they are confusing appearance with reality. Children may be avid consumers of adult culture. They may adopt adult mannerisms and styles. They certainly get to grips with new technology far more easily than grown-ups. But when it comes to everyday freedoms--like walking to school alone, or meeting friends in the park--a very different picture emerges. The fact is that for the last 30 or 40 years or longer, across the developed world, the horizons of childhood have been shrinking, and adult control and oversight is becoming the norm. Why has this happened? The author argues that the causes are many and varied, and cannot simply be blamed on parents. Neighbourhoods are more dominated by cars, and families are more dependent on them. Changing family working patterns mean fewer parents are around to watch over children, and more children are in formal childcare. In many areas, people do not know their neighbours, and there is greater fear of crime. All these factors, and others, reinforce the logic of containment. In this article, the author discusses the need of a balanced approach and how to take a balanced approach to risk in childhood.

This short discussion explores the relevance and importance of place in adventure recreation and has evolved in part from an effort to understand the overwhelming influence of places on his own adventure experiences. While there is a depth of research and writing on both place and sense of place, this article highlights some practical notions that should induce further thought and reflection on the meaning of the spaces wherein people choose to recreate. He discusses how individuals view their adventure places. He begins by deconstructing places and describes the importance of differentiating between abstract space and meaningful place.

About 20 years ago, a number of Yukon schools took a different approach to outdoor education and outdoor pursuits. During the 1970s and 1980s, most Yukon high schools and junior high schools offered a course called Outdoor Education. These courses fit into the conventional blocks in a school timetable. Outdoor activities longer than these blocks of time typically took time from other teachers. This created a constant source of school tension in which students often fell behind in the other subjects and were required to play "catch-up" on their own time. This approach did little to link the outdoor activity with other subjects or to gain support from the larger school staff. Including field studies with outdoor pursuits has proved to be a successful educational approach. The ability to fuse an outdoor activity with related field studies benefits the entire educational enterprise. The linking of field studies with an outdoor pursuit gives both the study and the activity additional meaning. In addition, field studies reinforce both labs and lectures in specific subjects. In this paper, the author discusses one such program, describes a number of field studies employed in this program, and highlights some of the long-term benefits of this program.

Outdoor educators should find little to like in the Ontario government's new policy framework for environmental education. Released in February 2009, the document, titled "Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow," relies heavily on the 2007 Report of the Working Group on Environmental Education in Ontario, "Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future," also known as "The Bondar Report." The policy framework has two main flaws: The first is its plan to program children to believe in a particular version of environmental stewardship, and the second is its intent to integrate environmental education into existing curriculum. The message of this policy framework is that schools will imbue children with conformist environmental beliefs and keep curriculum basically the same. Genuine environmental education, states this author, requires scepticism and hard questions. Instead of developing analytical skills to distinguish between genuine environmental problems and moralistic hand-wringing, the framework seeks to condition children to believe in the version of environmental stewardship that society currently endorses.

Brock University offers both undergraduate and graduate programs and is host to approximately 17,000 students. It is the only Canadian university located in a World Biosphere Reserve--the Niagara Escarpment. The Bruce Trail passes through campus, and offers ample opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, nature interpretation and outdoor education. Brock is nestled in the heart of the Niagara wine region in St. Catharines, Ontario with Niagara Falls in close proximity. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the readers of this journal to some of the recent changes and exciting outdoor recreation educational opportunities within the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University.

The John Muir Award was established in the United Kingdom to respond to minimal environmental awareness, especially among youth. The Award has three levels of effort; all involve discovering a wild place, exploring its wildness, helping to conserve it, and sharing the experience with a wider audience. There is an effort to establish the award in Canada. (TD)

As part of an alternative practicum, two preservice teachers in Ontario visited 12 interdisciplinary outdoor programs with an environmental focus. The positive learning environments and experiential nature of these secondary programs produced positive outcomes for students and educators. However, program isolation and teacher burn-out were problems. The new provincial Interdisciplinary Studies curriculum provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary program teachers to come together. (SV)

An interdisciplinary outdoor program in Ontario has hosted student teachers for several years. A classroom teacher in the program describes program orientation for student teachers, student reactions to the student teacher, how student teachers can help interdisciplinary programs, qualities of an ideal student teacher, and recommendations to other integrated-program teachers. (SV)

The director of the ropes course at the recently privatized Bark Lake (Ontario) summer camp discusses differences between nonprofit and for-profit organizations and describes the group-based year-round outdoor education programs that were developed when the facility became private. Working within a profit formula can be more liberating but can also create stresses. (TD)

Describes plans for interpretive exhibits along a creek-side nature trail in an urban area, with the intent of reconnecting urban residents with nature and the sense of wonder that accompanies it. Interpretation was chosen because it is informal, accommodates a wide audience, and allows people to discover meanings and relationships in their own way. (TD)

Encourages environmental and outdoor educators to promote bicycling. In the community and the curriculum, cycling connects environmental issues, health and fitness, law and citizenship, appropriate technology, and the joy of being outdoors. Describes the Ontario Cycling Association's cycling strategy and its four components: school cycling policies, working with local agencies, improving cycling curriculum, and informing parents. (TD)

Living history and hands-on interpretation enable educators to capitalize on the curiosity, sensory needs, and creative enthusiasm of young students. However, objective evaluation in terms of measurable outcomes may be difficult. Suggestions are offered for linking curricular needs with personal growth by creating an atmosphere that promotes "thinking historically." (SAS)

Describes the Ontario provincial government's "Lands for Life" program, which will allocate 46 million hectares of public lands to four uses: intensive forestry, multiple use, tourism, and protected areas. Expresses skepticism about government statements by juxtaposing the rhetoric with the record, with regard to environmental protection, standards, secrecy, and accountability to the public. Notes implications for outdoor educators. (SV)

Four formal outdoor education programs in Newfoundland and Labrador are briefly described: Brother Brennan Environmental Education Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, and College of the North Atlantic. Cooperation among these formal environmental and outdoor recreation programs, informal community outdoor recreation programs, and private-sector ecotourism businesses is needed to assure future environmental protection. (SAS)

In this article, the author provides a response to Scott Caspell's article "Exploring the Influence of the ROC Integrated High School Program." The author states that Caspell picked an excellent time frame to interview former students as they had participated in the integrated program between 10 and 13 years ago. Ideally, then, participants would have completed some form of post-secondary education and now be in the work force. Some participants may be married, may have children, and certainly have had significant life experience. With their involvement in the study the participants were able to reflect back and ask: "Did the ROC program influence me in any way?" Caspell clearly captures another important concept: Integrated programs occur at a critical time in young peoples' lives and the opportunity to help "formulate self-identity" is present. One student also noted that a significant positive factor is the length of time of integrated programs. With these two ideas, the author can not help but make an analogy of integrated programs acting as rites of passage. These programs occur at a time when students are transitioning from childhood to adulthood; they challenge students, mentally and physically, in a unique educational setting; and in such programs students are guided by adult figures other than their parents. Caspell concluded from the interviews that the ROC program "blurred the boundaries between ecological and human communities." The author agrees wholeheartedly that this is a direction environmental education must go for gaining ideas of sustainability. When the lines between the human and non-human world are fuzzy, the right decisions become clear.