how do you learn? how to teach?
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Scots_Charles_River
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Scottish education is totally diff. from English. There is no UK education system. GCSEs don't exist in scotland. Even scottish degrees are longer. The recent OECD report was very positive about scottish education compared to other systems worldwide.
Nick
Nick
I'm a community worker to trade among many other things...and it's fascinating to read such a healthy debate on how to teach. To put it simply, to grow and learn from each other in a holistic way and empowering individuals/groups through guided self discovery. Liberation my friends.
Sorry Nick, I stand corrected
So whats wrong with the English and Welsh education system?
After Ogri the Trog went on a Forest Schools training session weve been having a bit of a learning and teaching debate. Rather than carrying it on under the what to do in Sheffield thread I thought it would be interesting to throw it open to the forum, so
Who did you learn your bushcraft skills from? How did they teach you? What was good and what was bad about that experience?
My first mentor was my dad, teaching me how to skin and butcher a deer when I was fairly young. After him, my one continuous teacher was Dr Gino Ferri, from Survival in the Bush Inc. He taught me the majority of my skills, as well as several of my Ojibway customs. With that in mind, he has become my Mishomis (Grandfather), a term we use for lifelong mentors, of great respect. Beyond him, I've learned from many natives, and hunters throughout Ontario, and the United States. All lessons were positive, and have helped mold me into me.
Do you teach bushcraft skills? Who do you teach? What works for you? Have you any formal training? How did that help you?
I've taught through many companies (Summer Camps), and groups (Outdoor Education Centres). I am currently trying to expand into a small educational resource and skills training company. Sadly funding is a difficult thing for a 19 year old to aquire. I have been trained by Survival in the Bush Inc, which has certified me in Wilderness First Aid, and has put me through many survival courses, and simulations. I'm proud of the fact that I was trained by such highly respected outdoorspeople, and with such a large amount of credentials, it's hard for most companies or hopefull clientelle to deny that I am experienced. So the training does definately help, especially since I am so young.
Im interested in teaching and learning in the broadest sense. Informal learning around the camp fire or sat fishing with your Granddad is as relevant as any formal training
Beyond that, I am also trying to begin a program for Aboriginal youth on Indian reserves near me. The program would entail afternoon and evening programs, weekend trips, and could even go for 2 month long programs (summer immersion/expedition). I'm trying to get the native reserves to bite onto the project and help with funding and attracting the youth. Most of my business ideas are more for youth, but won't deny adults or even children from participating. Here's hoping it all works out by 2009!
For me I took a multi strand approach to learn in Bushcraft, although that is not what I called it at the time.
I was in the Scouting movement for many years thats where I got started in basic skills that I still use, I then was given several books by my parents about Survival, mostly I learned from Lofty Wisemans book and also Bushcraft by Richard Graves and the many Survival magazines around during the late 80s early 90s like American Survival Guide and the original Combat & Survival magazine, not the monstrosity it has turned into...
I took the skills put forward in these publications and just started to learn each new skill as I came to it in the book, and used a lot of trial and error and a few trips to the emergency ward to learn my skills, then I when into Search and Rescue and learned a few more skills, and started to learn how to instruct in practical skills.
However, it was while I was in the Military that I really started to learn because it was a matter of necessity being posted to the jungle warfare school had a great impact on what I call bushcraft today
Now
As for teaching these skills.
First, just because you have the knowledge dose not mean you can teach it, you can be the worlds leading subject matter expert, but that dose not mean you can teach what you know. I am a professional teacher, I teach English language as a native speaker, but just because I am a native speaker dose not mean, I can teach
I have taken many courses to teach me how to be a better teacher; I invested many hours into preparing lesson plans and creating my training aids and handouts.
1, what are the students needs?
2, what is the best way to get the required information across?
3, do you have a lesson plan or are you just going to cuff it?
Here is an example of a lesson plan I use when I teach, whether it is an English lesson or an outdoor related skill set:
Lesson Plan Template:
Theme / Objective: Light a fire
Skill level: beginner
Age group: 14 - 20
Lesson Length: 45 mins
Teaching Method: auditory, kinaesthetic
Skill to be learned: each student will be able to safely light and extinguish a fire and explain the safety requirements needed.
Resources / Training aids: 1 box of matches per student, tinder, kindling, wood, safety equipment.
Pre-task / Warm up: explain the need for fire and its many uses
Teaching skill 1: safety
Task 1: clear fireplace and position all needs
Teaching skill 2: lay fire bed & light the fire safely
Task 2: prepare fire to light, correctly lay a fire, light a match correctly, and light the fire safely
Teaching skill 3: put the fire out
Task 3: extinguish the fire and make the site safe.
Follow up / Summation: explain the need for fire and its many uses, and all the safety measures needed.
Homework / After Task: each student is to light a fire safely and explain the correct safety measures, then extinguish and refurbish stores.
By having a set lesson plan you can better focus on what you are trying to teach as each section of the plan is timed you wont be side tracked by wayward students
Most of the ability to teach comes down to your ability to motivate the students and keep their attention, if you have the warmth of a snow pea and an innate ability to irritate people then you wont make a very successful teacher .
Just my two cents...
Karl
I was in the Scouting movement for many years thats where I got started in basic skills that I still use, I then was given several books by my parents about Survival, mostly I learned from Lofty Wisemans book and also Bushcraft by Richard Graves and the many Survival magazines around during the late 80s early 90s like American Survival Guide and the original Combat & Survival magazine, not the monstrosity it has turned into...
I took the skills put forward in these publications and just started to learn each new skill as I came to it in the book, and used a lot of trial and error and a few trips to the emergency ward to learn my skills, then I when into Search and Rescue and learned a few more skills, and started to learn how to instruct in practical skills.
However, it was while I was in the Military that I really started to learn because it was a matter of necessity being posted to the jungle warfare school had a great impact on what I call bushcraft today
Now
As for teaching these skills.
First, just because you have the knowledge dose not mean you can teach it, you can be the worlds leading subject matter expert, but that dose not mean you can teach what you know. I am a professional teacher, I teach English language as a native speaker, but just because I am a native speaker dose not mean, I can teach
I have taken many courses to teach me how to be a better teacher; I invested many hours into preparing lesson plans and creating my training aids and handouts.
1, what are the students needs?
2, what is the best way to get the required information across?
3, do you have a lesson plan or are you just going to cuff it?
Here is an example of a lesson plan I use when I teach, whether it is an English lesson or an outdoor related skill set:
Lesson Plan Template:
Theme / Objective: Light a fire
Skill level: beginner
Age group: 14 - 20
Lesson Length: 45 mins
Teaching Method: auditory, kinaesthetic
Skill to be learned: each student will be able to safely light and extinguish a fire and explain the safety requirements needed.
Resources / Training aids: 1 box of matches per student, tinder, kindling, wood, safety equipment.
Pre-task / Warm up: explain the need for fire and its many uses
Teaching skill 1: safety
Task 1: clear fireplace and position all needs
Teaching skill 2: lay fire bed & light the fire safely
Task 2: prepare fire to light, correctly lay a fire, light a match correctly, and light the fire safely
Teaching skill 3: put the fire out
Task 3: extinguish the fire and make the site safe.
Follow up / Summation: explain the need for fire and its many uses, and all the safety measures needed.
Homework / After Task: each student is to light a fire safely and explain the correct safety measures, then extinguish and refurbish stores.
By having a set lesson plan you can better focus on what you are trying to teach as each section of the plan is timed you wont be side tracked by wayward students
Most of the ability to teach comes down to your ability to motivate the students and keep their attention, if you have the warmth of a snow pea and an innate ability to irritate people then you wont make a very successful teacher .
Just my two cents...
Karl
Eric_Methven
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
That's interesting Karl. I have found that lesson plans go right out the window though. As often as not, someone will ask a really interesting and relevant question, but not related to that part of the lesson plan. Rather than postpone answering it until the particular lesson is being taught, I tend to deal with things as they crop up. If I were still running courses for local authorities, or for colleges, I would have a complete scheme of work, lesson plans, aims and objectives, performance criteria, range statements and all the other stuff that they want in triplicate. I'd follow the rough outline, but going on past experience it would all go pear shaped after the first hour. I've been doing it long enough by now though to make sure all the criteria was covered at some point during the course, and the students all gathered sufficient evidence by the end to infer they were competent in the specific skill areas.
To use your lesson above as an example, we get to the bit about striking the match correctly and lighting the tinder. Then someone asks about flint and steel. I know I'm going to introduce that aspect later, but I deal with it now and cover both matches and flint and steel methods. No probs, everything else is in place, it's the same gear being used so all that changes is the length of the lesson. What it does, is answer the question with a practical demonstration when it is fresh in the student's mind, it also makes the student feel he has learned some new skill at his own request rather than having had it imposed upon him. It also gives me some breathing space that I can fill with something else in the lesson where I was going to cover flint and steel.
I've tried it both ways, and I find students get frustrated and sometimes bored if they don't get their questions answered reasonably quickly. The relaxed way just makes for a friendly, seamless learning experience although it means more work for me as I have to ensure everyone covers all that they are meant to. I prefer to think of my method as 'organised chaos'. It works, and that's what matters.
Eric
To use your lesson above as an example, we get to the bit about striking the match correctly and lighting the tinder. Then someone asks about flint and steel. I know I'm going to introduce that aspect later, but I deal with it now and cover both matches and flint and steel methods. No probs, everything else is in place, it's the same gear being used so all that changes is the length of the lesson. What it does, is answer the question with a practical demonstration when it is fresh in the student's mind, it also makes the student feel he has learned some new skill at his own request rather than having had it imposed upon him. It also gives me some breathing space that I can fill with something else in the lesson where I was going to cover flint and steel.
I've tried it both ways, and I find students get frustrated and sometimes bored if they don't get their questions answered reasonably quickly. The relaxed way just makes for a friendly, seamless learning experience although it means more work for me as I have to ensure everyone covers all that they are meant to. I prefer to think of my method as 'organised chaos'. It works, and that's what matters.
Eric
Hasnt there always been interference in "education" one way or another since the concept of being taught in a school first came into being and the education industry was created? I dont think interference is a new thing. Wether by churchmen, industialist's, marxist social scientist's, globalist's etc; now the advertising people are rying to get into school with there crapitalist propaganda's. I mean, should there be "education" for its own sake or merely to serve the (very narrow and limiting) requirement's of business/capital? If they dont need many litertate/numarata people, then dont bother training all the kid's, or worry if there are poor standard's of acheivement. I think its more a case of factions fighting for control of the dogma's and agenda's that are indoctrinated into kids "at school" which explains what went wrong with Uk education. We are set to fall even further into semi literate status. Something aint right if "poor" "deprived" countries with rough and ready basic education industries acheive better result's than here in the UK with all the billions spent each year, and as the govt's of all party's keep blabbering we are solving this by spending ("investing") X billion extra pounds, when its clear spnding more doesnt necessarily produce better esults. Why dont they swallow there pride and say our system is expensive (but crap), why dont WE get lessons on how to run an education system from teacher's in say Greece or Poland or Africa?? They seem to do better with WAY less resources. But frankly as with any so called essential public service your left wondering if its main purpose is to provide jobs and pensions for those employed in it?
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