ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Response to &quot;Exploring the Influence of the ROC Integrated High School Program&quot;
Author: Elrick, Michael
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Integrated Curriculum,Environmental Education,Foreign Countries,High Schools,High School Students,Interdisciplinary Approach,Interviews,Program Effectiveness,Education Work Relationship,Identification (Psychology),Adolescent Development

In this article, the author provides a response to Scott Caspell's article &quot;Exploring the Influence of the ROC Integrated High School Program.&quot; 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: &quot;Did the ROC program influence me in any way?&quot; Caspell clearly captures another important concept: Integrated programs occur at a critical time in young peoples' lives and the opportunity to help &quot;formulate self-identity&quot; 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 &quot;blurred the boundaries between ecological and human communities.&quot; 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.
Literacy Environment Quality in Preschool and Children's Attitudes toward Reading and Writing
Author: Cunningham, Denise D.
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Magnet Schools,Writing Attitudes,Negative Attitudes,Emergent Literacy,Student Attitudes,Preschool Children,Educational Environment,Urban Schools,Attitude Measures,Comparative Analysis,Environmental Influences,Educational Quality,At Risk Students,Disadvantaged Youth,Socioeconomic Influences,Racial Differences,Gender Differences,Observation,Surveys,Classroom Environment

This study examines young children's attitudes toward reading and writing as it relates to the literacy environment in which they had been enrolled. Children (N = 201) attending magnet schools (schools established to address desegregation mandates) in a large urban, midwestern school district were given a reading and writing attitude survey the first week of school. The survey results were compared to the children's literacy development measures as well as quality ratings of the literacy environment in which they had participated. Results indicate attitudes toward reading and writing varied significantly depending on the quality of the classroom literacy environment. Children's attitudes became more positive as the quality of the literacy environment improved. In addition, children's literacy development and attitudes toward reading and writing were strongly related. Variables such as race and gender were not related to children's attitudes; however, economically at-risk children had more negative attitudes toward reading and writing than children from more-advantaged families. The data further reveal that attitudes toward writing were more negative than attitudes toward reading. (Contains 4 figures and 7 tables.)
Free Life: A Report from the &quot;Outdoor Life for Women&quot; Program in Sweden
Author: Stenberg, Kerstin
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Recreational Activities,Females,Foreign Countries,Outdoor Education,Teacher Improvement,Womens Education,Teacher Competencies,Leadership Training,Gender Issues

The Swedish national curriculum, in its aims for sport and health, places specific emphasis on outdoor life both for recreation and as the basis of good health. Since it is often women that work in preschool, infant and junior schools, the author felt it important that these teachers be given the opportunity to develop their skills, competence and personal insight in order to be more willing and capable of leading outdoor life activities. On this basis, in 2000 the author started &quot;Outdoor Life for Women&quot;--a free-standing course to be given by the Department of Educational Sciences at Lulea University of Technology. The course offers female teaching professionals the opportunity to increase their personal competence in the skills required to develop and lead outdoor life pursuits in their places of work and to see such activities as natural pedagogic tools to help individuals develop, irrespective of age or physical capability. The purpose of this paper is to describe the nature of the Outdoor Life for Women program, including empirical research that analyses the participants' experiences and outcomes of the course.
Outdoor Education and Environmental (Make that Nature) Learning
Author: Johnston, Julie
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outdoor Education,Environmental Education,Foreign Countries,Interdisciplinary Approach,Educational Philosophy,History

Outdoor education cannot &quot;not&quot; be about nature learning. Just as David Orr (1992) says that all education is environmental education, so too all outdoor education teaches something about the natural world--either that it matters or that it doesn't. According to the Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario (COEO), &quot;outdoor education directly exposes participants to our natural environment in ways that engender personal connections, knowledge, skills and a lifelong environmental [nature] ethic.&quot; This is why outdoor educators must also see themselves as environmental educators. This author states that everybody can model a respectful interest in nature, think ecologically, encourage play in wild nature, use the environment as an integrated context for learning, and share the magic of natural history and nature connecting--all without any training in environmental science, and no matter where their outdoor teaching takes them. She believes that it is time for outdoor educators and environmental educators to claim their common ground and collectively call for a transformation--to make nature the teacher and the Earth matter, more than anything else in the world.
Curriculum-Based Learning--Museum Style
Author: Yuill, Stephanie
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Experiential Learning,Museums,Archives,Programming,Conservation (Environment),Social Problems,Cultural Education,Outdoor Education,Foreign Countries,National Curriculum,Fees

From the World Conservation Union to front-line practitioners, there is increasing recognition of the interaction between nature and people, and a growing integration of environmental and social issues. This also rings true for natural and cultural heritage educators as the line between nature and culture education slowly blurs. Perhaps the biggest tie linking natural and cultural heritage educators is the provincial curriculum. Museums, archives, and galleries have a wide variety of grades and subjects they link with their programming. For many, this is their bread and butter. Some sites see literally thousands of students during the school year compared to hundreds of visitors during the summer months. From a financial standpoint, the more curriculum-based programs, the higher the revenue. And in this climate of budget reductions and government program cuts, revenue is important. This article discusses how museums, archives, and galleries are reaching out to students, what they do for outdoor experiential education programming, and how they tie into the provincial curriculum.
How a Climbing Wall Became Part of a NEW Physical Education Program
Author: Cook, Gordon
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Education,Obesity,Physical Activities,Health Promotion,Children,Public Schools,Physical Activity Level,Foreign Countries,Child Health,Early Adolescents,Health Behavior

The introduction of a NEW physical education (PE) program at Ancaster Senior Public School had, at its root, the desire to make physical activity an inclusive domain for both athletic students and those not so inclined. With the growing concerns over the rapid and consistent rise in childhood obesity rates it was evident that the current model of competitive sport skill-related programs was not meeting the needs of many students. In an effort to address these concerns, it was necessary to look for ways to engage students that would meet their needs and interests. To accomplish this end, it was determined that many of the goals the school was attempting to meet could be addressed through the use of a climbing wall. The climbing wall was seen as a legitimate educational activity that would encourage the physical, mental, social and emotional growth of each participant. This article describes how a climbing wall became an integral part of Ancaster Senior's NEW PE program. The integration of a permanent climbing wall in the school as part of its NEW PE program has provided students with an invitation to revisit their childhood and &quot;climb&quot; the new challenges presented in the &quot;new curriculum&quot; of the 21st century.
Name Writing: A First Step to Phonetic Writing? Does the Name Have a Special Role in Understanding the Symbolic Function of Writing?
Author: Both-de Vries Anna C.
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Phonetics,Emergent Literacy,Indo European Languages,Foreign Countries,Writing Instruction,Phonemic Awareness,Young Children,Word Recognition,Socioeconomic Status,Recognition (Psychology),Writing (Composition),Cognitive Development

This study tested how name writing affects young children's emergent writing. Beginning with a group of 96 Dutch children ages 3 1/2-5, we selected more-advanced children who were producing strings of conventional letters but, apart from very few words, no correct or readable (invented) spellings (N = 35). All children recruited from middle-to-high socioeconomic status (SES) Dutch families were asked to write, in their native Dutch language, their name as well as a set of 16 words such as &quot;baby&quot; and &quot;flower&quot; that were not likely to have been practiced before. The children's control for writing their own proper name influenced spellings of unpracticed words. Fifty-two percent of the letters used to represent unpracticed words were letters from the child's proper name and, more importantly, the first letter of the name was the first one to be written phonetically. These effects of name writing were replicated in a second study with another sample of slightly older children (ages 4-6) from low SES Dutch families (N = 79). We speculate on factors that may explain why a shift to phonetic writing starts with the first letter of a child's name. (Contains 2 tables.)
Multicultural Environmental Education
Author: Martin, Kristen
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Education,Multicultural Education,Conservation (Environment),Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Outdoor Education

Multicultural environmental education (MEE) is &quot;a new field of theory and practice for environmental education where content is influenced by and taught from multiple cultural perspectives. It is conscious of its own cultural perspectives and of the function that it has in the world and in the lives of diverse students and communities&quot; (Running-Grass, 1996). MEE is based on the premise that the world is experiencing an environmental crisis that is largely the product and responsibility of Western culture (Bryant, 1996). This crisis is characterized by global environmental devastation and international and local environmental injustices. To preserve the lives of humans and other species and to reinstate intercultural justice, Westerners must change their relationship with the Earth and engage &quot;everyone&quot; in environmental issues. This article discusses the barriers to multicultural representation in environmental issues and describes how these barriers can be overcome through MEE.
Beyond Learning to Canoe
Author: Duncan, Dale
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outdoor Education,Recreational Activities,Day Camp Programs,Police,Urban Areas,Financial Support,Foreign Countries,Juvenile Gangs,Program Descriptions

Franki Lodge and her coworkers help run Toronto's Inner City Outtripping Centre (ICOC), an outdoor education program aimed at innercity youth. Started in 1995 to reduce conflict between rival gangs in Christie Pits Park, the organization has since grown to include the Paddle and Picnic program (day camps where kids, teens and even seniors canoe up the Humber River); the Toronto Recreational Outreach Outtripping Program (TROOP) Trip (three-day camping trips where police officers and youth portage, paddle, cook and set up camp together on McCrae Lake near Georgian Bay); and two-week leadership programs, which include a week of training and a week of camping. This article discusses the efforts of Lodge and her crewmates to get kids and teens in Toronto to see and experience the city in ways most of them rarely consider. It also explains why garnering financial support for outdoor education programs is a challenge.
Questions
Author: Kuntz, Haley
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outdoor Education,Experiential Learning,Questioning Techniques,Teaching Methods,Creative Teaching,Personal Narratives

A canoe trip guide for young people gets used to the never-ending flow of questions. Kids are constantly inquiring about how many kilometres have been traveled that day, how many kilometres to go that day, what is for dinner, and when the next set of moving water is coming up. With kids, the questions are endless. Questions often are used as a teaching opportunity, or as an introduction to a conversation or debate. Sometimes questions from kids are conveniently discarded by tossing a question back at them, or answering their many questions with the same random number. Time to think is one of the luxuries of a canoe trip, which allows for time to daydream, time to question. In this article, the author discusses why asking questions is what outdoor education and canoe tripping are about and shares how outdoor education and experiential learning allows for, and actually encourages, different avenues of thought and methods of learning.
UNBC: Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management Program
Author: Maher, Pat
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outdoor Education,Tourism,Conservation (Environment),Foreign Countries,Cultural Context,Recreation,Parks,Natural Resources,Experiential Learning,Undergraduate Study,Graduate Study

This article describes the University of Northern British Columbia's (UNBC's) Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management (ORTM) Program, which focuses squarely on the management of outdoor recreation as it relates to conservation (i.e., in and around parks and protected areas), tourism that is both based in and concerned with the natural/cultural environment rather than business or hospitality, and hands-on integrated learning that gives students real-world experience, and the opportunity to pursue certifications that will supplement their degree and allow them to find meaningful employment in their field/industry. Across all its degree options, the ORTM program strives to capitalize on the unique location of UNBC by discussing relevant outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism within a northern BC, Canadian and international context. The ORTM program offers small class sizes, close contact with faculty, and both interesting and challenging courses. A short history of the program is provided and some recent successes of the program's key undergraduate courses or projects are highlighted.
Setting the Tone
Author: Stanchfield, Jennifer
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Group Dynamics,Physical Activities,Outdoor Education,Group Activities,Interpersonal Communication,Interpersonal Relationship,Student Empowerment

Introductory activities create a positive environment, enhance performance and set the tone for the rest of the program. Taking time for the group to get comfortable and learn each others' names will pay off later. An engaging opening activity designed to get the group interacting and sharing names, backgrounds and goals in an intriguing way can really maximize the group process. Every facilitator has their own set of favourite opening activities. Many activity books have whole sections on this subject. The author has learned some of the best and most effective activities in her repertoire from other facilitators, experimenting with groups, and adapting activities over time and experience. This article offers a few favourite activities that work to set the tone for most group situations.
Building a Trail, Building Character
Author: Elgie, Bill
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outdoor Education,Recreational Facilities,Foreign Countries,Grade 9,Recreational Activities,Adventure Education,Partnerships in Education,Males,Forestry,Single Sex Schools,Secondary Education

In Grade 9, Upper Canada College (UCC) students participate in a week-long outdoor education program in Halton Region, west of Toronto. This week is the culmination of over 60 days of total outdoor education programming between Senior Kindergarten and Grade 9. Activities during the expedition include moving water canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, orienteering, and rock climbing. As part of this week-long outdoor education adventure, all Grade 9 students spend half a day doing environmental service work for some group or organization operating in the expedition area. These projects help protect and preserve the natural areas of north Halton Region, and the students are able to give back something to the area they are travelling through. This article focuses on a large-scale project undertaken by UCC students with the goal of restoring one of the most highly used sections of the Bruce Trail in order to allow it to remain open to the public.
Cedar Ridge Camp: Using the Local Environment
Author: Burke, Grayson
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Curriculum Development,Outdoor Education,Environmental Education,Earth Science,Playgrounds,Learning Experience,Natural Resources,Wildlife,Individual Development,Recreational Facilities,Recreational Activities,Summer Programs,Summer Schools,Year Round Schools,Play,Foreign Countries

In 2007 Cedar Ridge Camp opened for its first season as a traditional co-ed summer camp and year-round outdoor education and recreation centre. The mission would centre on creating a program that would encourage personal development and growth through a shared outdoor experience. Cedar Ridge's main goals were to promote the formation of close bonds, both amongst individuals and with the surrounding environment; teach the value of teamwork; instil the worth of hard work; and encourage skill acquisition through both work and play. The primary goal of its outdoor education centre was to design programs that would fuse its ethos with the specific aims of each group. Whether working with corporate groups, schools or outdoor enthusiasts Cedar Ridge would concentrate on teambuilding, leadership and environmental education. This article describes how the local environment's attributes--such as the abundance of wildlife, river possibilities in Madawaska region, and the city of Bancroft's natural playgrounds--shaped Cedar Ridge's curriculum development. The wildlife acted as a teaching tool for campers on how to exist harmoniously with the animals; the whitewater allows campers to develop their river skills in a challenging but safe environment; and the infrastructure of the city of Bancroft accommodates winter adventurers. Cedar Ridge intends to make use of these disparate activities, using underutilized tools for a fuller learning experience. As it continues to grow and evolve, it will rely on its teaching axioms while remaining fluid enough to adopt and incorporate the surfeit of natural resources. [&quot;Cedar Ridge Camp: Using the Local Environment&quot; was written with Scott Tavener.]
A Century of Being Prepared
Author: Ridley, Rob
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Outdoor Education,Environmental Education,Experiential Learning,Foreign Countries,Recreational Activities,Youth,Organizations (Groups),Females

No matter the subject--be it math, science, language, art, health, drama, music, the industrial arts, business, drafting or others--experiential and environmental connections can be made. By its very definition, experiential education can provide the perfect conduit for developing knowledge about such subjects. In Ontario, there are school boards that run outdoor education programs, conservation authorities, provincial and national parks and many competent private providers as well. But there are more--many more, in fact--that are not recognized as the great providers they are of outdoor experiential and environmental education. This article describes some of the first outdoor education providers in the province, such as the Girl Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada, and discusses how these groups offer physical, social, spiritual and mental experience for campers. This 2007, Scouts Canada is celebrating its 100th birthday, a century of offering services to campers and a proof that scouting remains prevalent today.
Alternative Education, Not Alternative Location
Author: Mills, Anna-Marie
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adventure Education,Nontraditional Education,Team Training,Experiential Learning,Credits,Foreign Countries,Learning Experience,Program Descriptions,Cooperative Learning,High Schools,Leadership Training,Communication Skills

The Adventure Based Learning Experience (ABLE) program is designed for students who require a non-traditional approach to learning with varied program delivery options or need a flexible learning landscape. This unique experiential learning program provides students from Mississauga and Brampton the opportunity to &quot;learn from doing&quot; in an outdoor education environment while earning high school credits towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. As an experiential learning program, ABLE uses various vehicles of delivery (low ropes, high ropes, wilderness experiences, initiative tasks, breakfast club, food bank and soup kitchen experiences) to present students with deliberately designed learning experiences and challenges. The program also makes use of experiences that focus on leadership, communication, team building and co-operative learning.