Reflection is a remarkable tool that fosters ongoing growth and development. When one is given the opportunity to reflect on an experience, he or she interprets the significance of the experience from his or her own perspective, making the experience more relevant. As a teacher, I have always made it my goal to develop rich experiences for my students. A single learning experience can motivate and influence a person’s decision. It is then the choices and interpretations that one makes as a learner that leads to richer experiences.

One experience that significantly impacted my decision to become an educator took place when I was 16. At that time, I was employed at a local nature camp. It was here that I met a remarkable teacher. In an hour, he taught wilderness survival skills to me and my co-workers. With a wide brim hat, sunglasses and a beard, he appeared as if he lived in the wilderness. He introduced us to a wealth of knowledge that was novel to us all. The passion that he had for nature and wilderness survival was not only appealing but also infectious. I was astonished by the wealth of knowledge nature’s classroom had to offer.

The brief experience was intrinsically motivating for me. It encouraged me to research and investigate topics related to the ecology and biodiversity of the landscape. I made the most of every opportunity I had to discover and exercise new skills that were needed in the great outdoors.  Each day I traversed up and down the conservation area with a field guide in hand as I shared my learning with the children under my care. I gained a reputation for being the camp’s resident nature expert among the staff, children, and even their parents. It became my own passion. I made it my goal to ensure that the children would have the opportunity to learn something new from nature’s classroom by the end of each day. It challenged me to devise innovative ways to showcase the natural world and engage young minds. Now, as an assistant director, I have spent a total of seven years working at that very same summer camp. My work experience has provided me with an opportunity to share my knowledge of the outdoors with the children. Each experience was developed so that the children could continuously make connections to their previous knowledge and experience.

         In Nature, Reflection comes easy. It is easy for children to see how plants connect with the weather and the soil, why some birds show up at some parts of the day rather than others, and to reflect on the history of the land. Guiding children throughout day gives them the opportunity to reflect on their subjective experiences as it intimately connects them with a network they may have never thought to have existed. What I find even more amazing about outdoor learning environments is that children recognize that others are engaged in experience and feel the need to communicate their perspectives without doubt or concern. They begin to reflect on how they connect to each other as learners. As easily as the wind blows they form a group dynamic that with appropriate guidance can be a positive asset to any classroom.


CHECK OUT THE EDCANVAS BELOW

There are some interesting videos, as well as websites that provide links to Outdoor education opportunities in the GTA.


Take the opportunity to check out the ORADACA CAMP VISION  2013 for the summer camp I work at.
Please take the opportunity to post comments and give any feedback. It is still a work in progress and will be continuously updated as we fine tune our program in June.  


JOHN TROINA, OCT.