Wednesday was spent shadowing two of the Boots n Paddles instructors, Phil and Dan, while they ran an open boating session for a group of Erasmus students from Aberdeen University. The group met near Eilean Donan Castle at the point where Loch Long, Loch Duibh and Loch Alsh meet. It was beautiful day with great views along Loch Duibh to the snow-capped mountains of Glen Shiel.
Phil and Dan spent some time before the session discussing there intentions for the group as they had not worked together before. It was quite breezy so Phil did some scouting on the water to see if he could find a more sheltered route. Once the group arrived I helped kit them out and after a few pointers on basic paddling techniques, from Dan, we got them into the boats.
It was interesting watching the boats take off in all directions! Due to a slight language barrier a few of the students were unsure what to do once they got underway. Phil and I were a in two man boat, like the ones being used by the students. We paddled about giving everyone a bit of support and a few more pointers to get them moving in the right direction. Dan was in the one man boat and hung back to keep an eye on the stragglers.
Throughout the session Phil had the group playing games, trying team-building activities and doing a bit of racing. He was very friendly and chilled out, chatting away to the clients throughout the session (he even attempted a spot of singing...) The atmosphere was very relaxed and fun. Dan was very supportive and patient with the groups who were struggling. The attitudes of both the instructors ensured that everyone had a very enjoyable experience. To finish the session we rafted the canoes together and let the wind and the tide carry us back to where we started.
It was useful to see how the instructors ran an outdoor activity session. They were both natural teachers and obviously had a real passion for their work. It was useful to see how the games helped build communication between the pairs and how through them the groups confidence developed allowing them to experiment with how the boats moved. It was clear from this session where the links between outdoor learning and outdoor pursuits could be made. The opportunities to develop emotional wellbeing and social skills were obvious as was the kinaesthetic value of the boating itself. There were also numerous opportunities to discuss the environment and wildlife. The lochs and mountains presented opportunities to explore the geology of the area and of course the castle itself and the nearby Glen Shiel battlefield would be obvious candidates for some historical research.
Days like that make it seem almost wrong to keep anyone cooped up in a classroom. The only way pupils will gain any real understanding of the world is by being in it and experiencing the subjects first hand. Indeed the connections between the geology, geography, history and culture of Scotland deftly demonstrate the falseness of the subject boundaries themselves. The opportunities for education in areas such as the Scottish highlands help to build a very strong case for the benefits of outdoor learning.
Phil and Dan spent some time before the session discussing there intentions for the group as they had not worked together before. It was quite breezy so Phil did some scouting on the water to see if he could find a more sheltered route. Once the group arrived I helped kit them out and after a few pointers on basic paddling techniques, from Dan, we got them into the boats.
It was interesting watching the boats take off in all directions! Due to a slight language barrier a few of the students were unsure what to do once they got underway. Phil and I were a in two man boat, like the ones being used by the students. We paddled about giving everyone a bit of support and a few more pointers to get them moving in the right direction. Dan was in the one man boat and hung back to keep an eye on the stragglers.
Throughout the session Phil had the group playing games, trying team-building activities and doing a bit of racing. He was very friendly and chilled out, chatting away to the clients throughout the session (he even attempted a spot of singing...) The atmosphere was very relaxed and fun. Dan was very supportive and patient with the groups who were struggling. The attitudes of both the instructors ensured that everyone had a very enjoyable experience. To finish the session we rafted the canoes together and let the wind and the tide carry us back to where we started.
It was useful to see how the instructors ran an outdoor activity session. They were both natural teachers and obviously had a real passion for their work. It was useful to see how the games helped build communication between the pairs and how through them the groups confidence developed allowing them to experiment with how the boats moved. It was clear from this session where the links between outdoor learning and outdoor pursuits could be made. The opportunities to develop emotional wellbeing and social skills were obvious as was the kinaesthetic value of the boating itself. There were also numerous opportunities to discuss the environment and wildlife. The lochs and mountains presented opportunities to explore the geology of the area and of course the castle itself and the nearby Glen Shiel battlefield would be obvious candidates for some historical research.
Days like that make it seem almost wrong to keep anyone cooped up in a classroom. The only way pupils will gain any real understanding of the world is by being in it and experiencing the subjects first hand. Indeed the connections between the geology, geography, history and culture of Scotland deftly demonstrate the falseness of the subject boundaries themselves. The opportunities for education in areas such as the Scottish highlands help to build a very strong case for the benefits of outdoor learning.