Beth, Tim, and I hope that you all returned safely home to your family and loved ones. Take a couple of days and get some rest and we hope you will take some time to reflect on the ideas and activities we all shared and took part in during our days together.
Jake's video finally uploaded from the iPad here at home (must have been a problem with the SUNY Cortland network) so here is the link to his kayaking video:
For your final post, please post any closing thoughts you have (and remember to post any web links from your projects that you think others may find helpful. Please post them as a followup comment to this post.
Finally, we want to say that we definitely enjoyed our time with you all. As teachers with many years of experience, it helps us in our professional practice to interact so intimately with younger teachers who can help us see many things with new eyes. After years of often battling bureaucracies and obstacles, it energizes us to be with you for the week in such a beautiful place and seeing many things through your eyes helps remind us about the beauty that we have around us, both in the natural world and in the young minds we encounter.
In closing, do keep in touch and do let us know of your successes. We wish you all the best as you grow and enjoy the successes that being a teacher brings and we hope that you will look back fondly on our time together at Camp Pine Knot on Raquette Lake.
Best wishes,
Karl, Beth, and Tim
As a closing thought, I would like to say that I had a great time with everybody in this class. There couldn't have been a better group to do this with. My favorite part was team bonding. Even though we had already spent the week together it was nice to do these activities as a group. Our group worked well with each other and there was not any conflicts for that I am thankful for. I wish everybody good luck with there futures and maybe one day we could all get together again
ReplyDeleteMy time in the ADK was amazing and I enjoyed every minute! My favorite part was kayaing because I was able to explore the beauty of the lake and the scenery that surrounded it. It was one of the first times I was able to explore the Adirondacks. Another one of my favorite times was when everyone played kickball. I loved how all of us could come together and coordinate a game. I felt that we had a great group of people that made my adventure great and fun!
ReplyDeleteIf I could change one thing about the class it would have to be the classroom time. I would of liked to explore the Adirondack more and learn more about the Adirondacks. I think the class should be more like the class Dan is designing for his high school students. Being in the Adirondacks is about being outside and enjoying the environment. I thought there was too much classroom time and too much time spent on computers.
For my project, I made a collage about Loons. Below is my project. I hope this works! :)
http://www.kizoa.com/slideshow/d2976073k9305232o1/loons
I will write about two very simple things that I learned this past week. First, I learned how easy it was to buy an energy efficient light bulb at the store on the way home for the bulb that blew out the morning I left for the lake. My excuse in the past was that I live in an apartment and move around so often that maybe I shouldn’t spend the extra money. Well, my outlook has changed and although we discussed that the big industries are really using the resources, I figure I need to start somewhere. I’m on my way to learn more and to find a way to integrate the information I learned in my future classroom.
ReplyDeleteSecond, a couple of months ago, I was reading a science packet with 6th graders. The circle of life included a picture of a “loon” swimming in the water. I asked a student what a loon was and he told me it was a bird. I don’t think I had ever heard of a loon before and now (especially after Kristi’s project) I feel like a pro.
You are all a great bunch of people to have a class with; that includes everyone directly and indirectly involved. I could have stayed there for weeks!
Attached is a link to Rich and my project on YouTube AND a picture on shutterfly of Jake and the man who fixed his tail pipe. Jake and I had somewhat of an interesting afternoon/evening after we left on Friday.
http://youtu.be/FvswRW_VBcE
http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=3a315856c7fec7c46d9889752d9a603c
After spending close to a week in the Adirondacks, I have learned so much about myself and the history/importance of the Adirondacks. Each day was a new experience and a chance to learn something new. None of those experience would have been the same without all of you. Thank you for making my time spent in the Adirondacks so amazing, and I wish you all the best of luck with your future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed my time spent in the Adirondacks. It was so much fun exploring and learning new things about the history and the natural world. My favorite part of the trip was hiking Black Bear Mountain and exploring the bog. Originally, I thought a bog was a dark, swampy area but really it is beautiful and full of life. Of course this week would not be the same without all of you. It was great to meet and get to know each and everyone of you. When we first arrived on the boat I was nervous about how we would all get along because we all were different. However, I think that variety made the trip even better! I really wish you all the best in your futures and think a much needed reunion should be in the works! =]Have a great rest of the summer!
ReplyDeleteAfter driving for 6 hours on Friday and hitting some traffic it was nice to just relax and get some much needed sleep. On my drive home I thought a lot about the week and what we did. I really enjoyed hiking because I never done anything like that. Also, kayaking was amazing and I plan on going with my boyfriend within the next few weeks. I really enjoyed my time meeting a bunch of new people. I enjoyed our quality time at the campfires, night hike, and team building activities. I think we all got a long and learned a lot from each other. Through my adventures and exlporing I really did learn a lot that I may have not learned before. Seeing the stars over the lake was so cool! The stars at home are not nearly as bright and beatufiul as up in the ADKs.
ReplyDeleteI also agree, that some of the classroom time was long and could have been spent outside enjoying the ADK. Through my car rides with Dan I learned a lot since he knew many of the places we passed. Overall, I had a great time with everyone and enjoyed our week togetehr. Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone and good luck!
Well the day after leaving Raquette I was back to work and already missing my little get away. I am one of the lucky few that gets to enjoy the area year round and take advantage of all that it has to offer. Being that I am year round resident of the area I know first-hand all of the amazing things that the area has to offer. I was a little disappointed that we did not take full advantage of the outdoors at all times and felt as though I wanted to show those new to the area more activities that can be shared with students to invoke their passion and knowledge for the area. The times spent outdoors at Raquette were among my favorite, kayaking, hiking and bon fire were top on my list. I also think that the family style meals really helped to build friendships and a stronger sense of community. Through the trip I was able to learn some great new team building exercises as well as some new plant information that I did not know.
ReplyDeleteOverall the trip was one that I will not soon forget. I wish everyone the best of luck for their futures, if you are ever back in the area look me up! :) Also if anyone wants a copy of my pre-k guide to the Adirondacks please let me know and I can e-mail you a copy! Merp!
What a great class! I would first like to say I learned so much about the Adirondacks, other people, and myself. I will never forget this class nor this experience.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as Steve already noted (and photographed, haha), my adventure wasn't over. On the way home my tailpipe fell the Flip off! It was dangling there, so we made it to a local mechanic, sort of, and got it rigged back on. Just my luck, I knew something else had to happen, haha.
I appreciate you all very much. Hit me up on Facebook, if you haven't already, and keep in touch. I do like the sound of a reunion down the road. Keep the Adventure rollin!
The time we spent at camp Hunington and in the Adirondacks was very informative and enjoyable. I feel that using the outdoors as an educational environment should be taught to all new and continuing teachers. So much can be learned through the outdoors and history of the land surrounding us. I would highly recommend this class to any teacher wanting to learn ways to use the outdoors as a educational tool. Many things can be learned about a group or the individual in the outdoor setting.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed this class, especially the social aspects. I believe that the social connections made between the students were so important, and were great practice for the near and far future in our personal and professional lives. This was a great mental break for me, and I had a lot of fun during the course of the week.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have gone outside more for classes. Obviously there are many things that need to be done inside such as slideshows and videos, but it would have been great to have taken more advantage of the beautiful Camp Huntington or done more activities.
I hope that many more students will be able to partake in outdoor and environmental education at Raquette Lake and know that they will have a great time and learn quite a bit. Thank you to everyone who runs the camp and to the course instructors, Beth, Carl, and Tim (& family). This was truly a memorable experience!