July 19, 2012 - How Low (Ropes Course) Can You Go

We spent the morning looking at ways that the faculty were "walking the talk" about sustainability and living lighter on the land and building community where they lived.

Here are two links demonstrating two of their efforts:

Sustainable Cortland  http://www.sustainablecortland.org

Sustainable Cortland on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainablecortland/

In addition, here is a link to a video shot by the Public Affairs Office at Onondaga Community College.  It is a more detailed look at their homestead and their efforts to reduce their impact on the planet.

For today's post please let us know what you are thinking about after all the information and activities we talked about and participated in this most beautiful day in the Adirondack Mt. region of NY.

If you care to, you can also post some things you might be able to do in your "regular" life.

July 18th - It's a Bog's Life

We began the day with a stop at Ferd's Bog near Camp Huntington.  Found a lot of wildlife and enjoyed seeing the plants in this unique area.  Luckily nobody fell through the mat!

Then, a trip up the back side of Black Bear Mt. for a lunch with a spectacular view.

Please post a reaction or an observation or any insight you that may have occurred to you today.

Late Edit (9 PM)....  Here is the address of my photo site for the class:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56693583@N08/sets/72157630644511452/with/7600596950/

July 17th - Museum Day

Well it was a hot one today and hopefully everyone managed tot stay hydrated.  It was nice to get a break from the heat by visiting the two museums.  After taking a look around The Wild Center in Tupper Lake and The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain, please post a short message telling about any interesting "finds" or things you learned.  Comments about the museums are also welcome.

July 16th - Day 2 - (Re)Localized Living and Outdoor Adventure

For today's ADK Classroom, in the morning session we considered several ways that American life will likely be changing (living arrangements, different ways of obtaining life's necessities, education, etc.).  Up till now, technology has been a given in the American lifestyle, and James Howard Kunstler thinks that, in the future, we will likely be making other arrangements, willingly or unwillingly.  Then we completed a bit more of the Camp Pine Knot tour and visited the Chapel Durant built for the workers near the site of the original village of Raquette Lake.   In the afternoon, we spent time on Raquette Lake proper learning canoeing and kayaking skills and observing bits of the natural world.  For example, when Beth and I were sitting in a quiet cove, we saw an otter and he/she was also watching us.  Finally, we talked about some of the assigned readings/viewings for the class.

For today's comments, please write a brief reflection (1 paragraph on any of the above) and post as a followup comment.

2012 ADK Classroom Has Commenced!

The students have arrived and we are now starting our time together!  Beth, Tim, and I are delighted to have such an enthusiastic and engaged group with us for the week.  The weather is looking pretty good and we are expecting to learn a lot.

Stay tuned for updates and posts from the students.

- Karl

An Update Prior to the Class (Or, a few more things to consider)

Hi everyone!  Hope you had a nice holiday yesterday.  Beth, Tim, and I are gearing up for the class and are looking forward to meeting everyone.

As you probably have discovered by now, Tim and a colleague run a weekly radio show, At The Chalkface.  He has asked that you also listen to Episode 11 - an interview with Nicole.  Here's the link to the show:  At The Chalkface.  (http://www.wtdy.com/content/-THE-CHALK-FACE-91.html)

In addition, one of my friends is a former professor at the University of Arizona, Dr. Guy McPherson.  His story is an interesting one and we will probably often mention him in the course of our time together.  He runs a blog, called Nature Bats Last (http://www.guymcpherson.com) and he just had a guest post by someone who is homeschooling her child. In the essay, she asks a few questions.  In the time before we get together, I would like you to reflect on the questions Ms. Hartley raises in her blog post:

" Is it normal to train children from a very young age to submit unquestioningly to authority? Whose purposes does this serve? Is it a good use of children’s time to learn how to play the game known as School, in which they are pitted against their same-age peers to find out who the “winners” and “losers” are via a relentless onslaught of grades and testing, as well as assessments of behavioral “appropriateness”? What do these assessments actually measure? Whether one is categorized as a winner or a loser, does anyone actually “win” in a world of climate catastrophe, rampant species extinction, nuclear contamination, and brutal wars? What do children end up believing about the world and themselves in an environment characterized by competition and control?"

Thanks for considering these questions.  - Karl

View of Raquette Lake from Dining Hall

Welcome to the 2012 Edition of The Adirondack Classroom Blog!

If you scroll down on this page, you will see the entries from previous years, so it might help familiarize you with the course and give you an idea of the sorts of things we will be doing.   The EXACT things we do does vary from year to year so what you will find may not be exactly what we will be doing.

If you are in the class this summer (2012), and you have found this link, this is the place to post a follow-up comment and let us know you have found the course web site and are getting ready for the experience.

Beth, Tim, and I are looking forward to seeing you this summer and make sure you read the list of what TO bring and what NOT to bring.

If you have any questions, please direct them (via email) to Dr. Beth Klein (beth.kleinATcortland.edu).

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