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CONTENTS Vol 2 Issue 8 ISSN 1465-8224
> 1 < Virtual Venues - Real Interaction
> 2 < Virtual Venues - Examples > 3 < Virtual Venues - Supporting Research ........... SCISCO CONSCIENTIA ........... OUTDOOR RESEARCH > 4 < Virtual Venues - Supporting Networking ........... AEE EUROPE ........... INTERCOM .......... OUTDOOR NETWORK > 5 < Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling > 6 < New entries in SiteFinder > 7 < Trackers' Tips: Searching with Google > 8 < Did you know that ... you can escape from frames? > 9 < Site Owners' Tips: Doing the Basics Well >10< Announcements .......... CREATIVE TEACHING .......... INSIDE OUT .......... CEO RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM .......... JOBS IN SCOTLAND |
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SiteFinder Adventure and Experiential Education Directory Ezine
Your free monthly newsletter associated with the SiteFinder Directory: http://reviewing.co.uk/sitefinder/index.htm edited by Roger Greenaway roger@reviewing.co.uk YOU control your free subscription. Details are at the end.
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NEXT ISSUE: Issue 2.9 will be published in early October. Please send in your comments, news and site reviews. Please let us know about 'sites' or 'venues' that you like. Please send this issue to a friend who will appreciate the gift! Experiential learners do it interactively! <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> A message from the current sponsor (who is also the editor!) ...
Dr. Roger Greenaway, Reviewing Skills Training will soon be
launching a series of new 2-day open workshops around the UK about ''HOW TO TRANSFER LEARNING'' Training on this and other reviewing topics is also available worldwide. A number of organisations are being invited to host or sponsor these new workshops. Dates and (non-virtual) venues will be announced in this ezine. If you or your organisation are interested in hosting, sponsoring or booking places on these workshops, please write to roger@reviewing.co.uk or call +44 1786 450968 (UK/GMT office hours) NB If you are interested in this topic, take a look at the last
two issues of Active Reviewing Tips ezine - and be sure to get the next one. See '2 FOR THE PRICE OF 1' at the foot of this page for archive and subscription details. <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> 1 <> VIRTUAL VENUES - REAL INTERACTION <> Online Communities in Our Field
With so many initiatives being launched on the web day by day,
it is difficult to tell which ones will succeed and which ones will be quietly forgotten about. 'Our' own field of shared interests is no different. As we wake
up to the possibilities presented by the internet, there is every chance that we can bring about some rapid developments in 'our' field. The internet can be an excellent catalyst for accelerated learning. But it takes time to find out what's happening on the net and
where there are places worth going to. Where on the net is this accelerated learning going to happen for YOU? Since the last issue of SiteFinder I have received a number of
emails telling me about new places to go. By collating this information I am able to help you make more productive use of your internet time. [And *your* messages to *me* help me to be more productive too! Thank you everyone!] But I have been slow to wake up to the fact that my own language
about the internet has been fairly PASSIVE. Given the title of this ezine, it is not surprising that I have focused on SITES. I have been (almost) fooled into thinking that 'interactivity' is what happens when something moves on your screen as your mouse crawls over it. 'Dynamic' web pages are becoming the electronic equivalent of 'pop-up' books. However stunning this 'interactivity' may (or may not) be this is not HUMAN interactivity. Maybe it would pay us to think of VENUES rather than SITES?
'Venues' are meeting places where you interact with other people. 'Sites' are places where you interact with computer programmes. I would appreciate your help in tracking down 'virtual venues'
that are within the scope of this ezine. I suspect that you have a preference for the more 'experential' kinds of learning that are possible at 'virtual venues'. So if you have favourite places on the web for asking questions, for peer support, for mentoring, for engaging in discussions, or for eavesdropping, then please let me know - along with the 300+ readers of this ezine. By spreading news, airing your views and joining in, you can have
a real influence. YOU can influence which sites become the popular ones. If you actively support (even in a small way) the 'virtual venues' that you want to see succeed - they probably will. There are no ''SILENCE PLEASE!'' signs on the internet. Be
interactive in your internet travels and rediscover the joys (and greater effectiveness) of learning by doing! If you can't find the 'virtual venue' of your (professional)
dreams, then start one up. I'll urge readers of this ezine to support you. I also urge you to actively support the initiatives that are already under way and are described below. By sharing news about 'virtual venues' you can save yourself and
others from re-inventing the wheel, and you can help promote the venues that you would like to see succeed. The internet message is ''INTERACTIVITY PLEASE!'' We learn far more by DOING something with the information we receive - especially when this involves human interaction. EVEN MORE VIRTUAL VENUES ...
You will find a list of seven discussion lists on 'outdoor' topics at: http://reviewing.co.uk/outdoor/discussion-lists.htm From this page you can join or leave these groups, view discussion archives, get help and contact listowners. <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
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<> 2 <> VIRTUAL VENUES - SOME EXAMPLES Opportunities for learning by doing using the internet:
-> email discussion lists - moderated and unmoderated
-> web based forums and communities - several means of communicating available via one central site -> ask an expert - pose your question to self-styled experts -> announcement lists and newsletters that encourage you to contribute -> bulletin boards - web-based discussion lists -> review sites - reviews of books, websites, gear, services etc. within a particular field -> reporting - sending news to news sites -> co-authoring - by sharing early drafts on the web -> directory building - recommending links to include -> resource building - where people work together to create or collect resources on a theme -> FAQ writing - especially when created by a team -> chat rooms - real-time 'discussions' by typewriter -> skills swap shop - trading what you want to give and get -> face to face group - supported by email -> private email list - for mutual support after a training event -> study group - discussion of articles -> online journal with several contributors -> self-help group - common issues worked through together You will find actual examples of some of these 'virtual venues'
within this issue. You will find many other examples in previous issues of SiteFinder. You can check the full index at http://reviewing.co.uk/archives/index.htm The next issue of SiteFinder will focus on web-based venues such
as BULLETIN BOARDS. So if you know of any in our/your field please let me know. Please send relevant details to: roger@reviewing.co.uk Add comments if you like, but please make it clear whether your comments are private or for publication. Thank you :-) <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> 3 <> VIRTUAL VENUES - SUPPORTING RESEARCH <> SCISCO CONSCIENTIA online journal and discussion
list
pronounced ''skis-ko con-she-ench-ee-a''. Description:
''International Online Journal [about] Research, Evaluation & Theory In Experiential Learning and Adventure Programming''. SCISCO CONSCIENTIA is due to start in October '99. But you can
join this free discussion list now (at the website) - while you remember! By subscribing you will receive abstracts of articles as they are published, with a hyperlink to the full article on the web. After reading the article you will invited to take part in a discussion about it, and you will be encouraged to ... ''question, debate, clarify, explore, extend, provoke,
propose,
speculate, define, share, and reach for a greater understanding of experiential and adventure education research and theory.'' This ambitious initiative from eXperientia will be a must for
anyone doing (or interested in) research in this field. Don't let the title put you off: the discussion is text-based so you won't ever need to say it aloud! Note added since publication:
Scisco was shut down in 2001, but you can still find some of the articles by searching for 'Scisco Conscientia' on the web <> <> <> <> <> <> OUTDOOR RESEARCH (discussion list)
Description:
"To enable debate and discussion around research issues in outdoor and adventure education" Comment:
This list has been established for over a year. It springs to life now and again and is a good place to ask questions. The archives are searchable by email, but can easily be searched on the web. About 20 members of this UK group have one day meetings twice a year, but most members (and some of the most active members) are from beyond the shores of our small island. The discussion list and the face-to-face meetings both happen thanks to the support of the Association for Outdoor Learning. Non-members of AfOL are equally welcome to take part. Web page and archives:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/outres.html Enquiries:
outres-request@jiscmail.ac.uk Subscribe:
jiscmail@jiscmail.ac.uk?body=join outres Create the email then add your first and last names after 'join outres' <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> 4 <> VIRTUAL VENUES - SUPPORTING NETWORKING <> NEW NEWSLETTER (published on the web) <> Association for Experiential Education European Newsletter
The first issue was published on the web just two weeks ago.
There are several different contributors writing for this stylish new newsletter. The Editorial by Gabriel da Fonseca gives this newsletter a
global flavour with his story about a Japanese karate master teaching a young Brazilian. If you feel you are working too hard you must read this little tale about goal achievement. Jac Rongen's review of Open Space Technology is (partly) about the value of doing nothing - thus taking the Japanese master's advice one step further? Contributions are from Holland, Germany, Slovakia, the UK, South Africa and the USA.and include tech tips, programme descriptions, book reviews and AEE news. Let's hope Gabriel can persuade as many people to contribute to
the second issue. http://www.erlebnispaedagogik.de/aee-europe/newsletter/ There is also a short article about the German Ropes Course
Association, which you can learn more about at http://www.grca.de or by writing to Volker Heyne at info@grca.de <> <> <> <> <> <> NEW DISCUSSION LIST
<> INTERCOM discussion list
Description:
''an INTERnational COMmunity of experiential learning and outdoor adventure programs''. [Presumably ''people interested in'' belongs somewhere in this description?] Comment:
About 20 people are listed on the InterCom page so far - not a lot, but there is certainly already a strong international flavour. You can join the discussion list by writing to Sandra Helena Hernandes at the above address. You can also have your email address and/or website included on the webpage. <> <> <> <> <>
<> A WELL ESTABLISHED NETWORK
<> THE OUTDOOR NETWORK (includes a newsletter)
The Outdoor Network website includes sections on Business &
Finance, Insurance & Risk Management, Equipment & Gear, The Environment & Public Policy, Wilderness Law, Wilderness Medicine, Associations & Organizations, Outdoor Publications, Conferences & Events, Marketing & Media Relations, Staff Management and back issues of The Outdoor Network Newsletter. Subscribers to The Outdoor Network write:
"Thank you as well for being one of the few unbiased voices for
our industry. It seems as if most newsletters and magazines have an agenda they are trying to push in order to sell advertising. I have found your articles and reviews to be without bias and extremely balanced in their perspective. I feel I can really trust the judgment of your reviewers." "I wanted to tell you how much we have benefited from your web
site. [The Outdoor JobNet] has generated an incredible number of staffing leads, and we have hired numerous people who found us as a result of our listing with you." The Outdoor Network has existed for 10 years and has been online
for 3 years. <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> 5 <> THE STRANGEST ADVENTURE ACTIVITY SITE I must apologise to mountain bike bog snorkellers the world over
for suggesting in the last issue that the STRANGEST outdoor activity was 'house running'. Mountain bike bog snorkelling takes place in a bog on the
outskirts of Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales where competitors cycle two lengths of a 60 foot cut channel using snorkels. Congratulations to the winners Craig Napper and Claire Davis. Or
were the winners the bike firm that sponsored the event? To simulate the experience of bog snorkelling you can press a
button that makes the page go black and the text invisible. Very strange. World Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling Championships
http://llanwrtyd-wells.powys.org.uk/eventbogbike.htm [the web page has since moved/gone, but I hope the event still happens!] So the challenge is on. Have you seen any strange adventure
activities on the web lately? roger@reviewing.co.uk [I'm also interested in useful, informative sites that you find!] <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> 5 <> SITE REVIEW: A STICKY SITE
A 'sticky' site is one you keep going back to. Anyone in the
UK
interested in climbing, hillwalking or mountaineering will definitely want to visit the BMC site (frequently). It has everything! It is packed with news, advice, and
directories. It is useful for beginners and experts alike. As well as having all the good design and ease-of-use features you'd expect to find, there are one or two surprises. It is the first climbing site I have seen with a clearly stated commitment to equal opportunities: ''The BMC encourages its members to adopt a positive approach to equal opportunities and the elimination of discrimination.'' It's commitment to young people is clear. Not only is there a
'student help' and a 'new climber' section, there is also a special youth section called 'Gripped' that has a completely different feel to it. The clean and tidy 'climbing wall' image of the main site gives way to a rougher style as you enter the youth section. First on the youth menu is 'Parents Questions'. The BMC has
carefully investigated: ''What are the most common questions asked by parents about their children climbing?'' About 15 questions and answers follow. It is just the kind of information and reassurance that helps to open up this sport to young people. The contact details for climbing clubs show the age ranges welcomed by different clubs - with some starting at 5 years, and others having a clear 'adults only' policy. [UK Site Owners take note ...]
EVERY 'outdoor' provider in the UK with a website (and offering
climbing or hill walking) should have links to the BMC site and should clearly say why they are recommending it. Such information will help participants to follow up any interests they develop in climbing and walking. [All Site Owners take note ...]
EVERY 'outdoor' provider in the WORLD with a website should wake
up to the ways in which the internet can provide customer care after the event. There's no reason why participants should want to go back to an 'online brochure' after the event. But if the web site has pages or resources that help people to 'follow up' their learning (of whatever kind) then providers will be extending their service, achieving greater impact and getting more visitors. The web is more than a billboard! Do you know of any web sites that assist with 'AFTER CARE' or
follow up in any way? Please write to: roger@reviewing.co.uk ['After care' is a good topic for a future 'SiteOwner's Tip'] The British Mountaineering Council is the representative body
that exists to protect the freedoms and promote the interests of climbers, hillwalkers and mountaineers, including ski-mountaineers. http://www.thebmc.co.uk/ <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> 6 <> NEW ENTRIES IN THE SITEFINDER DIRECTORY Ken Waller
Nipissing Alternative Secondary School OAEA kenwall@enoreo.on.ca http://nass.homepage.com looking for an ALTERNATIVE experience on your journey to a high school diploma? we advocate experiential educational activities [Editor: I like Ken's proposal to include 'alternative education'
as a category for SiteFinder.] Peter Cunningham
Adventure Learning NAOE/AfOL, CYWU, AMI infor@adventurelearning.co.uk http://www.adventurelearning.co.uk Youth clubs, individuals, schools, adult groups, disadvantaged groups flexible outdoor education courses, skills courses. Good fast website with lots of information [Editor: That site name is worth a lot!]
If you can recommend a site to include in SiteFinder Directory
(even your own site!) write to: roger@reviewing.co.uk or complete the form at: http://reviewing/websites/add.htm <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> 7 <> TRACKERS' TIPS GOOGLE
My recent enthusiasm for multisearch engines should not put you off using single search engines too. Google is very quick, very clean (no advertising clutter) and seems to know just what I am looking for. It seems to place university-based sites quite high, and it now ranks reviewing.co.uk quite high - thanks partly to the growing number of people now linking to reviewing.co.uk :-) Google (controversially) picks out sites that have lots of links going into them. http://www.google.com <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
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<> 8 <> DID YOU KNOW THAT ... YOU CAN ESCAPE FROM FRAMES?
Frames are often used by site designers to keep navigation bars and advertising banners on view. You can easily spot frames when you see extra scroll bars on your screen - but not all frames have scroll bars. If you are trying to read a page that is squeezed into the remaining space, you can make this page fill the WHOLE of your browser window. To escape from frames
1: click your back button 2: re-select the link to the page you want to enlarge, but this time click your *right* mouse button and choose open *new* window 3: for an even bigger page view click F11 or view / full screen These tips are not guaranteed to work because page designs and
browsers vary. Once you have 'escaped', you can return at any stage by closing the new window that you have created. Underneath it will be the old window that you escaped from. Siteowners: If you have a web site that you don't want trapped in
frames on other sites, then place this code within the body tag of each page as shown: <body onLoad="if (self != top) top.location = self.location"> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> 9 <> SITEOWNERS' TIPS <> DOING THE BASICS WELL
Jimtools.com provides the best tools I have found for carrying
out the basics of site promotion. As the tools are free (and the ones I have tried are very efficient) there is no excuse for leaving out these basic tasks. You wouldn't expect a book without a title, without a blurb and
without a catalogue entry to become very popular. But there are LOTS of websites in 'our' field that make themselves hard to find by not giving their pages titles or descriptions and not having them indexed in the main directories. At this grandly named ''Webmasters' Toolkit Command Center'' you
can easily do all of these things - and lots more if you want to. Although I somehow doubt whether submitting your site to the world's 420 ''major''(?) directories is going to be very exciting or worthwhile! SiteFinder Directory is different, of course :-) Once you have used the basic tools go out for some fresh air. If
you want to do more to promote your site, your time is probably better spent going back to the old-fashioned ways - and giving your masterpiece a decent profile in other media. No amount of technical wizardry is going to turn a site low on
useful information into a popular venue for the visitors you want to attract. But these tools will help to ensure that you get the basic 'technical' aspects of promotion right. ''Webmasters' Toolkit Command Center''
http://jimtools.com/ <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> The announcement section below is material that has been sent to me for inclusion in SiteFinder. I only include announcements that I feel will be of interest to you. I have edited them down so that you can receive the information in digest form. As a reader/subscriber there is a good chance that your own announcements will be relevant to others on this list. This is a free service. I reserve the right to edit or turn down what you send in. But don't let that discourage you! Write to roger@reviewing.co.uk <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> 10 <> ANNOUNCEMENTS
<> CREATIVE TEACHING The Creative Teaching "Website" provides educators, teachers, and
anyone interested in learning with tips for creative teaching, motivational teaching, and professional development. The site provides insight into teaching methods, teaching style, and teaching skills for teachers and educators at all age levels and in all disciplines. Articles, essays, free materials, education quotations, and
other
materials provide information for veteran or new teachers to consider. The impact of popular culture -- from "Star Wars" to "Star Trek" - is examined from a teacher's point of view. "Star Wars" becomes an educational tool. Zen relates to teaching. Even eBay becomes fuel for creative teaching. The site is a not-for-profit site maintained and financed by
Robert E. Morgan, a teacher and teacher of teachers for over 30 years. An e-mail "Creative Teaching Tips newsletter" is available at the site. The Creative Teaching Website
http://www.creativeteachingsite.com Robert Morgan
rmorgan@us.edu <> <> <> <> <> <> INSIDE OUT
At Inside Out we also specialise in personal and social
development courses... Our courses are designed to encourage students to develop the latent potential that exists within us all. Scenario-based activity and full participation reviews are combined to foster a positive learning environment that is action based and continually stimulating ... http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/insideout/personal.htm [now a dead link?] [Editor: I like the sound of 'full participation reviews'!]
<> <> <> <> <> <> COALITION FOR EDUCATION IN THE OUTDOORS
The Coalition for Education in the Outdoors (CEO) is a network
of
agencies, associations, businesses, institutions, organizations, and individuals involved in furthering environmental and outdoor education. Fifth Biennial Research Symposium January 14-16, 2000
From January 14-16, 2000, an international research symposium
will be held at the Bradford Woods Campus of Indiana University in Martinsville, Indiana. The purpose of this gathering is to advance the empirical, conceptual, and theoretical bases of outdoor education. Like the first four CEO Research Symposia, held in 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998, this symposium will bring together a wide array of researchers to explore current and future trends in using the outdoors for educational and therapeutic purposes. For information contact Andy Young
younga@cortland.edu **NB** Abstracts are due by September 10th!
<> <> <> <> <> <> JOBS IN SCOTLAND -
THE AIRBORNE INITIATIVE 'Challenging Offending Behaviour' is
looking for Keyworkers / Outdoor Instructors for 4 October to 14 December 1999 approximately (Permanent positions may become available) Interviews are scheduled to take place on 9 and 10 September 1999. <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> |
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