CURRICULUM COUNCIL

The PD registrations are now live on the Curriculum Council home page.

How to register for PD on 13 October

Scroll down to the bottom of the home page and you will see six boxes.  There is a box that says "13 October 2008 PD - Registrations now open" click on the "click here" tab you will be taken to the list of courses.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION AUSTRALIA

Launches new logo....

OUTDOOR WA MEMBERSHIPS - TWO MONTHS FREE!!

Outdoors WA is offering two months free. Sign up for membership in Augustand you get the first two months free. Your membership is current for all of 2009. Please contact Mel in the Outdoors WA office (Tuesdays toThursdays) or phone 9248 6677.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION SUNDOWNER

The next Sundowner will be at Little Creatures on August 20th. For a great evening click here for all the details.

Association of Experiential Education - International Conference (AEE)

Bridges in Education: Inquiry, Knowledge, Action!
Many speakers are addressing current Outdoor Education facilitation issues
6-9 November, 2008
Vancouver, Washington, USA

For more information click here.

2008 WA STATE CONFERENCE

Monday December 8 has been confirmed for the State Conference to be held at Leonda (formally Tumblegum Farm). Outdoors WA invites ideas for the Outdoor Education stream.

NATIONAL OUTDOOR EDUCATION CONFERENCE

OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST

Outdoor Recreation Industry Council (ORIC) Conference
23 & 24 August, 2008
Novotel Hotel, Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney, NSW

BATNet Forum 2008
1 – 5 September, 2008
Alice Springs, NT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

The updated calendar of professional development and training opportunities is available. Let us know your PD needs and we will provide the program development and training.

NEW TECHNIQUES FOR SAFE, EFFICIENT WHITE WATER RESCUE
Paper written by Matt Barker and presented at the National Conference this year in New Zealand.

Recent equipment failures during simulated white-water rescues have highlighted the need for detailed measurement of the loads created and the loads that can be safely sus-tained by the equipment currently in use for white water rescue. This research experimentally finds out; What are the potential forces involved in a white-water rescue? What forces can a three-person rescue team generate? Which of the ropes on the market are suitable for the demands of white-water rescue? Which of the current mechanical advantage rescue tech-niques are best suited to the equipment available? Are there any experimental techniques that could improve the force generation and safety of the rescue system? Weak points in the com-plete rescue system are highlighted.

Click here to view the whole paper.

Matt Barker BEd Hons (Outdoor Education) (Liverpool), BCU Level 5 Coach, SPSA, MLTB, BOF teacher, is a Senior Lecturer / Outdoor Stream Leader at the Auckland University of Technology

"the more people that are aware the safer I will be as there will be more people to drag my behind out of the river.... " Matt Barker

BY SHAWN BROGDEN

Or is it “hootchie” or “Fly sheet”, An interesting debate, one that I could only conclude must be spelt ‘HUTCHIE” given HUTCH means small shelter, however in most other places of the world it is called a fly sheet, thank goodness we are not most other places, I like “hutchie”. What is best about these things as a shelter is that they do not have any tent poles, they encourage students to enjoy being outdoors a little more and when used correctly in the worst weather are just as waterproof if not better then a tent. They can be pitched anywhere, between tree’s or with some initiative and inventiveness in the middle of the sandy desert. They are light weight and if you get a good quality tent fly fabric hutchie they are strong and durable. The disadvantage is they are not a tent, you cannot zip it shut and close out all the bugs. With air flow on all 4 sides they tend not to be as warm as a tent. If due care is not taken when pitching them they will ring bark a tree. This is an impact we have been able to minimise using custom made tree savers that wrap around the tree to stop ring barking. Tree savers are similar to a tree strop for climbing but much cheaper.

BY JASON ZAURS

Canoeing Down Under & Avon River Guide
Terry Bolland (2001), Western Australia

“Marge, the rains are here!” Remember that advertisement on TV? Well that’s how I remember it, and for me it stimulates thoughts of flowing rivers and time instructing students to paddle white water kayaks, challenging environments and the Avon Descent.  So for this book review I find it timely to look at the infamous Terry Bolland’s Canoeing Down Under.

Terry Bolland has been instrumental in developing the paddling skills of both canoeists and kayakers in Western Australia, for some time. His dedication to the sport he loves is represented by the effort put into creating resources for public access. Teachers who engage in any sort of paddling activities should have at least one reference book and this is as good as it gets for Western Australia specifically. Click here to find out more.

JOURNEYS

Please send in stories, journal entries or reflections from students for inspiring reading!

OUTDOOR EDUCATION TEACHER TUBE

Ian Boyle from Scots College (NSW) has created a group at a site called teacher tube.  This is an educational site on the internet where educational videos can be hosted for free.

Ian had a thought that outdoor education programs could begin to video model teaching or technical material and post them to this site where it could become a valuable teaching and learning resource.

Perhaps there is scope to get your uni/ school students, participants or programs involved in producing videos as part of their outdoor ed experiences? It may make for some interesting assessments, and the end result is that they are posted here on teacher tube.

Ideas could include:

 
- Model teaching
- Facilitation techniques in action
- Technical how to videos. How to pack a pack, how to cook on a trangia and the   associated safety protocols, things to check for when crossing a river, how to belay, etc.

The list is infinite.

Information sourced from the Victorian Outdoor Education Association .

GRANTS TOOLS

One of my favourite problem solving and team building games is as follows:

Create a circular area with a long rope to simulate a saltwater crocodile infested area, which may not be entered. In the middle of this area is placed a drink bottle simulating a container of liquid gold that will pour out if tipped over. The challenge is to get the gold without entering the area and without tipping or dropping the container.

Supply each group with 4 shorter ropes at least as long as the diameter of the circle, plus about 30cm of shock cord. Teams of 4 work well.

A solution: Tie the shock cord in a loop. Use the ropes to stretch and then lower the cord over the container. Relax the ropes so the cord grips the container, then lift out using the ropes.

The activity lends itself to topics such as briefing, debriefing, working with others and leadership.

Coming Soon....

NOMINATE YOUR SCHOOL -GET UP

To solve the climate crisis, we will need a movement unprecedented in Australia's history. To mobilise this movement, GetUp has invented a new device to respond to the climate crisis. You can hold it in one hand. It combines solar power, a wind-turbine, and.... a lemon.

It's our climate torch, designed exclusively for GetUp by the creators of the Sydney Olympic torch, and with your help we'll take it to a hundred towns, cities and suburbs across Australia -  before arriving in Canberra, where thousands of GetUp members will present it directly to Parliament. Click below to get a first glimpse of what it looks like, and to nominate your town to host it.

www.climatetorch.com <http://www.climatetorch.com?dc=439,409327,2>

Further information on the above, please contact

Ralph Gurr
Executive Officer
executiveofficer@outdoorswa.org

Melanie Attwood
Administration Assistant
office@outdoorwa.org

PO Box 414 Greenwood WA 6924
Ph: 08 9248 6677
Fax: 08 9248 5799