Re: [Paddlewise] Teaching Approaches

That *is* your style.  You are the only one who uses those specific traits
as a unit.  I teach and certify instructors for the ACA in whitewater and
coastal kayak as well as river rescue and I am constantly stealing tricks
the candidates bring to the courses.

The ACA *red book* does list some good insight to learning styles but the
basic paddling info is a bit dated.  I use a test found in an old ski
instructors manual called Skiing Right. It basically asks you to rank 4
words <9 times> that describes your learning style and then plots those
values on a target.  The target is divided into 4 quadrants: Concrete
Experience <Feeler>  Reflective Observation <Watcher> Abstract
Conceptualization <Thinker> and Active Experimentation <Doer>.  These being
the 4 basic learning styles.  It's kinda fun to see where the candidates end
up, plotted on the target.  It gives me some insight as to how to address
each of them in the 6 days I spend in training.  Of course, this is hard to
do for the average course we teach.

As instructors we need to address all styles of learning and as Scott says
HAVE FUN!  The goal is take each paddler in your course to the next level
using FNES <Finesse> Is it FUN??   Is it NECESSARY??   Is it Efficient??
Is it SAFE??

Steve Scherrer
Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe    N 45º 39' 47"
250 NE Tomahawk Isle Dr.       W 122º 36' 16"
Portland, OR  97217          Web: www.aldercreek.com
Phone: 503.285.0464        Email: aldercreek_at_qwest.net

----- Original Message -----
From: <KiAyker_at_aol.com>
To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2001 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Teaching Approaches


> >     Do the coaches and instructors on the list have any books they could
> > recommend to help  me get information about the various learning style
and
> > how best to teach to them? I really love to teach and want to maximize
my
> > teaching skills and my ability to effectively teach to the various
learning
> >
>
>    I have read many of the books and articles available on teaching
kayaking
> and have not been overly impressed with the actual usefulness of the
> information they contained. I believe I once had an ACA handbook which
> touched on teaching techniques. I no longer have the book, but I seem to
> recall that it was all right. I have two school teachers in my family and
> have chatted with them on numerous occasions, but even that has provided
much
> less then you might expect. I think experience teaching kayaking is
probably
> the number one way to improve. But it must be done in a way that one
> constantly analyzes their own performance and continues to strive for
> improvement.
>    The company I work for teaching kayaking makes a point of getting their
> instructors together a couple of times each year so that we can sit down
and
> analyze how we teach and look for solutions to problems that may have come
up
> in past classes. I have found this to be tremendously helpful in improving
my
> own teaching style. In fact, I am reluctant to even call what I do "my
style"
> since in reality it is an accumulation of everything I have managed to
glean
> not only from my own experiences, but from every other instructor I have
ever
> worked with. I also believe that a primary objective of every class is to
see
> that every student is having fun. Because if it's not fun, then what's the
> point?
>
> Scott
> So.Cal.



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