In a message dated 3/10/01 4:31:36 PM, SNStone_at_email.msn.com writes: << As a BCU coach my approach is to adapt to the student rather than have the student adapt to me. The fact that someone is an accomplished paddler does not mean they can coach well- and vice versa (an excellent example of the latter being the coaches professional golfers use). >> 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 styles. A recent student, seemed to be a visual learner that also needed to understand the physics of the movement. Even though we modeled the movement and am confident in my explanation of the physics, we still had a bit of a challenge bridging the gap. As the quick learning students move on I find myself challenged with more challenging teaching situations. Unwilling to accept the possibility that the problem lies anywhere else than with me, I seek to explore the art of teaching more deeply. Thanks in advance for your advise and comments. Jed *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 11:42 AM 3/11/01 EST, wrote: \ 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? s in advance for your advise and comments. > >Jed I think it is more of a personality think than a teaching method. Some people think they know it all and there way is the only way (not people person) and others seem to go with the flow and teach the same thing( people person) Dana *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> 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. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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