Living, Learning, and Growing through Outdoor and Experiential

Education Courses
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Gerald Laronde, Nipissing University, Canada
Michelann Parr, Nipissing University, Canada

Abstract: This paper focuses on pre-service teacher development through engagement in outdoor and experiential education
learning activities. The learning activities described throughout this paper are similar to those that teachers plan for their
students. This approach supports our guiding principles that we should never ask our students to do something we are not
willing to do or have not previously experienced, that learning takes place through meaningful engagement in real-world
contexts, and that knowing requires personal reflection. Student reflections demonstrate that hands-on learning experiences
build not only self-awareness but awareness of students and the value of outdoor and experiential education in a regular
classroom. These key learnings are often difficult but not impossible to measure and/or assess. Through personal particip-
ation, active engagement, and critical reflection, teachers come to realize the challenges faced by their students, the demands
(intellectual, emotional, and spiritual) placed on their students, and the relationship between trust, risk-taking, and confidence,
all of which are pre-requisites for full learner engagement.

Keywords: Constructivism, Reflection, Active Learning, Knowledge, Trust, Risk-Taking

to describe our insights, reflections, and theories, in

Each of us have our own discoveries and re- addition to those of our students. This critical reflec-
discoveries in life – profound personal experi- tion and interaction continues to shape our course as
ences which renew our inner spirit, re-awaken each new group of students arrives with fresh ideas
in us a desire to know and understand other and unique perspectives. This paper, therefore, rep-
cultures, and rekindle a sense of wonder in the resents one interwoven story with many perspectives,
natural world (Henley, 1989, p. 15). recognizing that no two experiences in outdoor and
experiential education will be alike and therefore
HIS PAPER WILL describe the ongoing

T development and dialogue about an outdoor

and experiential education option course that
students take in addition to their mandatory
pre-service program in the Faculty of Education at
cannot be compared or analysed through scientific
methods.

Context
Nipissing University, North Bay Ontario. Out of a Four years ago, a group of eight interested faculty
possible 720 potential participants, there are on aver- sat down to develop a course that would focus on
age 30 students in the course each year. The course outdoor and experiential education. We reviewed
is facilitated by four instructors who instruct the texts, articles, and papers searching for essential
course in addition to their regular teaching load. features that we could build into our course. We
Our intention is not to present a research-based brainstormed long lists of course expectations, im-
paper but instead to share our story and talk about ages of the learner, images of the teaching-learning
our key learnings about contexts for learning, self- process, all of which we were ready and willing to
awareness, student awareness, the value of outdoor incorporate into our course. We began to explore the
and experiential education in teacher development, types of scenarios (Martin, Franc, & Zounková,
and issues that need to be considered. Research in 2004) that would address all of our expectations and
the field of experiential education appears to suffer we truly grappled with assessment: “How do you
from practical, logistical, and paradigmatic issues measure students’ learning in outdoor and experien-
(Galloway & Goldenberg, 2004), likely due to the tial education courses?” Armed with many questions,
integration into diverse fields (e.g., outdoor educa- we set out to participate in an adventure based pro-
tion, educational psychology, reflective practice) and gram including a high ropes course. Over the course
its potential for curricular integration. It is for this of the weekend, we learned immense amounts about
reason that we have opted to use a narrative approach ourselves as risk takers, the need to be fully engaged,

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING,

VOLUME 12, NUMBER 9, 2005/2006
http://www.Learning-Journal.com, ISSN 1447-9494 (print), 1447-9540 (online)
© Common Ground, Gerald Laronde, Michelann Parr, All Rights Reserved, Permissions: [email protected]
168 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING, VOLUME 12

the need to be challenged, the need to collaborate, • True learning and true knowing come from being
the need to work within a safe and supportive envir- engaged in meaningful and authentic real-world
onment, but also the need for choice. We realized contexts;
that these were the types of insights that we wanted • True learning and true knowing emerge as a res-
our students to have, key learnings that could only ult of reflecting on our actions.
be gained through ‘lived experience.’ Although each
of these learnings had a value that could be carried The question of how you measure student learning
into the classroom, we were no closer to answering as well as these principles represent the conceptual
that driving question of “How do you measure stu- framework for the remainder of this paper; our obser-
dents’ learning?” vations as course instructors will be interspersed with
We decided that perhaps a weekend more focused theory and student reflection.
on ‘content’ would bring us closer to answering our
question. The second weekend was planned for an Guiding Principle 1: We should not ask
ecology centre where we would participate in all our students to do something we are not
sorts of winter and heritage activities (snowshoeing,
willing to do or have not previously
paddle-making, tree study). Many of the activities
covered key learning expectations in alternate set-
experienced
tings, from a hands-on real life perspective. Again, We personally recognized the importance of this
after this weekend, we realized that these were principle in our first weekend of implementation
components that were critical and certainly this with students. As one younger student stood looking
learning was easier to measure, but was it enough up at the high ropes, she said, “There’s no way I’m
given what we had experienced on the first weekend? going up there until one of the profs goes first.” So
We returned to our paper planning and tried to up we went, and to this day, we have fully engaged
capture all of what we had learned on paper and tried in all learning tasks right alongside our students.
to make decisions about which weekend would serve Although we recognized the importance of our
our purposes better. We could not make that value spoken words, we had not fully acknowledged the
judgment, so we decided to go with both weekends, importance of our actions.
anticipating that students would provide insight in One of the primary purposes of our course is to
the first year, thinking that perhaps we would provide broaden the perspective of what it means to be a
them with a choice of Weekend 1 or Weekend 2 (to teacher; our thoughts are that in order to be a teacher,
alleviate cost which for us with a paramount issue). you must fully understand what it means to be a
As we designed our first course outline, we incor- learner and the importance of risk-taking in the
porated both weekends, as well as a range of learning teaching-learning process (Kolb, 1984; Vygotsky,
experiences that would be situated at the faculty. 1986). In order to understand a risk-taker, it is often
That first year, we began with a formal course outline necessary to become a risk-taker who embarks on a
and stuck to it (we even assigned numeric grades journey which is far more than simply an intellectual
and made extensive use of rubrics). What we have or academic path. Experiential education enables us
learned over the years, though, is that courses de- to explore further who we are as learners and teachers
signed for outdoor and experiential education should as well as how and what we teach. The following
never be written in stone - they are collaborative student teacher, after participating in an adventure-
ventures that are negotiated between the students, based weekend, speaks to the importance of particip-
the instructors, and the environment. They are parti- ation in outdoor and experiential education opportun-
cipation oriented and all students must feel safe and ities from a developing teacher perspective:
free from judgment and evaluation in order to fully
participate (we’re pass/fail now). The need to trust, Excerpt 1:
feel safe, and be supported are the greatest insights I have thought long and hard about my experi-
and pieces of learning that we can share with our ences last weekend and how I have grown as a
students. person and a teacher from them. I have chosen
We, therefore, begin with a statement of our to work in outdoor education because I believe
guiding principles and then planned activities that strongly in the value of experiencing the things
will help our students to accept these principles for that you are learning. I also believe that people
themselves. need to begin to make more of a connection
with the things around them, particularly those
• We should not ask our students to do something that have been here way longer than us, like the
we are not willing to do or have not previously nature around us. I love the outdoors and feel
experienced; comfortable and at home outside. I reflect best
under a tree in the woods, which is why I am
 GERALD LARONDE, MICHELANN PARR 169

writing this sitting in the scrub bush off of initiative tasks, low organization games, a low ropes
Parking Lot 10. The words that I wanted to say course, and rock/pole/cargo net climbing designed
hit me and this was the closest spot to nature at to prepare them for the final challenge, which is a
the moment. high ropes course. They are engaged continuously
This past weekend was not what I was expect- in team-building, personal development, and reflec-
ing. I feel pretty comfortable and confident in tion oriented tasks as well as making connections to
my role as an outdoor educator. I guess you their developing sense of teacher. Students discuss
could say it’s in my comfort zone. However, issues of ‘what it all means in practice’ including the
the activities of this past weekend pushed me utility of games in our programs and foundations for
to explore things well outside of my comfort risk-taking in the classroom. Risk-taking requires a
zone and as [the instructor] put it verging, if not safe emotional and physical environment which
in “my panic zone”1. progresses through the phases of a) icebreaking,
warm-up, energizing; b) goal setting; c) trust-build-
ing; d) teamwork; e) problem-solving; ultimately
Guiding Principle 2: True learning and
arriving at f) debriefing and reflection. Games engage
true knowing come from being engaged
students at both personal and group levels and
in meaningful and authentic real-world provide ample opportunities for communication,
contexts leadership, decision-making, risk-taking, and conflict
As instructors, it is important that this course be an resolution. For some students, challenge courses such
extension of real life in natural contexts that is reflec- as these privilege them with a “momentary insight”
ted in and reflective of the inner landscape of a into areas that they have never encountered, for ex-
teacher (Palmer, 1998). To this end, our students ample, feelings of vulnerability, fear, inadequacy
learn about risk-taking, trust, and belief in a way that (Carlson & McKenna, 2000).
allows them to understand better themselves, their
students, and the natural world (Priest, 1986; 1993). Excerpt 2:
This takes place in real life contexts in addition to Another important lesson I learned was the im-
traditional classroom settings, and we expect our portance of establishing an atmosphere in my
student teachers to be engaged in meaningful and classroom in which I build up trust with my
authentic tasks (Kolb, 1984). These tasks operate students as a teacher as well as among the stu-
within a continuum of support from modelling to dents themselves. To create such an environ-
independence, allowing students to continually work ment will allow students to feel free and secure
in their comfort zones (Vygotsky, 1986: zone of to make mistakes which will inevitably increase
proximal development). We combine two weekends the learning, because much learning takes place
in outdoor and experiential education facilities (run through making mistakes.
by qualified instructors) with on-campus sessions
and Web Communication Technology (WebCT). Winter Weekend: Dare to Brave the Cold
Over the years, we have increased the number of on-
The winter weekend is held in the middle of January
campus sessions to reflect students’ desires and
at a local provincial park, Samuel de Champlain
needs. As instructors, we fully participate in the
Provincial Park, steeped in Canadian and Voyageur
activities planned for our students, modelling,
history. It is appropriately oriented toward experien-
demonstrating, supporting, and guiding where neces-
tial education and grounded in history and environ-
sary. As we engage our students in these activities,
mentally appropriate outdoor education. Students
we consistently return them to regular classroom
are engaged in a range of activities that that are
connections and curricular integration with the ex-
linked to the Ontario Curriculum. These activities
pectation that they will bring these key learnings into
help them to experience and appreciate life in the
their own classrooms someday.
north, life as a voyageur, and life in the outdoors
which include paddle making, wolf-howls, fire-
Fall Weekend: Dare to be You! making, building and sleeping in quinzhees (snow
The fall weekend is held at a local outdoor and ex- houses), learning about the global information system
periential education facility oriented toward adven- (GIS), global positioning system (GPS) and geo-
ture education. The theme for the weekend was ‘Dare caching, snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing,
to be You’ (named by the students) with many oppor- forest management and tree study, drumming, fur
tunities for challenge by choice. Students engage in trading games, and learning/experiencing the life of
trust-building exercises, short group and personal a voyageur.

1
Releases have been secured for student work including summaries, reflections, and games to be cited anonymously in publications
related to Outdoor and Experiential Education.
170 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING, VOLUME 12

Student teacher journal reflections demonstrate age students to see the opportunities and potential
the importance of these types of activities in their experiences right in front of them.
own personal formation and realization that history, Nipissing is a small university in Northern
ecology, technology, and physical education can be Ontario. We have the benefit of a large pond, an ex-
learned simultaneously through well-selected and tensive trail system, and creeks/waterfalls within
well-planned activities outside the door of the reach. Out-of-class sessions are a reflection of the
classroom. season and the changes in the natural environment
and include back-pocket games, integrating language,
Excerpt 3: science, applying GPS, social gatherings in the great
I find it very difficult to pinpoint the most outdoors. Many of these sessions involved students
valuable activities from the weekend. In fact, I in the same types of activities they might implement
can see myself incorporating all of the week- in their own classroom one day. Our focus is to
end’s activities into my classroom. A personal provide meaningful, logical, and authentic connec-
favourite was the hike along the river on Sat- tions that extend our belief of living and experiencing
urday night. The view is practically indescrib- as rehearsal for writing, learning, and transforming.
able. I remember a brief moment where I totally One fall connection involves the reading of The
felt immersed in nature’s beauty, and all of Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia outdoors
life’s stressors escaped my mind, leaving me at under the canopy of autumn leaves, an experience
ease staring off into the dark night. It is that of the forest from a five senses perspective, ulti-
exact feeling that I want each of my students to mately culminating in the creation of five senses
experience. Outdoor education is highly under- riddles, such as the following:
rated and it will be my goal to incorporate it as
much as possible in my classroom. Excerpt 4:
Aged and decayed I stand,
Critical Reflection My scales flake off
The issues that arise as a result of our weekend field And I return to the land.
trips are those of resources: the availability of facil- Weathered and moss-covered
ities inside or outside of the school, qualified instruct- I will not give in,
ors, and financial, all of which will be issues that our My base is unsturdy,
students have to face in the regular classroom. Are My bark has worn thin.
some students denied access to these critical learning Around me the ground is covered with leaves,
experiences for financial reasons? How can we incor- They sing me to sleep as they dance in the
porate these types of trust-building and risk-taking breeze.
experiences within the context of our classroom and I may not be tasty but I reek of the woods.
schools as opposed to outside facilities? How can I am…
we ensure that regular classroom teachers are aware a stump
of outdoor and experiential education strategies and
Critical Reflection
methodologies? These became a discussion points
not only for us, as instructors, but with our students We are still exploring the structure of the on-campus
as well. In response to our students’ concerns about sessions, trying to balance theory and practice in a
these issues, in the second year of our course we way that is responsive to the needs of the course and
doubled the number of on-campus sessions to include the needs of the students. This past year was our most
more connections to the regular classroom. successful year; students indicated that these sessions
brought outdoor and experiential education experi-
ences closer to the classroom and helped them to
On-Campus Sessions
make connections between insights and awareness
On-campus sessions are further divided into in-class gained through the weekends and their experiences
sessions and out-of-class sessions. In-class sessions in the classroom. Modelling these connections as
are intended to present the theory behind outdoor instructors is critical and does not leave out-of-class
and experiential education, technical knowledge, and experiences dangling and irrelevant.
skills that can be facilitated in a classroom (e.g.,
front-end loading weekends, discussion of journal
Guiding Principle 3: True knowing and
writing, field trip procedures and safety, GPS certi-
fication, GIS training, and activities facilitated by true learning emerge as a result of
students). Out-of-class sessions are designed to use reflection on our actions
the natural surroundings of the campus and encour- Students are required to complete four journal entries
as evidence of their learning/growth throughout the
 GERALD LARONDE, MICHELANN PARR 171

course. Reflections are structured using a retell, re- Critical Reflection

late, reflect framework (Swartz & Bone, 1995):
As we originally planned our course, we made the
• Retell: Recount key learning experiences from assumption that the students who enrolled in the
the weekend including participation activities, course would likely be novices, looking for addition-
group discussions, personal thoughts, and inform- al information about outdoor and experiential educa-
ation gathered tion. We neglected to consider the group of students
• Relate: Connect key learning experiences in class who had extensive experience in the field and wanted
to assigned readings, research, experience in the additional teacher qualification. We realized that
placements, and curriculum expectations; we needed to reconsider the diversity of our students’
• Reflect: Consider how this awareness, key experiences; some of them arrived at the course with
learning, and insight shape who you will become such extensive experiences in outdoor and experien-
as a teacher. How might you bring these learning tial education that they had met our course expecta-
experiences into your classroom? tions before they even started – how could we pos-
sibly measure the growth of these students when they
Journals are posted to WebCT which is a web- had already met our course expectations. With these
based communication forum that allows them to particular students, we grappled with their initial
share their work with their peers; it is not publicly question of “What’s in it for me?” Our best answer
accessible therefore student work remains within the to this question was to tell our students that “As we
context of the course. Students post their reflections live our lives, we each collect different experiences
after each weekend and are encouraged to read, re- and different insights; some are indicative of struggle
flect, and comment on other students’ experiences. and some of positive experiences. Regardless of our
In traditional courses, a written reflection is only experiences though, we must own these experiences
read by the teacher. Sharing reflections on WebCT and then learn to sort the ‘truths’ from the ‘myths
enables all students to see how others perceive the and misconceptions.’ This course will facilitate your
same experiences and the growth that results from examination of previous experience, attitudes, and
these perceptions and their subsequent discussion. values and the impact that this will have on your
Without expectation, students are compelled to re- development as a teacher and how you will interact
spond to their peers, making further connections and with students in the classroom.”
developing a learning community. The following During the first year, we attempted to measure
reflections provide examples from two students with student learning through traditional grading practices
different goals for the same activity; each yielded and rubrics. We quickly realized though that a focus
different results and therefore unique learning exper- on marks and ‘getting a good grade’ often interfered
iences. with risk taking and reflection on a variety of dimen-
sions. We came to realize that it was difficult to
Excerpt 5: measure growth using a numeric, quantitative scale.
This weekend, I set a goal to get to the top of For this reason, we changed our grading criteria to
the platform. In my head, though, I was sure I pass/fail reflecting an emphasis on participation,
could get further than that. I thought I’d be able active engagement, and growth, and our questions
to do actual elements in the ropes course. I regarding student learning shifted from attempts to
definitely thought I could do it when I saw ‘measure’ to questions of assessing growth, value,
others doing it and having fun and NOT dying. and awareness. We realized that we could not value
one student’s risk taking, challenge, or insight over
Excerpt 6: another, but what we could do was look at how they
I have always believed that unless you push wove those insights into their philosophies of teach-
yourself out of your comfort zone, you cannot ing and learning.
reach your full growing potential. There were At this point in our own critical reflection, we have
two main ways that I challenged myself during realized that perhaps it is unnecessary to measure
the weekend. On Saturday I asked (the instruct- student learning but we should instead seek to invest-
or) how I might be able to push myself harder igate how our student teachers’ lives are shaped by
on the climbing wall. She suggested that I try our course, how the course reinforces the value of
it blindfolded, to which I thought she was jok- outdoor and experiential education, and how the
ing. But she wasn’t… So there I was, with course facilitates self-awareness and therefore,
(fellow students) bandana around my eyes, awareness of students.
reaching blindly upward for the next hold. Un-
like many people, it was not the height that left
me anxious, but rather increased opportunity to
fail and look silly in front of my peers.
172 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING, VOLUME 12

How has the course shaped the student is easy to forget about all that the outdoors has
teachers' lives in a meaningful way? to offer.

Our students’ journal entries tell us that their lives Although not formal definitions of outdoor and ex-
have been influenced in a meaningful way; they have periential education, what these students tell us is
fully realized the importance of recognizing their that they recognize the capacity of outdoor and ex-
own subjectivities, pushing themselves to the edge periential education to transcend theory and practice
of their comfort zones, and making connections with as well as integrate a variety of curricular perspect-
learners. They have learned that in order to become ives.
a teacher, they must first explore their own inner
landscapes through the intellectual, emotional, and
spiritual paths. As thoughts, reactions, mispercep-
How has the course altered
tions, feelings, attitudes, and understandings are ex- self-understanding and understanding
plored, they come closer to answering the question of learners?
of “Who is the self that teaches?” (Palmer, 1998, p. Our students share with us the value of experiences
7). These paths will be interwoven into their selves gained through outdoor and experiential courses.
as teachers; they affect how and what we learn, and They recognize that pushing themselves on a high
therefore how and what we teach learners. ropes course might enable them to take similar risks
in a classroom environment even though there are
By spiritual I mean the diverse ways we answer
no high ropes in most schools. They recognize the
the heart’s longing to be connected with the
complexity of risk and the necessity to explore their
largeness of life – a longing that animates love
own struggles and challenges intellectually, emotion-
and work, especially the work called teaching.
ally, and spiritually in order to empathize and discuss
By intellectual I mean the way we think about
these with their own students. The excerpt below,
teaching – the form and content of our concepts
self-titled ‘Freak Out’ traces the transformation of
of how people know and learn, of the nature of
an individual student and the insights she has gained
our students and our subjects. By emotional I
about the struggle for learning and risk-taking faced
mean the way we and our students feel as we
by many students.
teach and learn – feelings that can either enlarge
or diminish the exchange between us (Palmer, Excerpt 9:
1998, p.5). When I left on Sunday afternoon, I was very
disappointed with myself. I entered this week-
How has the course either developed or end thinking it was going to be a piece of cake.
reinforced the value of outdoor and In fact, quite the opposite, it turned out to be
experiential education for students in more like the center of a brewing volcano. I
learned stuff about myself that I never knew or
regular classrooms?
wanted to believe.
At the onset of the course and then again at the end Although this experience has given me great
of the course, student teachers are asked to articulate ideas for the classroom, I was surprised that I
their thoughts and beliefs about outdoor and experi- learned more about myself and who I am as a
ential education. Their journals include the following person. For me, this experience opened a door,
conceptualizations: or cracked a shell so to speak, that I never knew
existed. I already know how team and com-
Excerpt 7: munity building is an essential aspect for
Outdoor and experiential education is the pro- classroom success, and success in our everyday
cess of exposing people to situations where they lives. I also know how to go about creating a
interact with the world around them and learn small community amongst the students in my
about aspects of the environment, of themselves class. The actual things I took with me this
and learn from their responses to it. It would weekend extend far beyond the spectrum of the
also entail learning from interactions with others classroom. No, the things I took with me cannot
and their responses. This all occurs primarily be written into a lesson plan.
not through books.
This student has recognized the value of understand-
Excerpt 8: ing herself as a learner and a teacher in order to ap-
Teaching outdoors brings life to the classroom. preciate fully her students. She learned about the
In a world today, when so much of the lives of power of teamwork, community building, and encour-
humans centres around viewing television, agement in setting, working toward, and reaching
movies, video games and computer screens, it personal goals, all of which have now become part
 GERALD LARONDE, MICHELANN PARR 173

of her teaching self. Experiencing the power of an • Do pre-service teachers, once they have gradu-
encouraging word and a safe team building environ- ated and become teachers with their own classes,
ment builds an awareness of the importance of make use of outdoor and experiential education?
emotionally and physically safe environments for • How do we deal with the financial access issue
learning. for students given that the cost of the course is
Not only do the experiences change personal prohibitive for some?
awareness but they also affect participants’ attitudes
and expectations for different students. A classroom
Final Reflections
is composed of diverse students, each with unique
strengths, needs, and abilities. It is a teacher’s re- We sometimes get lost in the immediacy of life and
sponsibility to support all students and encourage forget to take the time to gain from the many exper-
them to work to their full potential, as noted by the iences that are right here in front of us. The course
following student. that we have developed provides us and our students
with time and opportunity to explore not only our
Excerpt 10: natural surroundings, but ourselves as well. One of
Before this weekend I was unsure about the the greatest lessons we have learned throughout the
philosophy of putting students of different course is the need to take risks and grow along with
achievement levels in the same group, as I your students. What this means is that we must cap-
wondered if it would be a barrier for the higher italize on every opportunity possible to engage in
level students. This situation showed me first self-exploration which extends beyond independence
hand that that is not so. The lower level student into interdependence. As teachers and learners, we
was pushed to achieve a higher standard than must willingly acknowledge the recursive and cyclic-
they would have set for themselves and the al nature of learning that often returns us to our
higher level student still achieved the high starting place, which seems far away and long ago,
standard they had aimed for. Both students yet not so very far and not so very long ago. T.S.
achieved success. Eliot discusses the true nature of exploration from
what one might consider to be both a literal and fig-
Future Directions urative stance:

Often reflection encourages us to ask questions and We shall not cease from exploration
seek answers. Writing this article has required us to And the end of all our exploring
look critically at prior research and theory as well as Will be to arrive where we started
reviewing student reflections from a different lens. And know the place for the first time.
Without this critical inquiry and critical engagement, (Four Quartets, 1943)
we may become overly dependent on previous exper-
iences and less likely to develop alternative concep- Just as we have experienced our own exploration
tualizations of teaching and learning within our and our own sense of selves as teachers, learners,
course (Boomer, 1993; Gardner & Boix-Mansilla, and explorers, so too do our students. We return
1994; Gitlin, 1995; Palmer, 1998). We now have a continually to our course, seeing it and knowing it
critical understanding of where we have come from each time for the first time. This is the knowledge
and where we are going in the course. We will con- and awareness that we want our students to accept
tinue to reflect on what works well and what requires and take with them into their own classrooms. We
further attention. Questions for future investigation want them to realize that each new group of students
include: brings with them a new set of experiences that chal-
lenge us to grow, to learn, and to experience once
again the newness of trust, risk, and growth.

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About the Authors

Gerald Laronde
Gerald is an assistant professor who teaches Science Education, and Outdoor and Experiential Education at
Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Michelann Parr
I am currently a doctoral student in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education. I work as an Assistant
Professor in a small university in Northern Ontario; I teach courses on Kindergarten, Language and Literacy,
Special Education, Inclusive Education, and Outdoor Education. My research interests focus on literacy, students
'at risk', teacher development, learner engagement, and technological support systems for learning.