Inside Out » Outdoor Development

Big Screen Magic

Sam — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:06:18 +0000

Using a slide-show for reflection

This article first appeared in Horizons magazine, Issue 55 (Autumn 2011)

When was the last time you managed a quiet, focused fifteen minutes of reflection and review with your group? Almost no speaking, just the occasional smile, laugh or tear. A mental journey through the physical one they have just been on.

Unless you are working with Trappist monks, the chances are that this is a rarity for you, as it is for most of us. However, there is one fool-proof way of making it happen.

A slide-show of pictures from a group’s adventures is a beautiful way of rounding off a programme and with modern technology it is easier than it has ever been. If we embrace reflection as a key part of experiential learning, and believe that an image is worth a thousand words, we can help the participants relive the emotions of a programme and reinforce the learning that they bring.

Capturing Images

The key to a good slide-show is having lots of good, relevant images. The days of slide film are almost behind us and, if you want to use the images during the course, you are going to have to go digital. Digital cameras are cheap and ubiquitous and most participants will have one on their mobile phone.

Try to capture all the parts of the programme, remember to pause during activities to take photos and don’t forget about meal times, whether round a table, fire or camp stove. Photograph places you visit, beautiful views, signs for venues you use, and get team photos up on mountains or down in caves. If you can show learning happening, clear teamwork or discussions going on, even better. You are aiming to tell the story of your adventure so the more parts of it you capture the better.

We normally set up a laptop in the corner of a room and every evening download the images of the day from everybody’s cameras and phones. This is also a good time do some basic editing, weeding out blurry images and selecting the best of the duplicates Ten minutes each night can save an hour later in the course when you are under pressure to get your show ready!

Telling the Story

All stories have a structure – a beginning, a middle and an end; your story has one too and a few minutes think about what it is can convert your slide-show from ‘what I did on my holidays’ to a powerful narrative.

If you imagine your story as a Homeric epic or Hollywood blockbuster, the first thing you will need to do is to set the scene and introduce your characters. If you are working with an organisation, try to capture a copy of their logo, you can often get it from the internet but nicer is to photograph it during the week. Look out for it on minibuses, clothing, paperwork or have the group make a copy out of natural materials.

You can ‘introduce’ the group by showing a team photo, perhaps when they first arrived – clean, apprehensive and excited. Even nicer is to ensure that during the programme you capture a portrait shot of each group member taking part in activities and ‘introduce’ them one by one with a photograph they probably don’t remember being taken. However, only do this if you have a face-shot of everybody, missing someone out suggests they weren’t part of the story!

Once you have set the scene and introduced your players you can get on with telling the story. If you want your group to relive the journey they have been on it’s probably best to do so chronologically. It will help them anchor the feelings they have watching the show with the events on the screen.

Try to balance the sections out, the fact it was easier to take photographs during the low ropes course and bushcraft than while kayaking shouldn’t be obvious in your show. Consider also significance of the events in your photo, two or three landscape shots from the summit are usually more important than two or three shots of that pretty rock face you passed on the way up!

If there were key moments during the programme, try to include them, no matter how poor quality or boring the photographs you have. A typical ‘from below’ climbing shot of someone completing their first route may never make it onto a guidebook front cover, but it will be packed with emotion for the person in it.

Aim for a mix of pretty photos, key moments and story telling images. All three have a part to play in evoking feelings and helping the participants to reflect.

As with all good stories, yours must come to an end. If you have selected the right images, there is a real possibility you will have stirred up significant emotions and care should be taken not to just ‘dump’ the watchers back into the here and now.

One way to wind up your show include a group photograph, this time as a dirty, weather- beaten and accomplished team. Another is to return to the organisations logo, or a slide with the title of the programme, dates and names of participants, perhaps drawn in the sand or scratched on a piece of slate or wood. Finally you could emulate the great film-maker Charlie Chaplin and finish with a slide that simply says “The End”.

About 3-4 seconds per slide seems to be about the right timing, any more and it will drag, any less and the watchers won’t have time to process the image before they are whisked on to the next one. If you are using music (see below) then you can frequently find a ‘fit to music’ button to help keep it sound and vision coordinated.

How many slides to use overall is a difficult question. Undoubtedly it is better to leave them wanting more than have them drifting off but use as many as you need to tell the story. If each image is unique and significant, their attention won’t be far away. On a short residential course I might expect to use 20-30 photos per day.

Resist the urge to tamper with your images too much. You are telling a true story, warts and all, not creating a fantasy master piece. Crop and straighten if you feel you need to but the more ‘raw’ your show is, the closer it will connect with its audience. As tempting as it may be to add captions, funny or otherwise, remember that you are helping the participants reflect on their story not telling your version of it. You wouldn’t make a witty quip after everything that was brought up in a discussion review so there is no need to here.

Engaging the Ears as well as the Eyes

Playing music along side your slideshow achieves a number of effects. As well as discouraging too much discussion, the right piece can trigger memories and help elevate the journey from merely exciting to truly epic.

Methods of playing music during the slideshow vary, from the slick integration of slideshow software to the carefully timed pressing of play on the ancient tape recorder. Don’t fret too much, once it’s playing it will do its job. Do make it loud enough to have an impact, no-one wants to strain to hear it.

If there have been particular pieces of music that have been prevalent during the programme, grab a copy and use them. Perhaps every time you got in a minibus the same chart hit seemed to be playing, or perhaps the same CD has been looping round all week. One last time won’t hurt anybody!

Alternatively choose some tracks that fit the story you are trying to tell. Non-vocal pieces work particularly well, after all, they were designed to tell a story. In particular, soundtracks from films can be particularly moving, the ‘Lord of Rings’ theme suits its own epic story well, and there is no harm in letting little of that rub off on your own.

There are a few tracks that seem appropriate to almost any self-development journey, it’s worth having a copy of them to hand, in case you need to improvise. Labi Siffre’s “Something Inside So Strong” and the recent cover of “Don’t Stop Believing” from the television series Glee have both been to known to reduce hardy outdoor instructors to quiet tears in the right circumstances!

Let It Play

Once you have set up your slideshow, give it a brief introduction and then let it play. There is no need to narrate it, the participants were there, they know what happened and it is more important that they visit their version of the events than hear yours.

If you have anything to say to the group, it’s probably best to do it before you start. Once the slide show ends, they will probably need time to decompress and to parse the emotions they have just felt. It is quite common to have participants in tears, hopefully of happiness and achievement, and they may need a short while to compose themselves. Gradually they will start to talk to each other and comment on what they have just seen, which is after all what review is all about!

Post Script: Useful Music to Accompany your Slideshow

Jurassic Park theme – John Williams, E.T theme – John Williams, Harry Potter Theme – John Williams, Lord of the Rings theme – Howard Shore, Don’t Stop Believing – Glee, Something Inside So Strong – Labi Siffre, You’ve Got a Friend – James Taylor, Kodachrome – Paul Simon, Perfect Day – Lou Reed, Proud – Heather Small

Post Script: Distribution

With the advent of digital images, it is easy to distribute your slide-show to the participants to take home, either for themselves or to show family, colleagues and friends. There are a number of software tools that allow you to knit the whole thing together into a neat package. It is worth remembering that there are rights issues surrounding the distribution of images and of music and it is worth making yourself aware of these and making sure you have the permission of the photographers involved. In practice, on a small scale it doesn’t seem to pose much of a problem. Also consider the issue of confidentiality, is everyone involved happy with the photos going out into the world? There is no easy answer but it is something worthy of thought.

2011: A Year in Pictures

Sam — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:40:38 +0000

Planning their next move. Apprentices from a major telecommunications company plan an overnight trip on foot and by canoe in the Lake District to scout out locations for a walking tours company.

Come on in the water’s lovely! In a steep mountain river in North Wales, a participant realises he may not have done his wetsuit all the way up.

Flying Leap. 50 feet in the air, it takes courage and commitment to jump from the top of a telegraph pole.

Going Dotty. Staff at a primary school attempt to solve the infamous Dot Puzzle which has provided plenty of frustration for Totem clients this year.

Squeeze. A participant smiles after wiggling his way through a narrow gap in the rocks with the descriptive name of “The Nutcracker”.

A good plan is the key. Many participant learn that having a good, flexible plan is the key to succeeding at complex tasks. This map contains annotations for the next 36 hours of activity.

Between a rock and a hard place. Using natural features to provide problems with real boundaries to solve. In this case something as simple as getting the whole team into a fissure requires teamwork, planning and a sense of adventure.

Home from home. A happy group make themselves at home in a remote mountain hut.

Power Shower. Apprentices brave the cold to experience “the most powerful shower in Wales”.

Helping Hand. One participant helps another up a slippery step in the Old Dungeon Ghyll in the Lake District.

The World’s Largest Shopping List. Planning food for the rest of the group is a big responsibility that requires teamwork, communication, resource management and marker pens.

A long way down. The hundred foot abseil into an abandoned slate quarry is a highlight for anyone who plucks up the courage to go over the edge.

Duck and Dive. Those that choose to tackle “The Sump”, a gap between two boulders filled with fast flowing water, describe it as “scary but a massive sense of achievement afterwards”.

Maneuvers in the Dark. Removing the sense of sight means that this participant must trust his colleagues to guide him safely through a woodland.

Into the Wild. A group make their way into a remote valley to complete tasks before returning to base camp the next day.

Build your own boat. Given barrels, planks and ropes, this group have built their own craft, complete with crane to raise a 200kg treasure from the bottom of the lake.

Concentration. Making her way along a rope bridge, this participant transfers her precious cargo to her teeth so she can use both hands.

Stretcher Carry. As part of a simulated rescue, a group carries one of their members along a forest track. Instant feedback on the success of the teamwork is provided by the ‘casualty’ , often at some volume!

Musical Challenge. One of our technicians plays the bagpipes and so an impromptu jam and lesson sprung up. This participant is discovering it is a lot harder than it looks.

Journey into the fog. A team row out of the fog on a misty day on Windermere. They covered the full length of the lake, over 17km, in just under three and a half hours.

It’s not always outdoors. Participants describe themselves through coats of arms containing only pictures, no words allowed.

Splashdown! An inelegant but effective shallow water entry during a canyon journey.

The Spider’s Web. A Development Guide briefs the team on their next challenge, escaping through the spider’s web without being caught.

Up and Over. With some support from her team, this participant makes her way over the high bar.

Waterfall Walk. A participant steadies herself as she crosses a waterfall in the Afon Ddu in North Wales.

Technician Mischief. One of our staff team plays with a participant during a blindfold walk.

Water-borne Journey. After building their catamaran, these participants are exploring the shores of Llyn Padarn, just below Snowdon, looking for “encryption devices”.

Rations. Active people are hungry people. Just a tiny section of the amount of food needed for a 6 day course.

Row your boat. It is difficult to think of an activity that illustrates the need for teamwork better then rowing, in this case out on Windermere in the Lake District.

Innovative Reviewing and Reflection. As well as unique and exciting activities, we are constantly looking for new and interesting ways to draw learning from them. This technique allowed the group to re-walk a journey made the day before, past key locations and to describe the emotions invoked.

Nearly at the top. With one more move until he makes it, one participant is too focused on the task in hand to enjoy the view of Snowdon in the background.

Advice for Apprentices, from Apprentices. Asked to leave advice for the next group of apprentices through a similar course, this team produced an excellent list of guidance that could equally well apply to the workplace.

Advice for Apprentices, from Apprentices

Sam — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:21:55 +0000

In the last month we’ve had three groups of apprentices through our Personal Learning and Thinking Skills course, challenging themselves and thinking hard about learning in the beautiful surroundings of Snowdonia. With more groups taking on the course in the coming months we asked one cohort to come up with some advice for those that followed in their footsteps. With no prompting from our Development Guides, this is what they produced;

[Click for full size]

While the handwriting is much better than some of our staff, if you can’t read it here is what they have written.

Work together.
Put 100% into everything you do!
Support each other.
Walking boots will be your new best friend!
Find a positive in everything.
Be on point at all times.
You need to each as much as you can.
Stay up beat at all times – a happy group will progress.
Negativity is infectious.
Challenge yourself, you are not doing to die.
You will only ever do this stuff once.
Think outside the box.
Work with [what] you know, work out what you need.
NO restrictions means NO restrictions, use whatever you can.
CAN’T is not a work in your vocabulary.
Sleep a lot.
Get ready to push yourself to the ultimate limit.
Do not argue, resolve instead.
PLAN, do not dive in head first.
Bring supplies! (junk food, fizzy drinks, etc)

We’re not sure about the last one but otherwise I’m not sure we could have written a better list ourselves.

Reykjavik Graffiti

Sam — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:51:56 +0000

Just look at how the mountains,

So very mighty be,

Sharp as razors at the top,

They span the land and sea,

But don’t forget that though,

Majestic spires capped with snow,

From each and every grain of sand did grow…

Seen on the side of a building off Hverfistgata in Reykjavik, Icleand.

A Brief Introduction to Experiential Learning

Sam — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:07:47 +0000

“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.”

-Galileo Galilei

Experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience.

Traditional education expects participants to learn about the topic from books, lectures, tutorials and worksheets.

Experiential education places them in situations that provide similar challenges to those they might face and evokes similar emotions, and that require similar skills and behaviours to overcome.

By using an adventurous environment such as the outdoors, we can provide a ‘laboratory’ in which facilitators can create challenging and demanding situations and in which apprentices can experiment with different behaviours, without that behaviour having a negative effect in the workplace.

An Experiential Learning Cycle

This is one of many learning cycles that helps us to conceptualise and understand the complicated, messy process of learning. (For other cycles, see this great article by Roger Greenaway)

In order to learn through experience, it is not only necessary to ‘do something’. After we have performed an Action, three further things take place before that action alters how we act in the future.

First, we Reflect on the action we just took and the experience it generated. This is looking back and thinking about what happened and the feelings it generated, in ourselves and others and the effect it had on the environment we are in.

Then we conceptualise, that is, think about the reasons that it had those effects and understand those reasons. This leads to Learning.

Learning on its own is no use if we don’t then do anything with it, so we then have to Plan. This is about applying that learning next time you undertake that action and, importantly, similar actions in the future.

We all go round this cycle as we learn from experience, sometimes it takes a few seconds to complete a circuit and sometimes it might take us years. Typically, the more intense and complicated the experience, the longer it takes us to go round the cycle.

Different people favour different parts of the cycle, Peter Honey and Alan Mumford have a system for working out which area you prefer to spend your time in, which we occasionaly use on Totem courses.

There is of course, much more to experiential learning that these basic concepts, but they underlie much of what we do. Space to experiment, reflective practice and onward planning are at the core of Totem’s work.

Genesis of a Course

Sam — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:19:11 +0000

Most courses evolve. They start as either a client brief, or from an idea by our staff and then move through various conversations and revisions, being changed even as they are being delivered. Looking through my file from a leadership course back in March, I found this piece of paper. It was the outcome of 30 minutes discussion between two of us and it became a very successful “Looking at Leadership” course that finished with the participants rowing the length of Windermere.

The fact that you can read it means the handwriting isn’t mine but I love the fact that, for one course at least, it is possible to pinpoint when all the ideas came together. [Click for a larger version]

Vague briefs do not make tasks harder

Sam — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:15:29 +0000

Heard at a conference this weekend:

“…and of course you can make the task harder by giving a vaguer brief.”

No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! and No!

Giving a vague brief doesn’t make tasks harder, it makes them more frustrating. Participants spend more time looking to their facilitators to get clarification about what they need to do than looking at themselves or each other. It puts you in the position of power and takes away their ability to operate without your intervention.

By all means make your tasks harder, but at least have enough respect for your participants to make the briefs clear.

Photo from Martin Kingsley’s flickrstream under CC BY 2.0.

Case Study : PDS and O2

Sam — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:21:06 +0000

Totem have worked with PDS, a specialist apprenticeship consultancy, from pretty much the day we started. They are one of our favourite clients, they ‘get’ outdoor learning and consider it a key part of developing the whole apprentice.

They have just released a case study about the work we did with them and O2. It explains how O2 has proved that taking Key Skills development totally out of the classroom and into the open air can be a winning formula and why the Outdoor Programme we developed with PDS has become permanent feature of their apprenticeship programme.

O2 – Advanced apprenticeship in technology delivering key skills via the outdoors [PDF]

Reviewing Method : Verbs

Sam — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:53:25 +0000

A quick method for starting out a review (or reviving one that is stalling). Go around the room and ask people to tell the group all the verbs they have been doing today.

e.g.

Climbing, Canoeing, Swimming, Falling, Sliding, Catching, Carrying, Paddling, Shaking….

Alternatively, have them collect them on a flipchart, or white board.

I also find this useful in encouraging people to move from “task” to “process”, by guiding their thoughts towards the non-obvious verbs.

e.g.

Sharing, Arguing, Discussing, Leading, Learning, Helping, Supporting, Plotting, Scheming, etc

It’s a quick, lively, thought provoking exercise that can take on a life of it’s own!

10 Questions to Ask Before Conducting a Review

Sam — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:37:03 +0000

Review is a key tool for almost all forms of learning. Whether you call it an “after action report” or a “personal reflection”, we must review our actions if we are to learn from them.

Choosing the right form of review is a skilled task, more art than science. Here are 10 questions to ask yourself before you dive into your next review

1. Do we want to review what just happened?

Sometimes it’s important to review as a group, sometimes it’s best to let the action speak for itself. The individual’s reflection over time may be enough.

2. Are we ready to review yet?

Even if we want to review the action, are the participants in a state where it will be useful? Could they do with more time to process what just happened or are they bursting to share their thoughts?

3. Is this the right time to review?

Even if we feel ready to review what just happened, is it worth leaving until we have eaten or are less tired, or do we need to capture the learning now?

4. Are we in the right location to review?

Sometimes it helps to be at the scene of the action, sometimes some distance is useful. Is this setting inspirational, will it help anchor the learning. Are there distractions and are they useful?

5. Are the right people here to ensure a successful review?

Do we need the whole group here? Should we split into smaller groups? Do some people need to reflect on their own? With or without leaders/trainers?

6. What role will I have in the review?

Should I contribute? Facilitate? Sit quietly? Be absent? Observe?

7. What format and structure will the review take?

Options include: Group discussion, written reports, structured notes, questionnaires, presentations, personal conversations, pictures, slideshows.

8. What tools do I have available to me during the review?

Do I have access to exercises, models, pictures and theories that might help explain my points, or help others to make theirs?

9. Are we going to capture the review for further review?

Is the review of interest to anyone other than the participants? Will they want a chance to revisit the review again later? Will they be building on this review?

10. If we are, how?

Sometimes taking notes is useful, what about video? Is there a formal system in place for reflection that needs to be completed?

Suspension of the Vetting and Barring Scheme (or back to CRB checks)

Sam — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:28:44 +0000

From Fiona at the Institute for Outdoor Learning

The government today announced the suspension of the introduction of the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) pending the outcome of a comprehensive review which is likely to result in re-modelling and significant scaling back of the scope of the scheme. The scope of the re-modelling process is currently being finalised and will be announced in due course.

Although registration with the VBS (due to begin from July 2010) will not now go ahead, the ISA will continue to make barring decisions on individuals and to maintain the two barring lists.

For more information on the ISA, visit: www.isa-gov.org.uk.

To view the Home Office press release visit: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/press-releases/Vetting-barring-scheme

The new safeguarding regulations introduced in October 2009 continue to apply. This is the current advice on the Independent Safeguarding Authority website:

A person who is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults will be breaking the law if they work or volunteer, or try to work or volunteer with those groups.
An organisation which knowingly employs someone who is barred to work with those groups will also be breaking the law.
If your organisation works with children or vulnerable adults and you dismiss a member of staff or a volunteer because they have harmed a child or vulnerable adult, or you would have done so if they had not left, you must tell the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

In the meantime organisations are therefore recommended to continue to implement their existing safe recruitment processes, which should include CRB checks for relevant individuals and posts.

Expedition Behaviour

Sam — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:25:41 +0000

In 1965 Paul Petzolt, founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming used the phrase “Expedition Behaviour” for the first time.

For him it represented a series of principles which guide the decisions and behaviours of an expedition’s members in order to achieve the maximum across the team with the minimum of stress. By 1974 he’d refined the idea enough to write 17 pages on it in his seminal “Wilderness Handbook” and it continues to be at the core of NOLS courses today.

Expedition Behaviour means being prepared, on time, organized, flexible and humble; seeing the humor in everything; exercising a tolerance for adversity, uncertainty and discomfort; and putting the needs of the group and others on the same level or above one’s own needs. Some people do it instinctively, others take a while but eventually, given the reality that wilderness places in front of us, almost everybody gets it.

Nowadays, NOLS defines Expedition Behavior as the following:

Serve the mission and goals of the group.
Be as concerned for others as you are for yourself.
Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Support leadership and growth in everyone.
Respect the cultures you contact.
Be kind and open-hearted.
Do your share and stay organized.
Help others, but don’t routinely do their work.
Model integrity by being honest and accountable.
Admit and correct your mistakes.

Not just applicable to expeditions, I think they have a lot of relevance to all team endeavours, don’t you?

Find out more over at the NOLS website.

Reviewing Technique: Sorry Cards

Sam — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:18:11 +0000

“Always seems to me, that ‘Sorry’ seems to be the hardest word….”

-Elton John and Bernie Taupin

We all know it’s hard to say sorry. Even when we know we are wrong, or have wronged someone else, even when we know we should apologise, it can be the hardest thing in the world to do.

Maybe it’s the loss of face involved, the admission that we are failable. Maybe it’s the fact that we are making ourselves vulnerable to someone else, to scorn or ridicule. Even though we know that most apologies are accepted gracefully, we still have to find some inner strength to find the right words to say.

These Sorry Cards are designed to reduce the barriers to saying sorry. With groups of young people, I introduce them at the start of a course and let them know that they are available should the want them. If they need to apologies to someone they can come and get a card from me, no questions asked and give it to that person. If we have a base to work from I put them somewhere where they can help themselves.

By reducing the need to find the right words for the apology, and by turning it into a simple action, it reduces the feeling of exposing oneself to scorn, rejection or ridicule.

The have a number of different designs to let the giver chose a pattern they like, or think the receiver would like. You could of course create your own, or even get the group to create their own at the start of the course, in case they are needed.

Like all reviewing techniques it doesn’t work with every group, but if you have a fiery group where conflict is common, try it.

PDF: Sorry_Cards

How times change…

Sam — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:55:02 +0000

Oil companies have a pretty shaky environmental record but most of them are at least coming to the realisation that they are not using an infinite resource. This 1962 advert shows that this wasn’t always the case (click on the image for a larger version)

Picture source unknown, let us know!

Hiding in the bushes?

Sam — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:36:47 +0000

We’ve been in North Wales all day, whittling sticks, chopping wood and building shelters as part of a stone soup bush craft session based at Boulder Adventures. Everybody has brought along ideas and we’ve shared them, improving practice and making all of us safer. Claire (above) seemed rather attached to her shelter and didn’t want to come out.

More Photos

Mike Buss : The Worlds Fittest Man?

Sam — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:13:46 +0000

At a recent breakfast meeting, I had the opportunity to meet Mike Buss. Mike describes himself as a ‘World Record Breaking Endurance Athlete’.

A ex-soldier and Physical Training Instructor, Mike’s story was pretty incredible. After suffering hearing loss when a bomb exploded 20 feet from him in Northern Ireland, he was medically discharged and, struggling to adapt to civilian life, he found himself living on the streets of London.

An article on Paddy Boyle inspired him to sort himself out and he set out to break as many fitness world records as he could. He now holds more than 20 world records for fitness and aims to break at least 20 more.

Some of the records he holds are mind-boggling:

Fastest 10 mile road run carrying 40lb pack & wearing chemical warfare suit : 2hrs 42mins.

Longest time spent continuously cycling : 96hrs

Furthest distance covered on a treadmill carrying 120lb pack : 62km.

There is loads more information about his achievements on his website so go and marvel and, while you are there, think about donating to Help for Heroes, Mike’s chosen charity.

Right, I’m off to find my running shoes…

New Development Training Social Network

Sam — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:43:02 +0000

Bill Krouwel of Trinity College, Carmarthen has started a social network for those of us working in Development Training who have an interest in Emergent Learning. In his words;

“For those who are uncomfortable with the fashionable idea that learning events don’t count unless they have tight, pre-set objectives.”

If you have an interest in such things, please do come and join us or ask me for an invite.

Other Blogs to Enjoy

Sam — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:11:16 +0000

Howies Brainfood

Howies not only make really good quality clothing but their blog “Brainfood” is filled with little snippets of information that are both interesting and informative. No long essays, just a drip drip drip of environmentalism, outdoor life, sports and clothing.

The Cleanest Line

Written by the employees, friends and customers of the outdoor clothing company Patagonia. Since it’s employees include Lynn Hill and Yvon Chourinard as well as some leading environmentalists and outdoor writers it is nearly always a great read.

Paul Deegan

Paul Deegan is a mountaineer, presenter and journalist who posts thoughtful views on living and working in the outdoors. He’s also a dreadful skier.

Life in the Vertical

Mark Reeves is a climbing instructor and coach based in North Wales. His blog is frequently badly spelled and some might find his choice of language offensive but it does provide a good insight into making a living in the outdoors.

Kit Up

Inspiration and information can come from the most unlikely source. This blog, subtitled “Warfighters, show us your gear” contains posts about equipment useful to soldiers. Frequently though, soldiers want the same as outdoor people, tough, light, effective gear that does the job. It’s worth keeping an eye on simply to see what our camouflaged brethren are using to do similar things.

Ever Been Lost?

Sam — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:42:54 +0000

Have you ever been lost? In the hills? In the city? Underwater? In your own mind?

Jamie Neal has. Christopher Columbus has. Macaulay Culkin has.

We’d love to hear your story, comment below or mail me.

Fortune Cookies and Climbing Mountains

Sam — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:47:16 +0000

On the Three Peaks event I ran for Evolution Services this weekend I spent some time talking to one of the participants about the feeling of achievement that comes from climbing a mountain. This feeling is very satisfying, often represents real learning and, importantly from a trainers point of view, impossible to fake.

There is no way in the world that moving some barrels and planks around on a patch of grass to cross a ‘river’ marked out with ropes can ever compare to building a pontoon to cross a real river.

You can climb an artificial climbing wall, lower to the ground and feel pleased with yourself but climb a real cliff and pull over the top and stand on a summit and the achievement will feel so much more tangible.

So while lessons can be learned with barrels and planks and in indoor climbing walls, more powerful lessons can be learnt out and about in the world. Real challenge brings real reward.

Not normally a believer in serendipity or fate, I broke open my fortune cookie in the Chinese restaurant last night to receive the following;

Maybe somebody out there heard my conversation on the mountain…

The Dirtbag Diaries Podcast

Sam — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:11:59 +0000

If any of you regularly listen to podcasts I can’t recommend The Dirtbag Diarie s enough. Fitz Cahall introduces and narrates these short journeys into outdoor life.

From tales of accidents and examples of extreme courage to silly stories and beginners luck, Fitz does a great job of getting to the soul of the outdoor person. He comes closer than most to explaining why we go into the hills or onto the river and push ourselves beyond our comfort zone.

There is also an environmental theme running through the episodes but thankfully this is not allowed to overshadow the stories themselves. The narration is peppered with short sections of music from wide variety of sources and frequently with audio recorded on trips and adventures.

I defy anyone to listen to these podcasts and not be day-dreaming about their next adventure.

If you have the time, all the episodes are worth listening to but a couple stand out from the crowd. “Datos Insuficientes” is an account of the first descent of Peru’s isolated Apurimac River and the high level of commitment it required.

“Anatomy of an Accident” inspects an near-miss that Cahall had on a peak in Oregon which is told so graphically that you will feel like you too have slid down 200ft of sheer ice.

Unlike many podcasts you can download mp3s of the episodes directly from the website or subscribe by RSS or through iTunes.

Team Task: Poker Communication

Sam — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:40:59 +0000

Takes 20-30 minutes

Resources

A set of poker chips. 200 in four colours works fine, the less you have in more limited colours, the harder the task will be.

Instructions For Tutor

Give the group a box of poker chips. Tell them

“You have 20 minutes to create a means of transferring a message from one half of the group to the other using only the chips placed on the table.

No paper or pencils are permitted.

After 20 minutes I will split the group in two and half of you will be asked to leave the room. I will give the remaining participants a 20-30 letter message that may involve letters or numbers but no punctuation, which you must pass to the other group using only the poker chips”

Facilitate the creation of the code. This is where the bulk of the team dynamics and personal development takes place as the participants try to refine their aim, then develop the code and finally to ensure that everyoe understands the code.

Use whatever means you like to capture this discussion, we have successfully used video, notes, phrases used jotted on a blackboard and having observers taken from within the group.

When they have a code, split the group into two and send half out of the room. Give the other half a short (20-30 letter) message on a piece of paper and help them encode it.

The messages are best if they have several words, and aren’t too easy to guess once you have 2-3 of the words. We’ve used short Shakespeare quotes and the names of the building we are in.

Invite the other half back in to decode it and ensure that there is no cheating.

Swap the two halves of the group over and try with a different message.

Using it elsewhere

We have used variants of this task in a number of places.

On a beach with different coloured stones.
In a forest using sticks.
On a draughts (checkers) board using the pieces.
In a park using “whatever you can find”.
In a mountain campsite using “the contents of your rucksack”.

Doing it outside makes it a much more physical, tactile task and adds whole new areas of discussion such as role allocation “You go and collect black stones” or even “What shall we use?”.

Training for the Unexpected

Sam — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:45:41 +0000

This 2002 obituary for Goran Kropp, the Swedish adventurer and mountaineer contains this passage which describes how he prepared himself for the unexpected.

“While doing his national service in a Swedish infantry regiment, he trained for Alpine climbing expeditions by sleeping in a gravel pit. His tough, self-imposed programme included setting his alarm clock at random: if he woke at 3am he would walk 30km in full combat gear; if he woke at 6am, he would walk 60km. “I wanted to get used to living with the unexpected,” he said.”

The rest of the obituary further emphasises how dedicated this man was to both adventure and minimal impact techniques.

“Kropp aimed to tackle each expedition “in harmony with nature”, without support and leaving no trace of his passing. “It is important for me to leave nothing behind me on a mountain,” he said.”

You can read the rest of the obituary on the Telegraph website.

Photo from MountainZone.com.

What have you Bruised Recently?

Sam — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:55:39 +0000

We’ve just spent the weekend surfing at Saunton in North Devon. Blue skies and clean waves were conspicuously absent but we did have a lot of fun. I’ve never been board surfing before and I’ve got a new found respect for those who make it look so effortless and easy.

Returning home on Sunday night I realised I was covered in bruises. There is the one on my back from falling off the board into 4 inches of water after I misjudged how far ashore I had come. I’ve got one around my left ankle where my leash pulled tight after I let go of my board while wading out. The one on my chin is the most visible, caused by throwing myself forward onto my board with a little too much vigour.

They might make me a little bit sore but I am proud of my bruises. Really proud. They are like little campaign medals and, to me they represent two things.

The first is the fact that I was learning a new skill. Learning any new physical skill normally results in bruising, aching or stiffness. Is there anyone who has never used the phrase “I’ve discovered muscles I didn’t know I had”? These aches and pains tell us we are moving outside our comfort zone and, quite literally, stretching ourselves.

The second thing that bruises represent is commitment. We all fell off our boards a lot in the surf. However we kept getting back on them, like the adage about falling off a horse. The bruises provide useful feedback that what we did last time didn’t work, so try something else.

Bruises tell you that you are making mistakes, they represent failed attempts at something. However, a core belief of experiential learning is that if we are open minded, we learn as much from our mistakes as we do from success. So with the right attitude, bruises are badges of learning.

Of course, nobody likes getting hurt but you can bruise plenty of other things than your body. Your ego, your confidence, your cashflow, your reputation, your business plan. The good news is, like your body, all these things heal and with a bit of luck, you will be wiser as a result.

So, what have you bruised recently?

Photo from Jules Li’s Flickrstream under Creative Commons License

Annoucing the next Anything Could Happen course

Sam — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:56:25 +0000

Totem would like to invite you to participate in our next Anything Could Happen course which will be running in September. It will be taking place in North Wales on either 11-13th September or 18-20th September. The cost is £280.

There is plenty of of information about the course at www.totemdevelopment.co.uk/anythingcouldhappen

In summary, it is an open outcome course with no fixed programme. We aim to draw together a diverse group of people, put them in beautiful surroundings, and provide challenging activities to create a powerful learning experience. It is aimed at people who are interested in their own personal development and who want to explore their own learning in an exciting and challenging environment.

Since we use Agile Programming, we can’t guarantee what you’ll be doing on the course but previously we have guided blindfolded partners; hunted foam animals scattered throughout the town; created art out of slate; abseiled and climbed; had round table debates; created codes and built a bridge across a lake.

We couple this with meaningful, engaging personal and group reflection and review to ensure that participants come away having learnt from everything they have done.

Some comments from previous participants:

“Thought provoking and loads of fun with plenty to take away to think about and hopefully apply!” -James

“A month of life packed into 48 hours!” -Eeva

“Thought-provoking; knackering but fun and challenging” -Billy

Mark also wrote a short piece about his time on the course, which you can read here.

The course fee includes all food and accommodation for the weekend, as well as the training, activities and any materials used. We will be based at the well equipped and friendly Bryn Du Mountain centre.

If you are interested in attending the course, please let us know which dates (11-13 or 18-20) you could attend and which one you prefer.

If you have any friends, colleagues or family who you think might be interested, please do not hesitate to forward this to them.

If you want to know more about this unusual course, please feel free to contact us.

Sailing and Teamwork

Sam — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:40:12 +0000

We’ve just arrived home from the Sonata Nationals, a yacht racing event that this year was held in Poole. The Sonata is 6.9m boat that is very seaworthy and fast for its size.

We were blessed with sunshine and a good amount of wind which meant the racing amongst this very competitive fleet was close, intense and exciting. In this type of event there aren’t many tactics, the short courses and identical boats mean that most races are won by making your boat go faster through the water. A 1% drop in performance will cost you 60m over the race and probably about 5-6 places.

What struck me out on the water that a small yacht like the Sonata, normally crewed by 3 or 4 people, was a perfect medium for team building.

It is a high pressure environment

Yacht racing is a bit like close quarter jousting using 23 foot, wind-powered horses on a field that flows in one direction and bounces up and down. It has a complicated set of rules for defining who has right of way that require constant reference to the wind direction and an understanding of what every boat in the near vicinity is doing.

As you approach a buoy marking a change in direction on the course, you must go around it without hitting it, reset your sails or raise new ones, find the next marker and make a tactical decision about how you are going to get to it. Meanwhile ten or more boats, many within touching distance, are trying to do the same thing as you, only faster and no-one has any brakes.

At times the boats are less than a metre apart, there is frequently a lot of shouting as people claim their right to clear water and the damage if a collision occurs can run into tens of thousands of pounds. This high pressure environment demonstrates clearly that a cool head and the knowledge that your crewmates are doing their jobs are essential.

You have a clear goal

Everybody on the team understands the goal, to win this race. Everybody on the team understands how they are going to do this, by being faster than any other boat on the water that day. Since the boats are identical, everybody understands that the only way to achieve that goal is to do their specific jobs to the best of their abilities.

Everybody has a specific role to play

On a Sonata there are four roles,

The Helmsman, who is also normally the skipper, steers the boat, makes decisions about direction and sail choice and leads the team.

The Trimmer, who handles the main sail, making tiny adjustments, frequently as small as 2-3cm, to gain the maximum amount of power out of the sails to allow the helmsman to sail his chosen course as fast as possible.

The Winch Grinder, who is the muscle on the boat, pulling in the foresail every time the boat changes direction as quickly as possible to allow the helmsman to reset his course. He raises the sails and shifts his weight around to keep the boat as flat and as fast as possible.

The Foredeck who deals with anything that happens forward of the cockpit. Launching and recovering sails, making alterations to the rigging, they also move their weight to where it is most useful.

Bigger boats may have more people on board but the roles are as clearly defined and everybody knows, at each point in the race, what they should be doing.

You have a clearly defined leader

Upon seeing a person on another boat wearing a jumper that had ‘skipper’ on the back, one of the crew quipped “If you need to wear a badge to tell the crew you are the skipper, you are doing it wrong”. Clear, defined leadership is essential at sea, where not only are races won or lost but potentially lives too. The skipper has complete control over the boat and all on-board. They oversee everything going on and make the decisions, which the crew then enact.

Responsibility is automatically devolved

The skipper doesn’t have time to think about how to get the most power out of the sails or whether a fastening is attached correctly so responsibility is automatically devolved to one of the defined crew roles. He relies on his crew to do the right thing at the right time. If the crew take up that responsibility then the boat performs well, if not, they are likely to lose.

It is obvious if you are performing as a team

Since yachts are very difficult to sail single handed, if the boat is moving, you are performing as a team. If the boat is moving fast, you are performing well as a team.

You have to work together

Once out at sea, if you don’t work as a team, you won’t get home. There is nothing like rough seas or the call of dry land and the bar to persuade people to put aside personal differences and to work together. In high pressure environments it is easy to snap at someone or to take affront at an off-hand comment but for the sake of getting home, you must learn to let it all wash over you.

You can’t get away

Confronted by a high pressure environment and uneasy team dynamic, the temptation is to walk away and not go through the difficult learning process that is team building. On a 6.9m boat, you can’t go far!

Sadly, our results in the Sonata Nationals suggests our teamwork could be better but it certainly gave me food for thought.

Photo from Roberto Venturini‘s flickr stream. Used under CC-deriv license.

Friendship is…

Sam — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:22:04 +0000

At lunch today the conversation turned to “ice-breaker” games used on course and I talked about my “Share the stupidest thing you have ever done” game. I like this game as it always seems to break down barriers fast.

Jeremy Renwick of Kubernetes then made the very good point that this game functions because “friendship is the exchange of vulnerabilities“.

This had me thinking all the way home across the Wiltshire Downs. I have always been aware that friendships developed during climbing trips (or sailing, or kayaking) have a tendency to go from strangers to lifelong friends in very short periods. I knew that trust was an important part of this friendship and this statement sums it up perfectly for me.

When you hand the rope holding you to someone during climbing, you are about as vulnerable as you can be. Your life is literally in their hands. If those vulnerabilities aren’t exploited then you have formed a bond of trust that is as powerful as it is possible to be and a friendship normally follows.

I can see this phrase appearing in some of my courses from now on. I shall, of course, attribute it to Jeremy!