Technology Works in the Outdoors

Autor/in	Zita, Adam
Titel	Technology Works in the Outdoors
Quelle	In: Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education, 20 (2008) 2, S.8-10 (3 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0840-8114
Schlagwörter	Navigation; Experiential Learning; Technology Integration; Youth Clubs; Organizations (Groups); Outdoor Education; Physical Activities; Foreign Countries; Satellites (Aerospace); Electronic Equipment; Synchronous Communication; Geographic Location; Technological Advancement; Geographic Information Systems; Maps; Canada + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Experiental learning; Erfahrungsorientiertes Lernen; Jugendfreizeitstätte; Freiluftunterricht; Ausland; Satellit; Elektronisches Gerät; Technological development; Technologische Entwicklung; Map; Karte; Kanada
Abstract	Technology is all around us and no matter how hard educators promote the value of outdoor and experiential education (OEE) to adults and children alike, they are pulled away by a different reality--one might say, a virtual reality. Even when one is engaged in the outdoors either through a night hike or a stream study, technology is lingering there, in the backs of their minds. By today's cultural standards, what is the definition of technology? Is it things that go beep, buzz, and blip? Is a compass a form of technology? There are benefits of integrating technology, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS), into OEE. By using handheld GPS units, educators can connect a generation of learners to nature through a medium they already understand and embrace. This article illustrates how the author developed a GPS program by tying the curriculum to this technology with school-based learning. The program is called "Adventures in Conservation" and its objectives include: learning to read and program a GPS handheld unit; demonstrating knowledge of a GPS by following an orienteering course; and investigating and discussing various issues in conservation. The benefits of this activity are quite obvious: It gets people outside, and time spent outdoors strongly correlates with increased physical activity and fitness in children (Foster and Linney, 2007). Education for curriculum and community is a key value in OEE as learning is more meaningful and effective when students can draw connections between their studies and the world around them. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario. 1185 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, M3C 3C6, Canada. e-mail: info@COEO.org; Web site: http://www.coeo.org/publication.htm
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10