canoe trip

I took my second session to Howell Canoe Livery in Columbus, TX. There Mr. Howell showed the students the basic paddle strokes and demonstrated how to maneuver the boats. We were off for our trip down the river. !! At first several boats had some trouble getting in rhythm with each other paddling, but with a few tips from me and Mr. Howell they were able to manage their boats. We stopped to rest at a few of the islands and get out to look at some vegetation and critters that were along the banks. I'm not saying who started the water fights among the boats, but I remained dry as the other kids got soaked. They couldn't get me and my partner bc I was carrying cameras and told them not to get me. They soon figured out that I had my cameras in sealed boxes and I soon became their targets. We made a stop at at low point in the river and the kids got out to swim and cool off. When we got to the end of the trip, the kids begged to go again and didn't want to get out. Only 1 other student had been canoeing before so the rest had their first experience and loved it. They told me that they planned to bring friends here in the future and go again.
What a thrill it was for me to see the students excitement as they paddled down the river. They practiced several boat maneuvers along the way as I wanted them to know how to do this on their own in the future. I am so glad that this course gives students the opportunity to experience new adventures and show them a variety of activities that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. In my survey/conversation about the trip, I asked students what they would like to see in the future with OE classes. They all said an overnight canoe trip would be fun. I would like to investigate this for next year as I have canoed down the Guadalupe River on overnight trips in the past. If possible, I could make the overnight camp out trip to include a day of canoeing and incorporate other OE skills as well.
Check out my wiki spaces that show animotos and pics of our OE classes this summer:
http://outdooredwais.pbworks.com/
each session has another link that opens up so you can view each session. My homepage is used for basic information and videos and then I added each session so students can see their photos and animotos that they create on my account.

thoughts on first summer session

Wow!!! What a wonderful experience these kids had. High students came from all over the district to take this summer school course. I taught students from every ses. We took several field trips and learned about the elements of Outdoor Ed. Students were able to experience activities that they have never participated in before as well as see what the city of Houston and surrounding area has to offer in Outdoor activities. We hiked in Memorial Park and Herman Park and explored a variety of activities that they could come back and enjoy with friends and family. The highlight of our class was going to Stephen F. Austin for an overnight camp out. There was a fire ban in effect and temps in 100 degree, but that did not deter us. The park is full of shade trees and as we hiked 8-10 miles with a park ranger, we rarely were in direct sunlight. Students were given lessons in vegetation and several national volunteers were on sight working and came by to talk with the kids about opportunities of study and work in this field. I spent several days preparing food at home since we could not cook on anything but on electric skillets and crock pots. Students were able to get a sense of cooking out as they warmed food on the skillet and we made a few dishes in the crock pots.
I also carried fans with us and plugged them in to make sure the kids stayed as cool as possible.
Surprisingly, no one had any heat issues or complaints and the students loved to time together and the outdoor setting.