Internet Edition of Raccoon Circles

Click on Picture to View PDF Book

The official Internet Edition of Raccoon Circles by Jim Cain is available as a PDF file for viewing and download.

This internet version contains excerpts from the newly revised Book of Raccoon Circles by Dr. Tom Smith and Dr. Jim Cain, with more than 200 activities, challenges and ideas.

This document is in PDF format and is 7.5 MB large. If you have trouble viewing the PDF click here and follow the instructions (located on the right side of screen) to save the file to your computer for easier viewing.

For further information visit http://www.teamworkandteamplay.com/ and click on download articles, activities, and information.

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posted by Jay @ 2/19/2007, ,




Interesting Question

"Consider whether activities from which participants learn the most are necessarily those that puch them out of their 'comfort zone?'"

This question was posed by Andrew Martin as a result of his case study on Outward Bound. It is a question that experiential practitioners have discussed in school, in conference workshops, at networking days, and on-line. Yet, what I have not seen thus far is an individual or organization with statistical weight behind their opinions and theories.

Research does not have to be and should not only be focused on whether or not experiential education is effective. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of nuances within our field that deserve further study. The more we critique and analyze our own field the less others will be able to. Begin thinking about what questions you'd like to find answers to. Better yet, start the search.

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posted by Jay @ 2/19/2007, ,




Changing Schools through Experiential

A 1992 article discussing the, “efforts to restructure schools…with a curriculum that young people find significant. This Digest describes how experiential education can help provide such a curriculum and the impact it can have on students, teachers, administrators, and school organizational structures. It also describes ways experiential education can help educators make the transition from a traditional program to an activity-based program requiring the collaboration of teachers and students.”

"Experiential education can change schools because it requires new roles of students, teachers, and administrators. It can provide a different, more engaging way of treating academic content through the combination of action and reflection. Experiential education can also provide a process for helping all those involved in schooling become more comfortable with the unfamiliar roles commonly proposed for restructured schools."

Article Link - http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-3/changing.htm

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posted by Jay @ 2/14/2007, ,




Evaluation: A beginning

"Research is a type of inquiry that uses systematic methods and rigorous procedures derived from scientific knowledge and logical thinking to "prove" whether a practice is effective in generalized situations. For example, a study that examines how trust is consistently developed in most groups across many programs would be a form of research.

Evaluation is another type of inquiry that uses similar research-related skills to "improve" practice effectiveness in a specific situation. For example, a study that examines whether trust actually develops in a single group in one program would be a form of evaluation.

Generalizability is the degree to which research or evaluation findings from a study can be applied to other situations that were not studied.
Generalizability is the principal difference between these two types of inquiry. Research seeks a higher amount of generalizability than evaluation and so has stringent requirements about selecting or controlling subjects, treatments, variables, and measurements within a study. Again, fear of research and its precise requirements for generalization unfortunately prevents many practitioners from conducting evaluations.


From: A Program Evaluation Primer by Simon Priest

Evaluation - A Road to Research
Whether or not you ever do a single research study you can (and should) be performing evaluations of your services and programs. Evaluations themselves serve as an important aid in the process of delivering effective programming and are easily implemented into existing program structures. Moreover, with a few simple steps your personal refinement towards greater effectiveness through evaluations could be a beginning for future research. Here's how...
  1. Conduct evaluations
  2. Log and document you evaluations, their findings, and changes made based on them
  3. Compiled evaluation data can be used in research studies - both personal studies and/or external researchers in need of data (ie. Grad students are always looking for data. Contacting college programs to inform them of the data you have available could significantly benefit a research project and subsequently our field.)

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posted by Jay @ 2/12/2007, ,




The Vision - Revisited

The Michigan Experiential Network exists to connect experiential programs and organizations in the state of Michigan and empower the field as a whole toward increased applicability, sustaining purpose, and greater effectiveness.

To date, twenty organizations have asked to be included in the network. A special thanks to all of you for taking this step toward centralized communications across the state. The Michigan Experiential Networks quick start up and positive response to has warranted its continuation and further growth.


When the Michigan Experiential Network was created the vision was to have a link on the network for every Michigan based program, company, or organization involved in the experiential field. The problem is that the network will not link a program, company, or organization unless they ask to be linked. The network needs those who know about the network to tell those who don't know about the network.

What you can do to help grow the network...




posted by Jay @ 2/07/2007, ,




Michigan Job Posting - Still Searching

Position Title: Facilitator Trainer/Trip Leader
Company Name: Adventure Learning Center at Eagle Village

Location(s): Hersey, Michigan, United States

Job Type: Full-Time
Job Duration: Indefinite

Min Education: BA/BS/Undergraduate
Min Experience: 2-3 Years

For More Information Go To
Job Listings - AEE Link
http://jobsclearinghouse.aee.org/c/job.cfm?site_id=619&jb=1084438

Job Listings - Outdoor Ed Link
http://www.outdoored.com/Jobs/oe/DetailsID.aspx?JobID=2723

Eagle Village Jobs
http://eaglevillage.org/evjobs.html


APPLY FOR THIS JOB
Contact Person: Tamara McLeod
Email Address: tjmcleod@eaglevillage.org
Phone: 231-832-7321
Fax: 231-832-1468


No endoresment is given or implied to any companies on this site.

posted by Jay @ 2/07/2007, ,




Michigan Job Posting - Still Searching

Position Title: Facilitator
Company Name: Adventure Learning Center at Eagle Village

Location(s): Hersey, Michigan, United States

Job Type: Part-Time
Job Duration: Indefinite

Min Education: H.S. Diploma/Equivalent
Min Experience: 0-1 Year
Entry Level: Yes

For More Information Go To
Job Listings - AEE Link
http://jobsclearinghouse.aee.org/c/job.cfm?site_id=619&jb=1084436

Job Listings - Outdoor Ed Link
http://www.outdoored.com/Jobs/oe/DetailsID.aspx?JobID=2724

Eagle Village Jobs
http://eaglevillage.org/evjobs.html


APPLY FOR THIS JOB
Contact Person: Tamara McLeod
Email Address: tjmcleod@eaglevillage.org
Phone: 231-832-7321
Fax: 231-832-1468


No endoresment is given or implied to any companies on this site.

posted by Jay @ 2/07/2007, ,




Team Building Ice Breaker Activity

Mumbly Jumbly

  1. Blindfold all participants
  2. Give each participant a number ranging from minus one thousand to plus one thousand that only they know
  3. Jumble up the group
  4. participants must locate each other and communicate their number to each other in order to arrange them selves in sequence while remaining blindfolded

Courtesy Wild Events, UK

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posted by Jay @ 2/02/2007, ,


Add an Event to the MIEN Calendar!