Greetings,
I would like to propose a project that
I believe would be of value to all of us. The need I have identified
is not a new one. I work in a public school setting where it has become
more common that participants engaged in adventure learning activities
have already in previous programs been involved in a given initiative.
How many participants have already done the spider's web. The standard
argument for the more experienced facilitator goes something like this:
The real agenda here really has nothing
to do with the activity itself. In fact the activity is really arbitrary,
although certain activities due seem to lend themselves to specific
issues. But we are facilitators of group process, not of activities.
I am a member of this group and really do in part feel this way. I know
that I spend much of my time in philosophy dialogue with the teachers
I work with trying to get this idea across.
Well unfortunately this is not how things
really work, at least in public education. Teachers with a few years
of experience do not have the background to make those types of adjustments
and it will go right over the heads of kids. My proposal is simple:
collect variations of activities of all types and develop a manuscript
that will be distributed to the creators. I will make all information
I collect available to every person who contributes. Initially I will
create a web site with an address that will be available and any person
can access the information while it is in the development stage. I foresee
this process taking a year or two to give it justice. Second, I plan
to produce a manuscript possibly published that will be made available.
I believe this project would benefit the entire continuum, from entry
level to advanced facilitator.
You may mail your ideas to:
Stevenšs Point School District
c/o David Lockett, Director of PE & Experiential Learning
BLISS EWSC
1900 Polk Street
Stevens Point WI, 54481
If it is more convenient to E-mail my address is: DLOCKETT@WISP.K12.WI.US
Here is a sample format as well as an example of what my vision is for
this project
Activity: Spiders Web
Submitted by: David Lockett, Stevens Point WI
Target age group:
Date: 11-2-99
Variation 1
Your group has the task of getting from this side of the web to the
other side. You must not touch the lines at any time. Touching the lines
would be a breach of the specific task parameters and consequences are
involved. Once a member of your group has successfully negotiated a
hole you may not use that hole again unless that member returns to start
over (due to a prescribed consequence) which will result in the hole
reopening. You may not go over the top line and you may not go under
the bottom line. The two trees on either side are your right and left
boundaries. Remember quality is defined as not touching the lines. Your
group must contract up front how many holes you feel can be completed
prior to the start of the activity.
Variation 2:
General rules: Your group has the task of getting from this side of
the web to the other side. You must not touch the lines at any time.
Touching the lines would be a breach of the specific task parameters
and consequences are involved. Once a member of your group has successfully
negotiated a hole you may not use that hole again unless that member
returns to start over (due to a prescribed consequence) which will result
in the hole reopening. You may not go over the top line and you may
not go under the bottom line. The two trees on either side are your
right and left boundaries. Remember quality is defined as not touching
the lines. Any touch of the lines results in the person being passed
through returning to start over.
Variation 3:
Your group has the task of getting from this side of the web to the
other side. You must not touch the lines at any time. Touching the lines
would be a breach of the specific task parameters and consequences are
involved. Once a member of your group has successfully negotiated a
hole you may not use that hole again unless that member returns to start
over (due to a prescribed consequence) which will result in the hole
reopening. You may not go over the top line and you may not go under
the bottom line. The two trees on either side are your right and left
boundaries. Remember quality is defined as not touching the lines. Your
group has three levels of consequence while completing this problem.
You must choose what level under which your group will operate before
starting. You may change levels only once during this activity.
Level one: If the lines are touched the
person going thought the hole must start over.
Level two: If the lines are touched the person going thought the hole
must start over plus 1/2 of all the people who have already made in
though to the other side of the web.
Level Three: If the lines are touched the entire group must start over.
Variation 4:
Your group has the task of getting from this side of the web to the
other side. You must not touch the lines at any time. Touching the lines
would be a breach of the specific task parameters and consequences are
involved. Once a member of your group has successfully negotiated a
hole you may not use that hole again unless that member returns to start
over (due to a prescribed consequence) which will result in the hole
reopening. You may not go over the top line and you may not go under
the bottom line. The two trees on either side are your right and left
boundaries. Remember quality is defined as not touching the lines. Your
group has three levels of consequence while completing this problem.
You must choose what level under which your group will operate before
starting. You may change levels only once during this activity.
Level one: If the lines are touched the
person going thought the hole must start over.
Level two: If the lines are touched the person going thought the hole
must start over plus 1/2 of all the people who have already made in
though to the other side of the web.
Level Three: If the lines are touched the entire group must start over.
This activity is based upon a point system.
The total points possible is based upon the number of people times the
highest level, in this case level three. Each person successfully making
in through a hole receives the points for that level. A person going
through on level one gets one point while a person going though the
same hole on level three gets 3 points. A group of ten would have a
range of 10-30 points assuming every person participates. Your group
must contract up front., within acceptable error, how many points you
feel are possible prior to starting. You must also define to the facilitator
what your definition of acceptable error is before starting.
Variation 5:
Utilize any combination of the above rules. Construct a three-sided
spider's web. Ask a consultant from each group to come forward to receive
the rules. Three groups will work either independently or together on
three simultaneously running webs.
