Trainings and Professional Development
Some trainings listed below for administrators, and others are regularly scheduled events, while others are designed to be conducted with a pre-formed group of people that chooses a date and time. For group organizers, please keep in mind that all of Otolith Education Professional Development & Training programs can be custom tailored to better meet the needs of your group.
Teachers, Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Reflective Learning
Program Description:
We will combine educational theories such as the active learning
theory, constructivism, and narrative theory, with the work of
educators and philosophers such as Piaget, Gardner, Hahn and Dewey to
uncover and discuss the importance the reflective process has on
learning. Are you picturing yourself sitting around listening to a
lecture? This experience will be far from that! Movement is part of our
mission - physical, personal and professional movement. The majority of
the workshop will be for participants to discover a variety of
inspiring reflection tools that can be used to engage students,
establish a sense of place, and create an appropriate tone for group or
self reflection. We hope
participants walk away with a new understanding of the importance and
power of reflective learning and how to implement it in their classroom
to improve the process of and the capacity for learning.
Population:
K-12 Teachers, College Professors, Undergraduate or Graduate Students,
Administrators
Group Size:
8 - 30
Location/Setting:
For pre-formed groups we will travel to you or help you find a novel
setting for the program. For regularly scheduled Otolith Education
programs, please contact us to find out where our next workshop is
located.
Date & Time:
Please call if you have a group or if you are an individual looking for
a program.
Custom Option: This program can be conducted for pre-formed
groups and
is also regularly scheduled for individual development as well. Please
call or e-mail for more information.
IgniteEd: Fuel for your passions
as an educator
Program Description:
We all have different styles and utilize different strategies as
educators looking out for the needs of our students. Utilizing
experiential, problem-based, student-centered, and collaborative
strategies, participants will explore a plethora of educational
methodologies and strategies that are not commonly referenced or
explored in mainstream public education or certification processes.
While you are actively engaging in this workshop you will be exposed to
a wide variety of different facilitation and teaching techniques that
you can bring back to your classroom setting if you choose. Keep that
spark in your teaching!
Population:
K-12 Teachers, College Professors, Undergraduate or Graduate Students,
Administrators
Group Size:
8 - 30
Location/Setting:
We can travel to you if you have an appropriately sized indoor or
outdoor space. We can also utilize a variety of settings here on Mount
Desert Island if you would prefer. Contact us for options.
Date & Time:
Please call or e-mail if you have a group or if you are an individual
looking for a program.
Promoting Non-Violence through
Adventure In & Out of the Classroom: A different approach to
"bullying"
Program Description:
We will look at how educators can utilize action socialization
experiences (ASE) and the spirit of adventure to develop social
competencies that will promote non-violent communication and behavior
in youth. Learn new activities, explore the roots of violence and
experience the core components of adventure education.
Population:
K-12 Teachers, College Professors, Undergraduate or Graduate Students,
Administrators
Group Size:
8 - 30
Location/Setting:
We can travel to you if you have an appropriately sized indoor or
outdoor space. We can also utilize a variety of settings here on Mount
Desert Island if you would prefer. Contact us for options.
Date & Time:
Please call or e-mail if you have a group or if you are an individual
looking for a program.
Custom Option:
This workshop can easily be an ongoing series for pre-formed groups
that would rather a sequence of programs to get more in depth rather
than a stand-alone program.
Compassionate Communication
Program Description:
“When academic culture dismisses inner
truth and honors only the external world, students as well as teachers
lose heart.” Parker Palmer. Would you like to connect more
with your students? This workshop will provide participants with
exposure on how to combine the use of observations, feelings, needs,
and requests in our everyday lives as a way to connect more
authentically; first with the self and then with others. The
consciousness and communication skills explored can be implemented in
the classroom to increase a sense of belonging and physical and
emotional well being. Language is not only a barrier to learning, it is
also a key to unlocking barriers. Language is not only a barrier to
connecting fully with our selves, colleagues, friends, family and
students, it is also a key to connecting more fully. Experience the
elements of Non Violent Communication ® (Marshall Rosenberg,
Center of Non Violent Communication)
Population:
K-12 Teachers, College Professors, Undergraduate or
Graduate Students, Administrators, Parents
Group Size:
8 - 30
Location/Setting:
For pre-formed groups we will travel to you or help
you find a novel setting for the program. For regularly scheduled
Otolith Education programs, please contact us to find out where our
next workshop is located.
Date & Time:
12 hours. Please call or e-mail if you have a
group or if you are an individual looking for a program.
Grow
Team! Foundation Setting
for Service-Learning
Program Description One of the
biggest challenges people engaged
in service learning encounter can be found in the level of group
readiness to embark on a collaborative challenge. Helping people within
learning communities prepare to sustainably deal with challenges that
lie ahead is just one of the aspects of what Otolith Education does
best. Take a introductory workshop or a 3-day immersion and be exposed
to an entire spectrum of experiential activities common to the field of
adventure education that will not only leave your learning community
begging for more, it will leave them invigorated, communicating more
effectively, and a lot closer to being prepared to collaboratively
engage in service learning.
Population:
K-12 Teachers, College Professors, Undergraduate or
Graduate Students, Administrators
Group Size:
8 - 60
Location/Setting:
For pre-formed groups we will travel to you or help
you find a novel setting for the program. For regularly scheduled
Otolith Education programs, please contact us to find out where our
next workshop is located.
Date & Time:
Please call or e-mail if you have a group or if
you are an individual looking for a program.
School and University Administration
ConnectEds 1 (Workshop)
Program Description:
These are custom programs designed for
administrative teams of different schools and unions at all different
stages and faced with challenges. ConnectEds 1 uses experiential
activities and will involve a mild to moderate amount of physical
movement. Team building though initiatives and problem solving
challenges will stimulate an opportunity for topics such as
communication, trust, group dynamics, and cooperation to be reflected
upon and explored. Regardless of what stage your team is at, programs
of
this nature can help rejuvenate spirits, rekindle creativity and put
hope into action. Otolith Education conducts Goals Inventory with you
prior to designing the program so that we can ensure the needs of your
team and the goals of the program are met.
Population:
School Administrators & Administrative Teams within
schools
Group Size:
8 - 200
Location/Setting:
We can travel to you if you have an appropriately
sized indoor or outdoor space. We can also utilize a variety of
settings here on Mount Desert Island if you would prefer. Contact us
for options.
Date & Time:
Contact us with a rough estimate of how many
people you would like us to serve and call us so we can discuss
programming goals, location, optimal content and activity level for
your group and what date and time works best for both of us.
Custom Option:
Can be customized to be utilized in conjunction with a
retreat.
ConnectEds 2 (Playshop)
Program Description:
While ConnectEds: 1 is a Workshop, ConnectEds: 2
is a Playshop. You can learn a lot about yourself and perhaps another
person simply by engaging in play together. ConnectEds 2 is for those
who want to come together to infuse a sense of community and
connectedness within their educational and administrative teams. At the
same time, be exposed to adventure
education teaching, facilitation and reflection strategies in a playful
yet educational and uplifting way. ConnectEds 2 still provides time for
the attendees to discuss challenges and strategies for forward
movement, as with ConnectEds 1. ConnectEds 2 simply has a more
light-hearted, playful approach.
Population:
K-12 Teachers or Graduate Students
Group Size:
8 - 200
Location/Setting:
We can travel to you if you have an appropriately
sized indoor or outdoor space. We can also utilize a variety of
settings here on Mount Desert Island if you would prefer. Contact us
for options.
Program Description:
While ConnectEds: 1 is a Workshop, ConnectEds: 2
is a Playshop. You can learn a lot about yourself and perhaps another
person simply by engaging in play together. ConnectEds: 2 is for those
who want to come together to infuse a sense of community and
connectedness within their educational and administrative teams. At the
same time, be exposed to adventure
education teaching, facilitation and reflection strategies in a playful
yet educational and uplifting way. ConnectEds: 2 still provides time
for
the attendees to discuss challenges and strategies for forward
movement, as with ConnectEds: 1. ConnectEds: 2 simply has a more
light-hearted, playful approach.
Date & Time:
Date & Time: Contact us with a rough
estimate of how many people you would like us to serve and call us so
we can discuss programming goals, location, optimal content and
activity level for your group and what date and time works best for
both of us.
Custom Option: Can be customized to be utilized in conjunction
with a
retreat.
College Outdoor Orientation Skills
Program Description:
Combining didactic, student-centered,
experiential, collaborative, and challenge-based methods, we will
create
opportunities for participants to increase their level of understanding
and skill in a variety of areas. Examples of what we can offer:
- Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop
- Leave No Trace Trainer Certification (2 days with overnight, small groups only)
- Risk Management & Case Studies
- Judgment & Decision Making
- Food Planning, Purchasing and Packaging for Wilderness Trips
- Reflective Learning
- Trip Planning and Assessment
- Leadership Styles & Co-Leader Collaboration
- Conflict Resolution
- Knot Tying
- Stove Usage
- Canoe Instruction for OOPS trips flat water to class II (we have Level III ACA Canoe Instructors on staff)
- Creative Cooking In the Bush (that will boost morale and stimulate lots of new friendships)
- Outdoor Leader Core Competencies
- Orientation to the natural and cultural areas your group will be exploring.
- 101 Ways to help build an authentic sense of belonging
Group Size: 8-100
Location/Setting: We come to your campus and utilize a variety of outdoor settings on campus as well as indoor settings.
Date & Time: If you need a group training, please contact us and together we will find dates and times that work for both Otolith Education and your organization.
Leave No Trace Trainer Certification
Program Description:
We are loving our recreational wild spaces to
death. Increased education presented in a non-threatening way can help
minimize the impact we are having as outdoor recreators and educators.
The Leave No Trace (LNT) Trainer course will review all 7 LNT
Principles in depth. We will cover the continuum of LNT practices for
each principle as well as explore the reasons “why”
behind those suggested practices. Utilizing texts and other resources
we will utilize research that has been conducted to help us truly
connect with the reasoning behind the Principles. Candidates will be
required to teach at least one Principle to their peers during the
course and will be evaluated on accuracy of content, teaching style,
teaching methods, and timeliness. This course is not designed to teach
hard skills. Be prepared to have a lot of fun, meet some great people
and learn a ton.
Population:
Ages 18 and older, Camp Staff, Wilderness
Instructors/Guides, Park Rangers, Scout Leaders
Group Size:
Depends on location and mode of travel, please call for
specifics.
Location/Setting:
Can be tailored to meet the needs of your group.
Generally, we begin the course in the front country and when we have
completed the administrative and preparatory work we move to the
backcountry for the remaining time.
Dates & Times:
This course is two days long at a minimum and an
overnight component is strongly encouraged. However, if you or someone
in your group is physically not able to travel in the backcountry or
sleep overnight, please communicate with us so that we can arrange
accordingly.
Archery Instructors
Program Description:
Following the new National Archery Association
Level I Instructor Curriculum, participants will receive instruction on
and be required to demonstrate competency in a variety of different
instructional techniques, demonstrations, risk management and shot
sequence assessment. A written exam will be administered and a minimum
score is required for candidates to receive certification. Ages 16 and
older.
Population:
Camp Instructors and Physical Education Instructors, Scout
Leaders. Ages 16 and older.
Group Size:
4-12
Location/Setting:
We can travel to your site or we can find a location
that works for both of us.
Dates & Times:
Please call Kyle Bissell, Level II NAA
Instructor to arrange a course.
...And More
If you have a training in mind that is not listed here but seems like
something we might do, please contact us. We can custom design programs
to suit your needs and offer several options to choose from.
