Sabrina takes on Australia: Initial Thoughts

If you ask me, why I chose Outdoor Education, my straightforward answer would be I didn’t have a choice to opt out of it. My home institution had everybody enrolled in the course as part of the exchange program’s package. However, when I read the course title, I was hooked. My initial thoughts upon entering this subject are hands on learning, excursions, and understanding Australia’s natural environment. I am super excited to be taking this course because I’ve realized all the courses I have taken were in a traditional classroom setting (e.g. teacher reading off powerpoint presentations, students just sit there for an hour absorbing information, and in return just take tests to determine your proficiency in the course). I realized the traditional classroom learning does nothing to prepare students for the real world. All I have done is attending lectures, reviewing the materials, and taking tests. This model right here does not encourage the student to be creative, work on communication skills, or reflect on the values he or she believes in. This is a problem that needs a solution, and I think Outdoor Education is an ideal learning environment for it. I look forward to developing a more thorough understanding of myself as I progress through this course. Most of all, I am looking forward to seeing what Australian’s natural environments have to offer. 

This was me caught off guard, however my first time car camping, April 2018. It was a worthwhile experience!