Weeeeeeeeee! Ziplining

I recently went zip-lining at the Camp Fortune Aerial Park near Old Chelsea, Quebec.

We wore a rock-climbing harness around our waists, and attached ourselves to safety lines using two caribiners on short leads in case we should slip. We then climbed up 10 m ladders to tree platforms and moved from tree to tree over high-ropes obstacles like tightropes, swinging planks, suspended tunnels, rope bridges, a cable-guided snowboard (seriously!), and best of all, zip lines.

The zip lines were simply a steel cable suspended between two trees at heights of up to 15 metres. To get across these, you place a small set of pulley's connected to your safety belts on top of the wire, clip on your two safety caribiners, and then zip down the wire like Indiana Jones (or Diego for those of you with 3-year-olds). To regulate your speed, you just brake by clamping a work-gloved hand on top of the wire. 

Here is a quick video of one of my adventures:  

(Thanks, John, for the video. By the way, that pained smile on my face was a function of the excessively high G-forces acting upon my body).

And of course, the pain continues today as "My body aches in the places that I used to play" (Leonard Cohen). But all in all, it was a blast.

And as with any new learning experience, I found myself reflecting on what I learned about learning:

1. Once I realized that the harness wouldn't let me fall (Safety!), I was able to have fun and take a few risks -- like reaching out for a far flung rope. 
2. Although I was pretty much on my own when I was up on the high-ropes obstacles, I appreciated being able to ask for advice from my colleagues who went before me. This kind of informal, peer-to-peer learning was key, and is something that gets overlooked as we don't design for it. 
3. Some timely coaching from the staff on the ground also helped me overcome a few challenges, preventing me from falling on a few occasions. The immediacy, relevance and utility of this kind of teaching is really apparent when you're trying to balance on a steel rope 10 metres above the ground!
4. Each of my colleagues chose when to quit -- some after the first course, some after the fifth (adult learners as Subjects or decision makers). But no one was made to feel bad about their decision (inclusion).
5. As someone who works on a computer and attends a lot of meetings, I really appreciated doing something that was kinesthetic and physically taxing. 

Now if only I could hook up a zip line at my house...

Comments

[Paul]

You’re skilled at drawing parallels!!

“Based on extensive research conducted by Robert Marzano [et al]... on instructional strategies, the number one strategy that produced the greatest gain in student learning was identifying similarities and differences, compare and contrast.”

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