What a Concept! - College Credit on the JMT!

“I spent last week backpacking on a section of the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains( the John Muir Trail is 212 miles long from Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney). One day we were passing a group of young adults and I asked one girl what group they were with. It was a group from UNC taking two courses for college credit. They were hiking 250+ miles which included the John Muir Trail and sections of three National Parks. It only took me about 5 minutes yesterday to find the website:
http://studyabroad.unc.edu/brochure-print.cfm?pk=1680&CFID=1166794&CFTOKEN=56881333

What a great idea! I am not a biologist, but now I am thinking of perhaps a similar approach to teach either a course in (1) systems thinking, planning, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, and tie it in with the importance of Wilderness areas, the environment and environmental economics, or (2) a course I already teach called "Ethical Considerations in Science and Technology"--which I could easily adapt.

I am thinking of perhaps a two week trip (Red's Meadow to Yosemite Valley) and include sites and history of Yosemite. Yosemite history is filled with rich opportunity to discuss a variety of landmark legislative, ethical and environmental issues, not to mention the beauty and sightseeing potential.

Anyone have some experience with this or any ideas to contribute to the discussion? Our university already does summer trips to China, Italy, and other places for college credit.”

“They had neat course like that when I was in college---

backpacking, kayaking, fishing, fly-fishing, even mule packing for credits. I enjoyed many of those classes :)”

“SC- Actually this would not be a backpacking course which many colleges have, including my own. It would be a regular general education course taught in a "walking classroom".”

“wow, that's even better than the orienteering class i took for one of my PE credits”

“RITUALS; Up a Tree, For the Fun of It
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE3D71039F934A35752C0A9639C8B63&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=all

Sure, just add tree climbing and rock climbing for a well-rounded major.

Tree Climbing Championship2008
http://www.ctpa.org/CTCC2008.htm

AMGA SPI (Single Pitch Instructor) Course
http://www.owlsadventures.com/adventure/instructorAMGAtopRope.html
last edited: 7/21/08 10:29:08 AM”

“I think the point is, you can teach in a classroom or over the internet...so why not while hiking the John Muir Trail...or up in a tree?”

“Good idea Phil. A backpack in country like that can be related to all kinds of things.”

“Can I be the TA??

I'm purty well edumacated.
last edited: 7/21/08 3:31:01 PM”

“BowlderMan - You are not the first one to volunteer to be a TA!!!! LOL”

“Yeah, but I have experience!”

“I bounced the idea off of our College of the Extended University and they are researching it!!

I sometimes team teach the course in question with a young philosophy lecturer...I wonder if she backpacks!”

“Up high at CS#38 in GSMNP, some visitors to my campsite location were amazed at my line for hanging food. One end was tied to a tree at about six feet above the ground, where I could reach it. The other end was over a tree limb very, very high above the ground. One of them asked me how I got lthe line so high. With a very straight face I lied, saying that I took tree-climbing I and II at UCLA!”

“LOL@nowslimmer!”

“It has been five days since my last post and I am still excited about this idea!!!! I keep thinking of good things about the idea!”

“You are right, Phil, and there are a lot of good things that can be said for it. If properly organized, some good college courses could be offered.

However, I still have trouble accepting it for college credit. I view trips into the woods and mountains just like the living adventures in the cold of Minnesota or Alaska, it's an adventure or a challenge in survival! It is something completely different from the formal, classroom teachings on the campuses of our colleges and universities.

Of course, it could be compared to giving college credits for working out in the business world. In that respect it would merely be another extension in the educational activities currently available.”

“I took a class for college credit that was a backpacking trip on the AT. Since it was an elective that went toward my degree, the office I worked in at the time paid for it.

I was the only student in the class who had ever backpacked before the trip, but it was about leadership or something like that. I remember the instructor saying she had to make it academic in order for us to get credit.

We had 6 or 7 classes before the actual trip. The instructor had a book on the consensus decision making model and we each took it home and studied two chapters, then came back and taught them to the class. We did orienteering and some other things in the classes, but mostly the leadership stuff.

Once on the trail, we had to take turns being leader, being sweep, coming up with a thought for the day, and each day one of us had to present something we had written before hand. We did this on the trail. At night we played games like fear in a hat, or had to tell what we appreciated about someone else...

Along the trail we had to identify 10 plants/trees, another time we had to answer 5 questions from the booklet You Alone in the Maine Woods...had to show we could start the stove...

I could have done without the touchy feely leadership stuff (LOL), but I did have a great time.”

“The trip would have some academic content. I would design it to have lots of reading beforehand, 40 hours equivalent class activity/lecture time. (Probably 8 hours before the hike, a little after, and the rest on the trip. Plus homework or other activities.)

Coincidentally, I have already used the Hetch Hetchy controversy in Yosemite in my classes already! I can make that a bigger case study in this class and include a visit. Yosemite history is rich with topics that apply to my course.

Having students work together for cooking, sharing gear, and other activities also fits into my course content.

Overall, it looks like a great opportunity for a "walking classroom."”

“plus it would be a great way to hook up with young college chicks”

“LOL @ yogisan...our class had 6 people, 2 young guys and four older women. I think the original plan was to do the entire 100 mile wilderness, but with injuries, etc., we ended up doing much less, maybe 40 miles in 7 days...”

“yowza! apparently you DO have to watch out for cougars on the JMT...”

“It has been a long time since the last post. I have been thinking about this idea all along and would still like to do it sometime.”

“Sure seems like a great idea to me, Phil...”

“Do you still get spring break?”

“This would be a summer class! Summer of 2012 would be the earliest I could fit it in. Still dreaming about it!”

“Seems like a great idea. I think you'd be a good one to make it clear that it wasn't a puff course. I think people would really remember what they learned more than for most courses.”

“ped - I have a new development that could really be interesting. I went to a symposium honoring the astronauts who were killed in Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster 25 years ago. I had the opportunity to talk at length to the main players in trying to stop the launch and in blowing the whistle to the media. One of them is a backpacker!! My colleague and I talked to him about doing a section of the John Muir Trail. The theme regarding the space shuttle would be whistle blowing, leadership, and the obligations of organizations to serve others. Regarding Yosemite, there are a lot of ethical issues related to the environment, National Parks, and the Hetch Hetchy reservoir controversy which has resurfaced almost 100 years after it started. John Muir is an interesting character study.
last edited: 2/19/11 10:26:06 AM”

“All sounds very interesting. When I was working in New Hampshire at a psychiatric hospital, the year of the Challenger Shuttle crash and the name Christa McAuliffe were items used to test people's basic orientation to reality. It loomed as large in the minds of locals as any of the assassinations of the 60s. The Planetarium in Concord is named for her.

Whistle blowing and conscience are great issues to address. What are limits and natural objects of loyalty? So are the trade offs in conservation. Sounds like your semester hike is a step closer to fruition (college pay checks on the JMT what a concept!).

We're coming up on the 100th anniversary of the Weeks act --- the landmark act that led to the restoration of New Hampshire's White Mountains.”

“Summer '99 I was told by UGA I had to take a PE - "gotta sweat" quoth my advisor. I asked if my bp'ing on my nationwide summer roadtrip could count. Noper. Drat!

Took tennis...”