This blog will contain two parts:
Part I
During my travels today I have had a little time to reflect on our pyrofest experience.
As you know, most of us (Zack is the exception - well done, Zack!) did not start a fire. This has caused me to re-evaluate the way in which I view this activity. I consider the environmental conditions under which we attempted to pull this off to be quite challenging. Aside from this, I feel that I did not provide the instructional support that could have given you a better chance at "succeeding". Instead of giving this project the instructional time and attention you all deserve, I attempted to squeeze it in between our sailing trip and my professional development agenda. I apologize for this - we will revisit this project in the future, albeit in a less formal venue.
Having said all this, I nonetheless feel that this experience has (as all do) given rise to an opportunity to reflect and learn. I would like you to consider and answer the following questions regarding our experience:
1. What was the objective of the Pyrofest activity?
2. Was it accomplished?
3. What are three factors that prevented you from completing (or allowed you to complete - Zack) the task?
4. Would you call what happened a "failure"? Why or Why not?
5. Explain your feelings about not finishing.
6. Were you ready for this task?
7. Was it too difficult? Explain.
8. While the objective of Pyrofest may have been to complete a specific objective, what is the primary goal of the entire program?
9. If you now consider the overriding goal of the program, was Pyrofest a "failure"? Why or why not?
10. Is it possible to actually complete an assigned task, but still fail? Explain.
11. Is it possible to not complete a task, but consider the effort worthwhile? Explain.
12. If you were to do this task over again, what would you do differently?
13. Identify another task in your life you have left unfinished.
Part II
As we prepare to head out on the Appalachian Trail, I would like you to consider the term "expedition behavior" or "EB" for short. Visit the following web sites and read how they define EB:
http://recparks.asp.radford.edu/faculty/behavior.htm
http://www.nols.edu/alumni/leader/06summer/expedition_behavior.shtml
Please list five (5) things that you could do (or not do) while on our backpacking trip that could contribute to (or detract from) good EB.
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5 comments:
Part I
1) To start a fire despite adverse conditions.
2) Only by Zack.
3) Inexperience, lack of knowledge, driving rain and wind.
4) For me personally yes. I accomplished jacksquat.
5) I'm ok with it, I know when to quit.
6) Nope.
7) I don't think it was too difficult because one of us (Zack) was able to pull it off.
8) If by program you mean T.A.A. then the objective is for us to learn the general skills necessary to be employed in various fields in the outdoor tourism industry.
9) It remains to be seen.
10) Depends on your point of view. If a student memorizes some information for a test, passes with flying colours, and then forgets everything, then the student feels they have succeeded while the teacher might have an opposing view.
11) I'm only task oriented when I'm working and then you either do the job or you don't.
12) I'd bring water/wind proof matches.
13) I haven't gotten past the first fifteen minutes of Napoleon Dynamite. That movie is ridiculously bad.
Part II
First I want to say that while the first web site made some decent points it went way to far trying to be pithy and funny, by the end of it I couldn’t take it too seriously. But anyway…
1) Pull you own weight. Even if you don’t take a full share in all duties, make sure that over all you do as much as anyone else.
2) Don’t complain. It does no good.
3) Don’t wing it. You will only frustrate others waiting for you to guess correctly.
4) Be respectful. This applies to each other and the environment around you.
5) Don’t show off. No one likes a braggart.
Part I
1) To light a fire under any condition and boil a pint of water.
2) Not for me.
3) The wind blowing the rain sideways, when my flint got wet it wouldn't spark.
4) no, it was merely a learning experience that i was not quit fond of.
5) I felt like a bag of flaming dog crap.
6) yes
7) No, it was not to challanging, but I was unable to use some of my materials.
8) To come out with a better understanding of the program and what it has to offer.
9) No, because we failed at actually making a fire but should have come out with more knowledge.
10) That is based on what you consider failing.
11) Yes, even though i failed i was not going to give up before it was absolutly to late.
12) Nothing, I found that I did my best in that type of condition.
13) I cant hink of anything cause once I start something i try to complete it before doing something else.
Part II
1) Bring your tentmate a warm beverage in the morning to keep a smile on their face.
2) Help other people in your group, but dont routinely do their work.
3) Get the hell out of bed! Sleeping in is a pain in the butt for the rest of the group when they have to wait till you're ready to leave.
4) Don't complain, it can piss off other members of the group and cause them to have a bad day.
5) Don't get killed, the last thing you need is for someone to die and bring down the spirits of everyone.
1. To start a fire in any condition, but I failed
2. Yes, by Zack
3. The rain was one of the main factors. The winds blow the rain sideways so it was hard to block. My hand were cold so it was hard to used the flint
4. No, it was a learning experience
5. I was a little made because I practice over the weekend and was able to start a fire.
6. Yes and no I had a enough dry wood but I could had more stuff prepared.
7. The elements made it difficult.
8. To have a better understanding of what this industry can offer.
9. No, because you can never be to prepared.
10. I failed map and compass final but I still know how to do it.
11. Yes because you well have a better understanding.
12. Prepare my stuff better.
13. The only thing I can think of is wakeboarding I was never able to get up.
Part 2
1. Get the hell out of bed, we don’t need a never sailing incident.
2. Do not be cheerful before breakfast because some people aren’t ready for it.
3. Be kind and open-hearted know, likes a grouch.
4. Admit and correct your mistake, know is perfect.
5. Don’t take any unnecessary risk, know one want to take care of you.
Part I
1. The objective of PYROFEST 2007 was to start a fire without any lighters or matches, wile using wet materials.
2. I did not personally accomplish this task
3. The three factors that prevented me from accomplishing the task was the wind and rain sokeing my materials before I could even attempt to start the fire, the fact that my flint got so wet it wouldn't produce a spark at all, and the smoke from zacks “MATCH STARTED” fire getting into my eyes.
4. Yes I would call what happened a failure. I would call this a failure because, one, I did not start a fire or boil water, and two, because by not doing so I got a failing grade.
5. My feeling about not finishing were not great. I thought it was a rushed project and conditions were not right for the fest. I understand this was to simulate starting a fire in a survival situation wile it was raining/with damp tinder. But I think doing so in a tropical storm was a little excessive. Especially on a road, in a real survival situation I would have found shelter first of all and they tried to make a fire in a protected area not in the open.
6. Yes I was ready for the task described on the assignment sheet. I practiced with damp materials and was successful a few times.
7. Yes the task we ended up doing was to difficult. The weather was not suited to make a fire in especially not in the middle of a road. This created to many challenges that I believe we would not have faced in a real survival situation.
8. Yes and no. the goal of the program is to have experiential learning and in this was met in the idea of pyrofest. But the goals of learning was not archived in my opinion because most people seemed to get frustrated instead of learning how to make a fire more effectually.
9. Yes I do because wile most of the goals of the program was met, The goal of the assignment (to start a fire without matches or lighters and boil water for 1 min) was not met by almost everyone in the program.
10. Yes, for example if you cram for a test and ace it then forget everything you accomplish your goal of getting a good grade. But you have failed at the point of the test (to learn the information)
11. Yes, if you were to run a race with the goal being to finish first. When the race ends you end up placing third. You did not accomplish the goal you set forth although you may consider what you did to be your best.
12. I would try to dry my wood more and I would skip using the flint and go directly to the matches. Also I would find a less open area to make a fire in a storm.
13. Another task I have left unfinished is getting my car back on the road as of now.
Part II
1. You could complain about your pack being to heavy. THIS WOULD NEGATIVELY EFFECT THE GROUP
2. You could get up early and help with breakfast or just make sure your ready to go. THIS WOULD POSITIVELY EFFECT THE GROUP
3. Respect everyones leadership style and give them time to grow. THIS WOULD POSITIVELY EFFECT THE GROUP
4. If you wake up first be quiet don’t dry to wake people. THIS WILL POSITIVELY EFFECT THE GROUP
5. You could continually ask where you are. THIS WOULD NEGATIVELY EFFECT THE GROUP
Our objective of the activity was to successfully make a fire in conditions that would be challenging, whether it be if water was poured onto our wood, or if there was a tropical storm or even snow. I don’t think that we accomplished our goal to the fullest extent, but we all learned some valuable things such as different way to start fires and how to try to cope with bad weather while trying to make a fire.
Some factors that had stopped me from completing my task were one, I think that I could have been more prepared with starting fires with downpour and winds that I didn’t see coming. Also the fact that when I had scraped all my magnesium, it had gone everywhere in my fire pit (puddle), and I couldn’t get it to light with it not in a pile. Another factor was that I don’t think that had factored in was that we were going to be in a road, and that I should have brought more shelter for my fire while I was constructing it.
What we had done I don’t think it was a “failure” because if it had been a situation where we needed a fire to survive, we would have not stopped until our goal had been completed, because we were only confined to an hour. Otherwise we go until we can’t go anymore. Also if we had been a group working on a single fire in the rain, it would have been a success. My feelings on not finishing, well, I thought I still had a chance after 50 minutes, so I was not disappointed with myself. I knew that it wasn’t going to start when I started using the cat tail puff. It suffocated everything within my fire pit so it was almost impossible to do anything after that point, even with matches.
I came into this project being prepared. I had my wood, and the birch bark that I had collected on route 9. I had my magnesium stick, but I think that I should have brought matches just in case if what happened did happen. That’s the only thing I didn’t really factor in because I thought that I would have been able to start it right off, sadly I was wrong. The task I don’t think was an overall hard task; it was just our conditions that had thrown everything off. I would have personally would have preferred snow more than rain, but we all can’t get what we want I guess.
Our goal in the program is to better prepare ourselves for the outdoors, and the challenges that can and probably will happen. To have this knowledge we are learning going into our field will help us in the end indefinitely. Our goals overall should not be confined to the things we can show now, but what we can do with that knowledge and use it to our advantage in the future. So now we have learned that starting fires in the rain is a difficult thing, so now we can go out into the world with a better understanding with how we can go about it next time. So not at any point would it be considered a failure, but just enlightenment.
Yes, it is very easy to fail a completed task. For example, if I were to do a project, complete it, and pass it in. It would one be completed, but it could be rubbish and not be worth a second look at. That is how you fail a completed task. But also, in this project, I could have stayed up all night working my but off trying to figure out how to even accomplish such a task, and by the end of the night, when you think your project is the best thing in the world, just for the fact that you actually pulled off making the project in the first place. And it’s probably the most satisfying and worthwhile thing in the world, even though it’s a crappy project overall.
If I were to go out into a tropical storm again and try and make a fire, I would first start by bringing matches and having something to cover my fire while starting it. Another thing would be start it as quick as possible to lessen the chance of a puddle being created in my fire pit.
One of the tasks in my life that I have left uncompleted was ummm….
One- Always carry more than your fair share.
Two-Do not get sunburned.
Three- Do not get killed.
Four- Admit and correct your mistakes.
Five-Support leadership and growth in everyone
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