Distance Education Module Descriptions
MARY HAD A…
A light-hearted introduction to a threaded discussion manager
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to log on, use the discussion manager program, retrieve information from a website, read prompts, read and send messages.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction.
2. Mary Had a…: Answer one question related to the course “content”.
A+ ACTIVITIES
Doing them well, and for the right reasons
Module Objective: The learner will be able to explain how activities fit our philosophy; choose and structure activities accordingly; research sources; learn to prepare thoroughly; write a good lesson plan; carry out that plan and complete paperwork.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with and knowledge of activity leadership
2. About the “A+”: Brainstorm the differences between C+ and A+ activities
3. Our way? A different way?: Learn why we do them like we do them
4. Training/Resources: Practice finding and using sources for information and organizations that do training
5. PLAN Ahead: Consider the many factors necessary for a well-planned activity and become familiar with a checklist to use to guarantee that all factors are included
6. Is it good or is it bad?: Evaluate two lesson plans against the new checklist
7. Paperwork x 6: Learn the necessary paperwork and practice completing it
8. Day 1; Day 2; Day 3 …: Write your own lesson plan
9. Daily Checkup: Evaluate teaching principles so an A+ lesson plan will truly be an A+ activity
CABIN FUN
Being prepared, rain or shine
Module Objectives: The learner will plan a week’s worth of cabin time, having variety of ideas, allowing for weather changes, and allowing for camper input and decision-making.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with cabin time or rainy day planning.
2. Why Cabin Time: Brainstorm possible benefits of cabin time, then study prepared material.
3. What Works, What Doesn’t: Share past experiences with what has worked and what has not worked for cabin time.
4. What’s Appropriate: Choose 25 items from the list or your experience appropriate for your choice of age group.
5. Getting Ready #1: Choose five items appropriate for your favorite age group and list everything necessary to be prepared to lead these.
6. Getting Ready #2: Choose five more options and prepare them the same way.
7. Allowing Choices: Share feelings and experiences with allowing campers to choose cabin time activities, then read and respond to prepared material.
8. Building a Better Resource List: Check various resources for cabin time ideas, and add to the prepared list, for your future use.
CAMPFIRE MESSAGES
Research, preparation and delivery
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to choose an appropriate topic and method for a campfire message, know how to research the topic and how to effectively deliver it.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with preparing campfire messages.
2. What Do I Talk About #1: Brainstorm places you might go to get ideas for what to talk about.
3. Research #1: Read about available research tools and then research this summer’s theme.
4. Outline and Preparation #1: Choose one of several types of messages, do an outline and then prepare it.
5. Delivery Dos and Don’ts: Rearrange a list of dos and don’ts into a format suitable for your staff manual.
6. What Do I Talk About #2: Choose your own topic to prepare a second message.
7. Research #2: Research this topic.
8. Outline and Preparation #2: Prepare your second outline and message.
DINING OUT PLANNING (formerly DINING OUT #1)
Getting prepared for a cookout
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to plan an appropriate menu, fill out a requisition, order the right amount of food and supplies, and divide the work among participants.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with planning cookouts and using requisitions.
2. Age-Appropriate Food: Evaluate a variety of menu options for appropriateness to different age groups.
3. Choose a Menu: Plan a cookout menu for your favorite division and then evaluate it.
4. Ingredients: Practice filling in the necessary food items on a cookout requisition after reading some suggestions.
5. How Much: Fill in amounts of all ingredients needed on a cookout requisition, based on given guidelines.
6. Don’t Forget the… Learn how not to forget anything!
7. The Whole Division! Repeat the whole planning process by planning a cookout with a different menu for a whole division.
8. Share the Work: Evaluate the different tasks involved in a cookout and practice filling in a chart to divide the work.
DINING OUT COOKING (formerly DINING OUT #2)
Practice cooking it all now!
Module Objectives: The learner will become comfortable with a variety of cookout recipes by practicing their use at home to prepare the foods.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with and knowledge of outdoor cooking.
2. No cooking required: Prepare salads and desserts that are quick for hungry campers.
3. Tinfoil side dishes: Practice onion potatoes, corn on the cob. Maybe more.
4. Tinfoil main dishes: Choose three from a rather long list.
5. Tinfoil desserts: Enjoy baked apples, banana boats, grilled orange slices.
6. Pronged stick main dishes: Assemble kabobs, pups in a blanket, dilly dogs.
7. Fat stick desserts: Indulge in perfect doughboys and twisters.
EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
Making the most of meetings
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to explain the components of an effective meeting, relate them to camp staff meetings, committee and board meetings, and be able to apply it to their own meeting attendance and participation.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with leading and participating in meetings.
2. Meeting Participants: Critique your current participation style and then evaluate it with a brief questionnaire.
3. Taking Minutes: Evaluate some practical hints, and then share questions with the group.
4. Leading the Meeting: Learn some key skills for a leader and then evaluate your leadership style with a brief questionnaire.
5. Creating a Meeting Roadmap: Learn how to prepare an agenda, and then prepare one.
6. Meeting Tips: Read some wise tips, and then make a personal plan to use your meeting preparation and participation.
FOLLOW UP 12/365 (formerly 24/7)
Planning for year-round camper follow up
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to discuss the varying needs of campers for spiritual follow up, learn about and evaluate available methods and materials, research what their camp is currently doing, and brainstorm improvements.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with and knowledge of camper follow up.
2. So Many Needs: Brainstorm the variety of camper needs for follow up.
3. Follow Up "Fits" Our Philosophy: Investigate how follow up fits scripture and the Cherith philosophy.
4. So Many Methods: List methods suitable for each of the identified categories.
5. Dangers: Discuss COPA regulations, dangers to campers and hazards as seen by parents.
6. Dollars: Find out what your camp spends on follow up. Weigh the costs of various options.
7. Motivation: Brainstorm ways to make campers want to be involved in follow-up.
8. Designing a Follow Up Plan: Design an ideal plan, with details of execution.
LEGO® PHILOSOPHY
An unusual introduction to Cherith philosophy
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to explain how to develop a philosophy, list the four Cherith goals, and apply these to Cherith programming.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your current knowledge of Camp Cherith philosophy.
2. Business Plan: Write what type of restaurant you would like to own. Describe details. Write one sentence about what you want your restaurant to accomplish.
3. Restaurant Design: Analyze the above design using a prepared list of criteria in order to understand the reasons for your choices above.
4. Vocabulary Lesson: Review prepared materials that explain in words and visual form, the interrelation between the words philosophy, values, mission statement, goals and objectives. Exhibit understanding of these words by relating it back to the introductory design project.
5. Values/Mission Statements: List what it is about Cherith camping that you think is most important. Relate these to the official Cherith values and mission statement.
6. Goals/Objectives: List ways to carry out the four Cherith goals
7. IOUs and Wheels: Review an on-line document that shows an easy-to- remember acronym covering the four goals of Camp Cherith. Critique a list of elements and choose those appropriate for Cherith camping.
8. My Camp’s Mission Statement: Look at your own camps’ mission statement and see how it measures up.
LEMONADE FINANCIALS
Demystifying financial statements
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to define the terminology used in camp financial statements, be able to explain the various types of financial statements, be able to answer questions from and interpret data on camp financial statements.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with financial statements.
2. Lemons and Loans: Sort a list into assets and liabilities and write a paragraph to show understanding.
3. How Much For That Lemonade Stand?: Determine the net worth of our lemonade stand, and investigate your own camp’s financial statements.
4. Nickels and Necessities: Understanding income and expenses.
5. A Balancing Act: Building a balanced budget for your “lemonade stand”.
6. For a Rainy Day: The importance of cash reserves in a business.
7. A Penny Saved: The principles of compound interest, and why saving makes sense.
8. Egyptian Hieroglyphics: Understanding financial statements. How to decipher statements from your own camp and other businesses.
NATURE EXPLORATION #1
Learning by Looking
Module Objectives: The learner will investigate differences in a small sampling of leaves, birds, insects, reptiles and clouds in order to be able to lead a camper group in enjoying nature. Terminology and names will be included, but are not the goal.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your nature background and interests.
2. Leaves: Examine photos of five leaves, discuss their differences and read comments from our expert.
3. Reptiles: Examine photos of eight reptiles, discuss their differences and read comments from our expert.
4. Insects: Examine sketches of insects, discuss their differences, particularly their wings, and read comments from our expert.
5. Birds: Examine photos of birds, discuss their differences, and read comments from our expert. (not available for the pilot)
6. Clouds: Examine photos of types of clouds, discuss their differences, and read comments from our expert. (not available for the pilot)
7. Practice: Go on a nature investigation with one friend or more and report back to the group.
ONE-SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL
How to plan camp programming that fits the camper.
Module Objective: The learner will use their newly acquired knowledge about how children and youth develop to make appropriate changes in the camp program to make the camp experience more developmentally appropriate for all campers.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with working with different ages and characteristics of campers.
2. Sweeping Floors:
3. All Aspects of Life:
4. Physically Appropriate: (More details to come)
5. Physical Specifics:
6. Cognitively Appropriate:
7. Cognitive Specifics:
SINGING, CHERITH®-STYLE
A study of the uses of music in Cherith camping
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to explain the various uses of music in a Cherith camp, know when to use a songfest, when not to use one, and how to plan one using appropriate songs properly arranged, using a theme and transitional statements.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with music at camp.
2. Why We Sing: List times during the usual camp day when music could be used, and then review and comment on a list of suggested uses for music at camp.
3. What is a Songfest? Specifically relate the previous list of uses of music to a songfest.
4. Song Categories: Review a chart and explanation about types of songs. List songs known in each category, then evaluate each song by the chart’s standards.
5. Themes: Choose a theme and prepare a songfest.
6. Transitions: Prepare transitional comments for your songfest.
7. How-to and How-not-to: Read and comment on specific suggestions about leading a songfest.
8. Practice Makes Perfect: Review by preparing a second songfest.
SOFTLY, AND FOR THEIR GOOD
An approach to discipline
Module Objectives: The learner will be able to explain the “Softly, and For Their Good” concept of discipline, relate it to the Bible and Cherith philosophy, and be able to apply it to various written scenarios.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with and knowledge of discipline.
2. “Softly…” Explained: Review a description of this approach and respond to questions.
3. Scenarios A: Analyze one scenario and write a response based on the “Softly…” method.
4. Scriptural Basis: Search the Bible for verses and stories that support “Softly…”
5. Cherith Philosophy: Review on-line documents and discuss how “Softly…” is supported in Cherith philosophy.
6. Readings: Review three documents on discipline, behavior management and building self-esteem, and identify comments that support “Softly…”
7. Scenarios B: Apply the “Softly…” method to prepared scenarios.
THE ESSENTIALS OF SALVATION
The “bare bones” of salvation
Module Objectives: The learner will list the essential elements of salvation; memorize a few key scriptures, and write, in their own words, steps for leading a child to Christ. This personal outline will be put into permanent form for ready use.
Module Outline:
1. Getting Acquainted: Write a few sentences of personal introduction and answer questions related to your experience with and knowledge about leading a child to Christ.
2. Always Incorrect: Identify the “always incorrect” items in a scrambled list of essential, very important, and always incorrect statements.
3. Essential/Very Important Elements: List the phrases you identify for both of these categories and explain why.
4. Salvation Verses: Memorize five verses from a prepared list that best suit the list prepared above. Re-write them in words suitable for Pathfinders.
5. The Wrong Sort of Words: Read material on various sorts of wrong words. Look at a prepared list of unclear words and explain the limitations of each.
6. Definition of Biblical Terms: Review a prepared list of biblical words that are hard for campers to understand. Explain these in words suitable for your favorite age group.
7. My Own Words: Write briefly, word for word, how to explain salvation to one age of camper.
8. Assurance: Review a prepared list of assurance verses. Choose two and explain to the group why they were chosen.
9. Sinner’s Prayers (optional): Review a list of sinner’s prayers collected from various Christian organizations. Evaluate these and then write one of your own.
© 2006 Association of Cherith® Camps