Author Archive
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Small thought for today
Camp is an exemplary classroom without wall. Great for kids and parents! Camp offers children opportunities to stretch and experience key developmental steps that help them become successful adults - things such as; independence, healthy risk taking and important life skills. Camp actively engages young people in an expanded learning process while promoting effort and accomplishment. As [...]
5 Comments » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Learning
Learning – such a great word. I went to Wikipedia to further explore what I feel may be one of the most important and critical brain functions we possess.
Wikipedia said, “Learning is acquiring new knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, preferences or understanding, and may involve synthesizing different types of information.”
“Play has been approached by several theorists [...]
No Comments » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Camp in Real Life
At this time of year, the “Letter from Peg” is directed to camp staff and counselors as you prepare to enter the summer season. This year is no different.
During camp training and orientation, you will receive a great deal of content knowledge. This information will be [...]
6 Comments » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
Life/Skills Career Journal
Many of you will be working at camp this summer as a camp counselor. Consider your opportunities and how to maximize those opportunities well beyond the summer months. I would like to ask you to consider keeping a Life/Skills Career Journal this summer. Many of the skills and competencies that you will use this summer will [...]
3 Comments » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Can’t skip ages and stage of development
I was a keynote for the Parenting Publications of America’s conference early this March. I was sharing with them many of the messages I share with you when I post on this blog. I picked up again on my theme about the Field Guide for Preserving Childhood. I posed the question, “Does additional institutionalized education [...]
7 Comments » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Monday, March 1st, 2010
100 Years - Now or Tomorrow
We created a 7 minute video about ACA’s 100th anniversary. You simply cannot capture 100 years in a 7 minute video. It is a snapshot - an index that precedes many chapters. An index that attempts to capture the enormous heart of ACA.
Yet, there are many faces, voices, and experiences we did not capture. Many [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Discretionary at a risk…..
Years ago, Marla Coleman told us the camp experience could not be seen as discretionary. She suggested the camp experience be described as vital. In today’s economy, few can afford to be viewed as discretionary. That said our ability to articulate the added-value of the camp experience as an expanded learning environment that complements and [...]
14 Comments » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
DC Influence
Okay, I am guilty!!! I have ignored this blog for far too long. No one will probably read it now. I am so sorry.
That said so much has been happening particularly around the idea of ‘reframing’ the education reform discussion.
In collaboration with ACA’s legal firm, IceMiller LLC, we now have an executive office space in [...]
4 Comments » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
Reframe the Issue
As the debate continues around education reform and summer learning loss, ACA is advocating that we re-frame the issue. What do children and youth need in order to learn? What conditions and experiences cause a young person to be ready to learn? The solution must be child-centric. Teaching children to pass standardized tests doesn’t necessarily [...]
5 Comments » - Posted in General by Peg Smith
Friday, September 18th, 2009
Education Reform
I want to know what you are thinking about when you read the literature about education reform? What are the implications for camp? What is our position/s? How do children learn? How do children and youth learn mastery and competence? What did it look like? What does it look like? What might it look like? [...]
