Literacy Profile

Jacob Crowell

SED 407-01

Professor Horwitz

1/28/15

Literacy Profile

            Since I was nine years old my summers have been spent at Camp Ramsbottom in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. First as a camper, then as a staff member. Camp taught me many skills, the one I would like to talk about today is my literacy in facilitating the rock wall and the ropes course. The camp has an activity called “Pioneering” which has obstacle courses, rope ladders, cargo nets, a zip line and a climbing wall. Two years after being hired as a staff member I was moved to pioneering which I deeply enjoyed. I loved spending my days outside surrounded by trees working with campers made me extremely interested and invested in my work. Pioneering requires more equipment than any other activity at the camp. To name a few, the activity uses climbing ropes, harnesses, belay devices, and bungee cable that is used on a daily basis. Any staff member at the activity has to be trained on how to properly handle and care for this equipment. The activity director at the time, Erin, brought me to the rock wall on my first day to show me the proper way to operate the wall. First she showed me how to put on a harness using clever rhymes to remember when the harness is properly secured. Each strap on the harness is fed through a metal ring which has a red stripe on one side of the ring. Erin repeated, “if its red, you’re dead” because if the strap was not fed through correctly by double backing through the ring, the red stripe would be showing. After that, we went through how to set up the rope on the wall by pulling it up a smaller rope called a parachute cord which feeds through a pulley at the top of the wall. Once the rope was on the wall, Erin showed me how to tie the necessary knots for climbing, the first a double figure eight knot which is backed up by a safety not. Next she showed me how to equip the belay device to my harness. Finally Erin showed me how to properly belay first by allowing me to observe for a few times and then by belaying a coworker as she stood by me correcting my missteps. For the entire summer I spent every moment I could belaying, so much so that all the methods Erin had taught me became a matter of muscle memory.

            As part of camp’s policy, every activity director at Pioneering has to attend a course on ropes course management at Project Adventure in Beverly, Massachusetts. After three summers, I was asked to go and become certified so I could take over the next summer. At this training I was exposed to so much more than Erin had ever offered me. I was taught the correct terminology for the equipment, how it should be stored, how to cut climbing rope, how to tie more useful knots and every standard operating procedure that was necessary for me to be in complete control of the ropes course. Coming back from the course prepared me to be confident in what I was doing at camp and how to make sure the campers would be in good hands when using what are potentially deadly elements. Furthermore, at this point I was given a lot more autonomy and responsibility at the camp. We were able to pay for more high elements (elements that are over 30 feet high) and the amount of equipment needed and the knowledge on how to operate all the new structures fell on my shoulders. I was asked to do all the ordering, make conference calls with the builders and be present for our annual inspection. With the added responsibility I became more involved in learning about the ropes course. I searched online for possible additions to the course. I learned which trees were able to withstand building around depending on the size, type, and location of trees by asking our inspector what to look for when considering a new site. After being the activity director, I was promoted to supervisor and am now who the CEO of the camp consults when asking about anything that has to do with the activity.

            The main influence that supported my literacy is Ray Scully, the camp’s previous director. Although he no longer works as the camp directory, Ray is in charge of the off season operations of the camp. A former scout master, Ray has a love for pioneering. He and I talk frequently during the winter about what we can do to better the activity. As a matter of fact he called me two days ago to ask about a possible new element he wants to get funding for. Although I have always loved being outdoors and enjoy rock climbing and zip lining, it was Ray who empowered me at camp and allowed my interest to grow.

            The skills I learned have defiantly shaped my life. A large part of the training and operating of the course has to do with team building. Many of the programs I developed dealt with campers working as a team on the elements. For example, as a trust building activity we have a week course where campers sign up to learn how to belay and set up the rock wall. On the final day they all work together to belay one another up and down the wall. Another example is our blind climbs where teams of two are timed as one climbs up the wall blindfolded as their teammate instructs them where to reach developing communication skills. The camp has anywhere from 700 to 1000 campers ages 6 to 13 every summer. Working with these campers not only has made me comfortable working with children it has also given me confidence with communicating with children, many of whom are the age I wish to teach. These skills also will help me as a future teacher because I was given autonomy to apply my knowledge. For the most part, a teacher is on their own for the entire day. There is no day to day assessment of your work and with that some flourish and other fail. I think the fact that I was able to be autonomous in the operations of the ropes course allowed me to practice applying knowledge I had acquired to my craft without anyone holding my hand step by step.

            I am still working at the summer camp, recently I was asked by the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club to develop a team building program because they are looking to expand the course to company outings and possible school field trips. I keep developing my literacy in this field not just because I’m getting paid but because I love it. My hope is the same will be true for my teaching career. 
http://www.bgcpawt.org/documents/Camp-Ramsbottom-Brochure.pdf