GUE Practitioners...Convince Me

[boulderjohn]

Not all people learn the same way. This quick test has a bit of value as it very simply reinforces my point: What's Your Learning Style? | Edutopia You may wish to delve into determining your learning style much deeper than just taking this pedestrian test. It is easy to find much online.

Like almost all educators, I was taught about learning styles in a class, and I was taught to apply them. When I was the curriculum director for an online education company, I decided to make the ability to adjust to different learning styles a critical feature in our courses. I therefore decide to do some additional research to make sure that what I taught our course designers was the best possible information.

My research showed me that there are at least 100 different theories on learning styles. Most educators are taught one of those theories (as I was) and go off believing that have it down, not realizing that there are so many competing theories. Not only are they competing, they are often conflicting. Learn one theory about teaching to different learning styles and you will be doing something totally different from the teacher down the hall who was taught a different theory.

Examining my own lifetime of teaching experiences, in the classroom, online, and in scuba, I have decided that, yes, there are differences, but I don't believe I have encountered any theory that really strikes me as having it right. (No, I have not looked deeply into all 100 or so.) I have, however, come to the conclusion that there is a fundamental misunderstanding about it. My theory, briefly described as follows, is controversial.

I think that there are certain teaching methodologies that are extremely effective with just about everyone, and I believe just about everyone learns best with those methods. I believe that there are people who have the ability to overcome mediocre instruction and learn pretty well anyway, and I believe there are people who can overcome poor instruction and learn anyway. All of them, though, will learn best with the same excellent instructional strategies.

Next, I would like to point out that there is a lot of research in regular education that indicates that when a teacher begins teaching after receiving training in a specific educational technique, they will to a surprisingly large extent ignore that training and revert to the ways they themselves have experience education in the past. To translate that to scuba, an IDC can do a great job training instructors, but once they are on their own, they will often revert to their instincts, their core beliefs, and their more distant. I have definitely seen it myself. That is why two instructors from the same agency can be so different, despite the best efforts of that agency to prepare them in their model

 

[lowviz]

Dont leave; that wasnt the point of what I was trying to say. ....//....

You know me better than that. We dive the same saltwater pond, if we can't take the occasional shot at each other it's just no fun anymore. I am going to drop off though, just for the OP's sake. A LOT of good DIR/GUE information came out of this "give-and-take". I don't want to dilute it.

-til next time

 

[lv2dive]

And some people go into the class specifically to improve their diving skills and to learn... And don't really care much about the pass. Personally, when I initially took Fundies, a tech pass was pretty irrelevant bc I had no intention of going down the tech path with GUE, and I wasn't interested in caves. (ha!) I just wanted to have "that kind" of control in the water. And honestly, at the end of the day, I didn't get what I expected from the in-water portion of the class. But what I got, which I also didn't expect, was this academic perspective and reasoned approach that completely opened my perspective to this way of diving. So much so that even though I had an extremely frustrating experience, I couldn't walk away. My point is... While i agree it's important to focus on learning vs passing - and have even counseled others in that same vein - that focus is not a panacea either. Describing it as such is discounting those people who have struggled despite focusing on learning.

Further... I really, really wish people would understand that not everyone has the same experience with outcomes (provisionals vs. failures) from Fundies. Well, I really don't care if people understand it, if they would just stop making blanket statements that are patently untrue. I say this because people need to go in the class with appropriate expectations: it is entirely possible to fail fundies, and not just for being an unsafe diver. Following are examples of which I am personally aware involving three separate instructors, representing different reasons people have failed fundies:

• Not doing eval dive (have also heard of people not doing eval dive and getting provisional, obviously dependent on instructor)
• Literally getting told they failed, then instructor changes his/her mind before submitting paperwork, and gives student provisional.
• Not covering all skills in evaluation dive, further explanation provided that student had no local support so it would be all but impossible to convert a provisional into a rec pass in six months.
• Unsafe diving practices (as mentioned)

(NOTE: I didn't quote a particular post bc although this was a response to a specific post, the themes were not uncommon therefore I tried to be more generic).

Now what was the original question? Something about convincing someone? Where to start? Beginning with the class I took in February, I've met amazing people. People who've been there for me one way or another, encouraging me, and helping me along the way. I've learned what it's like to be able to jump in the water with "like-minded" divers I've never dove with before, and how different (and EASY) that is compared to the alternative. I've managed to accomplish my original goals, create new ones, exceed them, and set new ones. I'm very grateful to have found this way of diving and for the opportunities it has afforded me in such a short time frame. I've been diving over a decade, but diving this way for such a short time I consider myself a brand-newbie in this world, but am very much looking forward to what the future holds. I'm no longer disinterested in caves .
(and oh yeah, I failed fundies in February. and yet I'm still waxing poetic.)

 

[rlynch]

what kate is saying rings true...
When i took primer, i though i was ready for fundies, i wasn't...
our instructor doug pointed out things that i needed to focus on and that if i did correct i could have a chance at a pass. Its a learning experiance. You are either ready to learn or your not. your skills may be solid in your eyes but seen through the eyes of others they need work.

I'm still working on my skills and will continue to do so for my lifetime, a pass or not. I really enjoyed my time in HS and am ready to go back for another primer/coaching session in Oct to see what i need to work on and help me achieve my personal goals.
After that experiance, i would have no qualms about jumping in the water with any GUE trained person, i would know that if i or anyone else on the team had and issue it would be handled to upmost of thier abilty and training, no if and's or buts. I would also know what exactly to expect in any given situation from someone. All in all it really pays to understand what to expect out of a buddy on a dive. you become more relaxed and enjoy yourself more. I dive in a lot of different areas and knowing that similarly trainined people in seattle will handle the dive in the same way that i do takes a burden off of everyone.
some people don't like that way of thinking and i get it, but in reality it simplifies things. What we do for fun is complicated enough tere is no reason to add a lot of translations in styles/rules/signals/proceedures/etc to it

take the class for your reasons whatever they may be but keep an open mind.

Personally if i fail, i fail.. there is no reason to get upset over it b/c i'll be back to take it again until i'm diving at the level i want to be at.

(did i mention that Kate got her tech pass durring our class?, She's rock solid in the water and a person to asprire to... )

i'll be there in dec for Fundies, i can't lie and say i don't want to pass but if i don't i will walk away with a better understanding of where i need more work. It looks like the class is a go as of today with 2, possibly 3 signed up.

My personal plan is fundies, and Padi DM (already talked about it in another post here), they are different goals along the same path. the funny thing is that i have no angst about passing padi DM today. ( i have good friends whom went though in the class i was going to do but had to back out for work reasons).
I might have to demo all the DM skills in the trim postion (instead of kneeling on the bottom) depending on who is teaching the class next year, which will be fun, and the way you should do it anyway.

 

[TSandM]

It's a holistic system of diving, but the educational process is definitely incremental.

 

[Scott L]

That's what the class is for...

Yeah, right. Can you say mentor program?