[Home-on-the-range] misrepresenting SDL - June Monitor must read article

[Dianne Hemphill]

Hello federationists - lots of interesting, informative and investigative articles in this months Monitor. Article 9, however, jumped out to me because of the way many misinterpret Structured Discovery Learning (SDL) and cause a lot of harm in the doing so. The young man tells his story of how he, at the age of 6, was told that he should find an unknown location at camp, for example, without having a skills set. The claim that the camp was using SDL, a training method promoted by the NFB, was in reality, a method I would call "sink or swim". As so often is the case, those that either claim that they are using SDL or are purposefully misrepresenting the approach in order to tarnish  the reputation of the NFB the focus is only on the "discovery" component of SDL - completely leaving out the very important part of this approach which provides the "structure" or skills that then can be applied to the "discovery" part of this training method. Those of you that have gone through a Federation training Center know that you were not simply dropped off at an unknown location the first week,  for example, and told to find  your way back to a specific location. You were taught how to use the cane, how to think in terms of using your other  resources  , including noting other sensory elements, sounds, smells, etc to help figure out where you are and then on a more informed set of information take the next steps in your training. The traditional approach for travel classes focuses on the instructor providing all information, always alerting you to  the next step and rote route travel. This article may further help those of you still wondering about the difference between "traditional" and "SDL"  training approaches. Instructors cannot typically know how to teach using the SDL approach without themselves going through a training experience. And SDL takes a "next step" in the training experience that traditional does not, that is that the one being trained will pretty quickly take responsibility for the training by answering their own questions or those provided by the instructor in order to develop  personal responsibility and confidence in their decision making abilities.  Though this style of training typically takes longer than the "traditional"method, the outcomes are transferable to true independence once one returns to their community. Traditional training graduates   frequently need additional "hands on" training should they move or go to a new location such as college or an unfamiliar community.  The SDL graduate should be able to apply the full skill set they learned during training and "figure" out any new location. Overall independence including employment outcomes, are usually higher when SDL is taught...that is, taught correctly. 
YOLO, Dianne