Justin, Like so many other things, there is no formula for the types of questions students should be allowed to ask during a drop route. When I taught cane travel I tailored drop routes for individual students. I had some who were capable of getting back to the center without asking any questions at all, and others who were never dropped off without being accompanied. I can even see asking "Where am I?" would be reasonable for some students as they would still have to get themselves to a designated location. I think rather than having a hard and fast rule about the questions an instructor might allow, it might be more useful to think about what the student is capable of doing and what my goal for the assignment might be. Some things that I took into consideration when designing drop routs were: Will the student be dropped in a familiar or unfamiliar environment? That is, will they be dropped in a location they have traveled in before, or one that is completely new to them? This might determine which types of questions they might be allowed. Is this assignment meant to reinforce confidence and encouragement by being a challenge that he or she will certainly be able to succeed, or is it to be difficult enough that it really challenges the students skills and problem-solving? (If the first situation, you can always make it more difficult as the student progresses through his or her training.) Does the student know what information is relevant to gather and what is really not helpful, or do I need to role model that for them by doing dropped off with them in a location that I have not determined. If I don't know where we have been dropped off either, we have to work together to get ourselves back and I can provide the types of questions out loud that are helpful. I don't mean the questions you might necessarily ask someone else. But for example, where is the sun? Where should it be if I want to walk in a specific direction? What does the pattern of the traffic tell me?, etc. I will provide the types of questions that they will need to voice inside their own heads when they are by themselves. Although I will have been working with them all along on these concepts during their training, a drop route is supposed to be stressful and they may not remember to apply what they have already learned or they may not trust that the techniques truly work. So I would say that the rules for what questions students are allowed to ask have more to do with why you are giving them a drop route to begin with and the level of the individual student's abilities and capabilities might be. Best, Maria ----Original Message----- From: NOMC [mailto:nomc-bounces at lists.nbpcb.org] On Behalf Of Justin Salisbury Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 10:51 AM To: NOMC at lists.nbpcb.org Subject: [Nomc] Asking questions during drop routes Aloha, I am crowdsourcing for some ways to define the rules about question asking during drop routes. I have still never encountered a drop route that required a question. I am certain that they exist, though. I have too much faith in those who have come before me who have decided the questions were allowed in certain circumstances. I understand that a student should not be asking "where am I?" Besides that, what else should be the rules about how exactly we restrict what our student can or cannot ask? Articulate answers will be appreciated. Mahalo, Justin Sent from my iPhone _______________________________________________ NOMC mailing list NOMC at lists.nbpcb.org http://lists.nbpcb.org/listinfo.cgi/nomc-nbpcb.org