Last term my class went on a field trip in the early part of the semester in which according to the reading it is generally used to give student an understanding of the working environment. The assignment was to write a report on their experiences. To my surprise there were a couple of students that did not enjoyed that specific part of the career field. The benefit of the field trip in this case is that the student was able to narrow down her area of interest by eliminating her dislikes. This allows me as an instructor to focus on motivating her on the area of most interest. Any thoughts?
Joseph,
Wonderful. It's these kind of experiences that are memorable and stay with students, usually inspiring them as they begin to realize they'll soon be in the same or similar workforce.
Barry Westling
I always love taking my students on field trips. We always had each year a field trip I put together to Graph Expo, a huge convention geared for my graphic design students. They were amazed to talk with many industry professionals, free samples and instruction on all of the processes.
Ricardo,
I have seen students be so motivated by an exceptional field trip, it actually changed their whole attitude toward taking their classes serious, with a complete turnaround in performance and focus. Now that's a powerful activity that can do that.
Barry Westling
These are tools that I use all the time since it brings actualization and validation to the student field of education. You can instruct but an experience like this will bring the student to real time knowledge.
Ashlee,
Real world often does open the eyes of students, who may have only vague ideas about some glamorous or fictional aspects about a job. The field trip and guest speakers can help provide a sense of reality, along with a source of optimism and encouragement about the true components a job offers.
Barry Westling
I believe it really gives the students a feel for what their career choice/field of study has to offer. I'm a certified athletic trainer and have had orthopedics, physical therapists, and other ATCs come to my classroom to give them a variety of paths to learn about. Plus I have taken students to professional, high school, and college sports athletic training facilities. They enjoyed seeing the differences and hearing from the professionals in each setting. For example, everyone always wants to work with professional sports and several students changed their minds when they heard how many hours per week they would work and how often they are on the road away from family. It is good to be exposed to the "real-world."
Holli,
Absolutely correct. I believe students can be more motivated and enthused by involvement with field trips and guest speakers, as much as nearly any other class activity. I think partially because the students begin to realize they'll soon be out in the work setting.
Barry Westling
Guest speakers can give insight into current field-related activities. They can also offer students the opportunity to intern with them directly and to make networking connections that may benefit them in their budding careers.
Frank,
Some instructors use recent grads, fellow instructors, or even administrative staff to serve as surrogate guest speakers. Graduates, although limited in work experience, are always filled with lots of enthusiasm, and are also familiar with the college and it's practices.
Barry Westling
Unfortunately we don't have the time or budget for field trips,however,recently coming from the field, I in mnay ways, am my own guest speaker. The experiences are still fresh and relevant to the course material.
Pamela,
Every individual who comes to speak or guides a tour has a vast array of their own past experiences that may be similar to information already shared in class, but their unique expression and specific circumstances make the class activity more interesting and valuable.
Barry Westling
Gurinder,
I have also found that a guest speaker will confirm information I have shared but also deliver it with a little different spin, perhaps from a different perspective. That adds variety and makes the topic memorable.
Barry Westling
Santiago,
Sure, when students get a glimpse of some aspect of their job, that often encourages and motivates, almost more than other classroom or lab-oriented activities.
Barry Westling
Direct observance and direct involvement allows the student to see how all the pieces of a vocation fit together. There may be many steps in a process or many pieces to the big picture with many people playing various roles. By allowing the student to see all the parts in action it allows them to have a clear understanding of the job and goals. Guest speakers allow for someone to come in and speak to subject matter in more detail than the instructor may be able to address. An example would be a physician could obviously speak to disorders and treatments referring to case studies and experiences that a technologist could not.
Field trips are a great way to energize a class, to infuse enthusiasm as well as give the students an opportunity to see the course material in practical use in daily life. It also gives students to an opportunity to appreciate and realize how classroom teaching is impacting daily life. They also get an idea of how they will incorporate the techniques and material learned in the class in their future.
Guest speakers also serve the same purpose, but I think it gives students an opportunity to learn and hear from an subject matter expert apart from their instructor. This can encourage them, give them a bit variety and different perspective along with motivating and increasing their interest in the field.
The overall student experience and the fact that the field trip directly ties to the curriculum re enforces the WIIFM and allows different types of learners to also benefit.
Micheal,
Sometimes this is true, and it adds credibility to the instructor and reinforces the importance of the subject.
Barry Westling
I like guest speaker you tell them something is one this but when some one on the out side come in it has a bigger impact
Christa,
I believe the power of a good field trip or interesting guest speaker can be quite inspiring, and motivate students to want to refocus their energy towards class studies.
Barry Westling
