I used a guest speaker in one of my classes last term. The students really enjoyed his presentation. He discussed some of the same material we had covered, but in a different way. It helped to reinforce what the students were learning.
Karen,
Field trips and outside speakers do break up the routine, but hopefully the experience and information they receive will also be a sort of "value added" activity that helps them in their perspective about the workplace and perhaps employment opportunities.
Barry Westling
students can find this interesting because it is a break from the ususal routine
Ramona,
Also, sometimes students see things that are never available in the classroom, lab, or at the school. These can be very entertaining and motivational too.
Barry Westling
It allows the student to see how the skills they are learning apply in the professional setting. It validates what they are learning.
Kelly,
Payment for informal presentations are not customary. That's not to say a nice token of appreciation along with a generous and sincere letter of thanks cannot be given. Our Career Services, Admissions, and High School recruitment departments has a lot of college-labeled items (notebooks, coffee mugs, do-dads, this-and-that's) that make for great token than-you. Nowadays, a $10.00 gift card seems to be a particularly popular token. So, token, yes, payment, no. By the way, I agree that good field trips and guest speakers are significant and memorable experiences for our students.
Barry Westling
Guest speakers and field trips are some of the best parts of college learning and hands on visual experiences for the students. I was a student once and thoroughtly enjoyed these times. I have a question: Would you have to pay a guest speaker to come speak in class?
Katherine,
Sounds like great collaboration, and a better instructional experience occurred as a result.
Barry Westling
Even though the time frame is short I have sometimes arranges with the other instructors to allow the students to miss;in place of the other class we have incorporated something from that class into our lesson.I had an A&P course and took my students to the county examiners office. The other class most of the students were missing was a lab class that we could use in this one. This showed the students that teachers do talk to each other and we think about how the whole course fits together. It was great for all of us.
Lauren,
I think a good guest speaker or field trip provides one or more teaching moments that are beyond what the student could acquire in their regular classroom,. lab, or extern training site. Our purpose as educators is to provide a sound, systematic, and organized curriculum, but really, cannot provide everything a student may need to know for success in the work setting. That's where these field trips and guest can provide information about a segment that perhaps is not emphasized as much in school, but nonetheless is valuable information.
Barry Westling
It's important for students to see their future career outside of the classroom. Not only does it offer a better understanding for their future career, but it also helps them visualize their daily activities and responsibilites when they begin working. Often times we think we know and understand the environment that we will be working in, but when the opportunity finally presents itself, we may realize that it was much different than we had imagined. When students can accurately identify and visualize their future work environment, it is easier for them to understand and learn their job duties.
Guest speakers are also a valuable tool for students. Just like the module section, "Instructors come in many shapes and sizes", students may finally grasp a concept that they had long struggled with because of the way in which the guest speaker presented the material.
Tricia ,
It's true that even the instructor can receive benefit from information or visitation during a field trip. Often, state of the art business is occuring and the portions viewed and discussed can trigger questions from the students and help keep the instructor aware of new or current operations. For me, these can be motivational and inspire students.
Barry Westling
I feel that guest speakers and field trips are beneficial to the students and the instructor. It keeps us up to date as well so that we know what to be teaching in the classroom to keep them as current as possible with the latest protocols. hopefully the students perceive it to be as worth while as the instructors...
Alethea,
Yes, field trips are nearly always interesting, students get motivated and inspired, and the students education is ultimately enhanced because of this great extracurricular activity.
Barry Westling
A field trip incorporates all the learning objectives of the course to the student’s career choice. Incorporating real life experiences is very important to keep students motivated and focused in their career choice.
Maryellen,
I agree there is power in he field trip activity. Few instructional strategies can match the degree of interest, engagement, enjoyment or motivation a good field trip can instill in students. The potential to inspire students to work harder and become better students is also welcomed side benefit ofen experienced by many.
Barry Westling
Being in the medical field and taking new students behind the scenes to see and try things that normally they would not truly draws them into both the educational aspect of the field trip and allows them to see first hand how from point A to the end it all works. It lets them see for themselves if they are ready to go out into the field or if they need more help. Shy students seem to blossom when they get to try a hands on project. For some students when a guest speaker is talking and the student can follow the topic from start to end and don't get lost in the subject matter truly empowers them, and they join in the conversation to show the speaker "what they know".
Diane,
My field trips offer students a glimpse into some segment of our program of study my classroom, lab, and clinical sites do not. So it's always a "value plus" kind of experience that adds information in a sort of colateral fashion. It's not essential but beneficial nonetheless.
Barry Westling
On a field trip, students interact with each other and with their teachers in a less formal environment, where they have the opportunity to enrich their education with actual experiences.
Kathryn,
It's nice to have a change of pace from time to time, and both activities are good ones to fill that task. A good experience can open eyes, shed light on lesser emphasized topics, or expand on areas perhaps not thought about. Few field trips or guest speakers I have scheduled have resulted in poor results.
Barry Westling
