Field Trips:
Expose students to a different learning method
more real and life visual learning experience
Increase student "appetite" and motivate them to learn
Guest Speaker
a great marketing tool for students
expose students to the outside school box and learn from a different source
have a feedback from others about the program, the career and the market
Hi Leila,
Field trips and guest speakers can be very powerful and meaningful experiences for students. Often what a student hears or sees at vthese can be memorabvle for a lifetime.
Barry Westling
THE BENEFITS OF TAKING FIELD TRIPS AND MLISTENT TO GUEST SPEAKERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK IT GIVES THE STUDENT TO GET ANOPTHER EXPERT POINT OF VIEW IN THEIR FIELD OF WORK. IT ALSO ALLOWA THEM TO SEE AND HEAR REALL LIFE EXPERIENCES FIRST HAND INSTEAD OF ME ALWAYS TELLING THEM MY EXPERIENCES. I ALSO THINK THAT FOR THE CONFUSED STUDENTS IT WILL ALLOW THEM TO SEE THEIR FIELD AND IF THEY DECIDED TO CHANGE THEIR MIND THEY WILL KNOW WHY AS APPOSED TO THE WORK MATERILA IN SCHOOL JUST BEING DIFFICULT.
Hi Adnan,
You've descibe an excellent hoped for outcome for field trips. They're a powerful tool and students benefit greatly. Of course, there's the possibility the experience can be poor or ill-planned; that'd be awful because the student would lose out on so much. But seeing nearly any aspect of the real world the student will be working in generally is quite motivational.
Barry Westling
With field trips the students can have an overview of the industry & focus on operations and personnel while on the trip whereas the guest speakers help the students to see the relevance of what they are learning and what lies in their future.
Hi Jeannette,
Right. I think that "imagination" point is very asute. Students often have only vague ideas about what the fulness of their career provides. A good field trip can open the students eyes to opportunties or provide hope for a better life...if they can imagine it, they canj make it happen.
Barry Westling
Hi Debra,
Nothing better than a good example. Even bad examples can be instructive, as in "you don't want to be like that guy, right?"
Barry Westling
Hi Debra,
I think you're doing a great courtesy to your students when you precede field trips or guest speakers for questions or observations for students to look for. It's interesting that even beginning students can be good at critiquing what's good and what stands out as less than professional of poor examples of workmanship in practice. I tell students you can "just get by or you can fly! Which type do you want to exemplify?". Good field trips can help sort these questions out in the minds of the students.
Barry Westling
Hi Laura,
Field trips of most any kind have an inspirational power to them. True, some settings might require them to fully understand the career or certain proficiences that must be mastered. I think anytime we can schedule a good field trip the students will benefit.
Barry Westling
I feel there are many benefits from field trips and guest speakers. It allows the students to imagine themselves applying the skills they are learning. They get to see and hear what it is really like in the field that are working towards. It helps as a motivational tool to inspire them to continue working hard to reach their goal.
On field trips, as well as questions and observations, I have my students look for good and bad examples of communication, patient interaction, teamwork, etc. I find my students always want to emmulate the good examples. Same for guest speakers. The students want to be like them
ON field trips, as well as a list of questions, I always tell my students to assess good and bad examples of communication and customer service, teamwork, etc. and I find they would love to emmulate the good examples. Same with speakers, the students absolutely want to be like that person.
It helps them better understand the field they are getting into.
When teaching a class like HIM it would be almost necessary to send students to the HIM department of a hospital or facility so they can see what really goes on in such an office.
Hi Joseph,
This is great. I am a big fan of the power of the field trip and feel as though this activity ought to be a part of the mandatory curriculum in career-oriented programs. Perhaps the old saying "one look is worth a thousand words" may be applicable here. Anyway, field trips are a great activity, students enjoy them, and in some cases can help mold mediocre-performing students into outstanding superstars.
Barry Westling
In the realm of HVAC/R studies, field trips can provide a starting point for students to observe the almost-boundless opportunities that exist by obtaining an education in this field. They can literally see the different options available to ply their newly aquired knowledge towards. By observation, it may be readily understood that, in todays' technological world, almost nothing that we take for granted operates, without the need for either heating or cooling being employed in its' use.
Hi Kenneth,
From my experience, these activites inspire students more than contribute to discouraging away from a career area. What I do think is true is that a students limited idea about about waht a career area offers is often opened up a great deal. And from this, many times the student becomes more motivated to perform better in class and learn the needed information in order to position themselves where they will become an active participant, willing and ready for the work setting.
Barry Westling
The major benefit to the students on either a field trip or a guest speaker to see and hear about their perspected careers and how they work. This will allow them to decided whether or not this is the correct career path for them and what they need to do more to obtain that goal.
Hi Alnita,
Theres almost nothing more memorable than a good field trip experience. Sometimes, this is the first time a student actually recognizes what it is they are being trained for. It's a powerful activity. In some ways, I think a well planned field trip should be a required activity early on in every career program.
Barry Westling
Realzation and actuality is a must for students to engage in what they need and what is expected of them. For some, oppose to constantly reminding students this is what your career consists of, they can see it 1st hand up close and personal.
