Hi Kelli,
A good speaker can inspire, motivate, and illuminate a subject, essentially capitavting the class. The opportunity to provide real world experience coupled with the (typically) informal opportunity to ask virtually any question is invaluable. The only "bad" guest speakers I've had, and they've been few, were a couple of egocentric do-do's who were more interested in their accomplishments than sharing information about the profession. So, some care in screening and defining what the expectations are can make for the best speaker activity.
Barry Westling
We have a course called imaging modalities. Here we explore all the avenues of medical imaging. Many students show interest in pursuing one or more of these after graduation. Although I am familiar with these modalities and know the basics, I invite a certified member from each modality to speak to the class. This is one of those times where expertise outweighs lecture.
Field trips bring an exciting and interesting side to the classroom.
Hi Anna:
FIeld trips can be a great way to provide a fresh perspective on the material you've covered in class.
Regards, Barry
Field trips will also create interest in the field because they are seeing the practical application what they have learning
Hi David,
Sometimes seeing some peice of the career field can really turn the tide on a students motivation, drive, and desire to accomplish all the class has to offer. It is a very powerful learning activity.
Barry Westling
They have the opportunity to see how the world of work that they will be entering actually functions. This allows them to relate what they are being taught to how they may use it in the future.
Hi Shirley,
An alternate way to make these activities worthwhile is to give students questions that need to be answered. I don't mean just asking the leader for the answer, but questions that the student could only answer by being an asute observer and and by posing original questioning.
Barry Westling
I believe you should never have a guest speaker unless you know that they are appropriate and have good evidence that they will inspire your students. As far as field trips go, I think that it is fun to just see something different. Real world field trips are the best. I have my students write a brief summary of the field trip or guest speaker about what they have learned or didn't learn. They need to tell me they felt it was beneficial and why or why not. If 1/3rd of class didn't like will not do again.
Hi Timothy,
You've introduced some very helpful and creative alternatives to assist participants think about what guest and field trip resources they may have access to.
Barry Westling
The benifits are plentiful when using field trips and guest speakers. A field trip shows real time/real life experiences in a particular field. If properly done the field trip will show students examples of exactly what the profession is all about and give a snap shot of a person's workday. The use of guest speakers is very helpful as well. It is easy for an instructor to lecture on a certain topic but to be able to listen to someone who has done it is different. An example would be an instructor talking about a historical event vs an individual who lived through the historical event. Another example would be an nursing instructor who talks about working in an Emergency room and an Army Nurse who worked in a Combat Support Hospital in New Orleans after Hurricaine Katrina.
Hi Robert,
I think a good guest speaker provides a forum of providing both information s/he wants to provide, along with an informal, open opportunity for questions the students want to ask. Often, they will feel free to inquire about A-Z, where they might not be willing to in class, or are not informed enough to ask pertinent questions. Sometimes I will prompt the quest speaker to "make sure you mention such and such", as that help reinforce ideas I've been trying to convey, and hearing it from an outsider somehow brings a degree of additional credibility.
Barry Westling
Students will get a real world experience from field trips, actually observing people in the field "doing" the job they are interested in. Guest speakers bring a different perspective to the class and help supplemant what you are helping to teach. They can also be a motivator to students by helping break up the monotony of class.
Sherri,
Yes, I agree. Sometimes planning a regular sequence of field trips over the course of a year (different classes, different students) can be very productive in ensuring the class objectives are met and assessing which speakers or trip settins are better and worth repeating.
Barry Westling
Hi Susana,
When a good field trip is scheduled, the presenter usually is interested in showing the exciting highlights a particualar profession or work setting provides. Many times this has the effect of stimulating more interest and desire for good performance by the student.
Barry Westling
Hi Marlena,
I agree, and feel strongly that being in an environment similar to or like what the student will see when they begin working can be a wonderful motivating factor, both in interest and performance in school.
Barry Westling
When taking field trips, it gives the students an opportunity to break the monotony and do something different. It also gives them the chance to venture out and see their potential.
Field trip are helpful incase students have any new questions for their future career. and also they visualize themselves there in a couple of months or years. It encourages them as well
I love field trips for adult learners. They need to see the goals they have set for themselves reached by others. For my cosmetology students it offers a new energy to the class. Lots of inspiration and ideas come from these field trips.
Hi Linda,
That's great. Being from the medical world myself I can relate to the fact there are many different kinds of jobs that hospitals need people to perform, and many times they are non-traditional in the sense that by name, they might be unfamiliar. So, guest speakers sharing this kind of information undoubtedly should be quite enlightening and insightful for your students.
Barry Westling
