Guest Speakers/Field Trips
Guest Speakers and Field Trips are great ways to show students that you are not the only one who "says ....." Adult students often want to know how what they are learning in the classroom will relate to the real world. Guest speakers are usually seen by the students as someone who has been there in the real world. Field trips also give the students a glimpse of the real world. Both of these things encourage student learning and give the instructor credibility.
Hi Seema:
Field trips and guest speakers are a great way to renew interest in the material you’ve been discussing in class. It gives the student’s a chance to speak with people (possibly in the field they are training for), and gain a different and new perspective about the topics at hand.
Also, they might get the chance to ask some questions about the topics you’ve discussed and get a better understanding overall.
Regards, Barry
Exactly! Guest speakers are a great tool and essential. Students love guest speakers and love when the guest speaker does an activity that is hands-on and allows them to interact.
Hi Samuel:
The nice thing about guest speakers is that they may provide a completely different perspective on a topic you've been describing that brings a new clarity to the topics you've been discussing in class.
Regards, Barry
Hi Regena:
These can help renew the student's interest in the topics you've been discussing in class, and possibly be the one motivating influence that helps the student get through to the end of the program all together.
Regards, Barry
Hi Cathy:
These can definitely remotivate a student's interest in the topics you've been discussing.
Regards, Barry
Hi Joseph:
Wow..Awesome. Forum participants should be encouraged to see what a creative motivation can produce. Of course, these resources have to be available. But as teachers, we should be SME's in being creative!
Regards, Barry
I teach accounting and have asked members of the MNCPA Society to address some of my classes. I had a speaker who had Big Four experience address an auditing class; I also had a Corporate Controller for a public company address a class of Intermediate Accounting students who were either in career change or career advancement modes. Matching the speakers to the classes worked well. I also polled the classes for questions or concerns to provide to the speakers in advance; the speakers appreciated the input as it helped them prepare for their presentations.
Hi Alexis:
These can serve to renew interest in the topics you've been discussing in the classroom, and allow students a chance to speak to someone else and get a different perspective about the subject.
Regards, Barry
I often use guest speakers as a tool. For example, if I assign a term project, I might have the school librarian come in to talk about how to do research and find credible sources. It also helps the students learn and be prepared for future assignments.
Hi Melissa:
Right! And, these may serve to renew a student's interest in the topics you've been reviewing in class. Also, they have the chance to ask questions from someone else and get a fresh perspective.
Regards, Barry
How do you find these kinds of locations? I teach health classes and I believe that this type of field trip would be an outstanding experience for my students.
I brought in a guest speaker in an area of the technology with which I have the least amount of experience. This provided the class with another level of expertise that I may not have been able to deliver.
In the program of Surgical Technology, we feel it is essential for the students participate in field trips to surgical facilities in order to see first hand the true atmosphere of the profession they have chosen. A trip is scheduled for the orientation class and another before they complete classes and go to clinicals. The sites visited provide nurses, doctors and other professionals to speak or interact with the students.
I believe that guest speakers add so much to the students educational ex[erience.
Students recieve the opportunity to explore another side of learning outside the structure of lecture and books. Guest speakers share information from a special area interest that may have not otherwise been learned by the student.
I invited a guest speaker to school. I tried to envolve 3 classes in a demo, question answer session. My intentions were good but a large group with different schedules was annoying and disruptive.
It was informative. The A students got allot out of it and the others kind of ....took a break.
I learned from the experience, 'looking around', I've thought about it, 'anaylized', and now I will edit for the next time.
Hi John:
Both of these activities are wonderfully inspirational activities that leave lasting memories for students. Sometimes, students have only vague ideas about the profession they're entering, and being able to question individuals who actually are in the present vocation, or visualizing the kinds of tasks can motivate students to want to try harder.
Regards, Barry
We take trips to a local organic farm periodically. This has been a very good resource for students because they can see first-hand the beauty, freshness and quality of foods that do not travel great distances. They very often become aware of benefits and value of fresh local products. Regarding guest speakers, the students do get insight in to what is in store for them when they graduate through the personal experiences of the speaker-whether it is the routine involved in running a restaruant and/or dealing with staff.
