Hi Richard:
That's it exactly - we offer the student an additional persepctive about the content you've discussed.
Regards, Barry
If possible, I like making field trips and guest speakers an integral part of the course. Unfortunately, opportunities are not always available in the community in which one lives. Sometimes, you have to "go out of the box" a little too drum up these opportunities. Advantages to field trips and guest speakers far outway the negatives. Advantages include: giving students the opportunity to see firsthand what they can expect in their chosen professions; talk to someone in the field regarding challenges they face and the satisfaction they receive from their work; getting their "foot in the door" regarding possible employment opportunities; helping them realize that someone similar to they "made it;" and ultimately, making a sound decision based on direct evidence as to whether or not this indeed is a profession for them. I have found that students often learn more from field trips and from guest speakers than all the lecturing and multimedia presentations I can conjure. Many are excited to hear directly or experience for themselves firsthand what their future professions may specifically hold for them. That old adage, "one picture is worth a 1000 words" sure holds true for field trips and guest speakers. I try to encourage them whatever I can.
I think field trips and guest speakers gives students motivation. I gives the class excitement.
I would like to take my students on a field trip to the local hospital's coding dept. I think that would be a great trip.
They gain a better understanding of the expectations of their career fields and also a validation to what I teach in the classroom. When my textbook explains a principle concept and I connect the concept to a field trip or have a guest speaker emphasizing it through "real world" experiences, my students gain an appreciation of my efforts to help them learn more.
I teach in a medical assisting program and work in the same field. Just from reading this section I've gotten many great ideas. I already feel like I can offer the students a lot because I work in the field I teach in, but taking them on a field trip of the facility I work in will help them put into practice what I teach. I also work with someone who recently graduated from the medical assisting program, so I am thinking of asking her to come speak to the students. I think it would be helpful for them to be able to ask questions of someone who is newly in the work force.
Cindy
That is great you use the field trip as an incentive. This is a great idea. I teach in healthcare and maybe I really need to think outside the box and come up with some trips that would entice the student be more motivated. I am looking for ways to help my students to learn how to present themselves more professional and become better prepared to go out into physician’s offices.
I have had guest speakers in the past and the student enjoyed the experience. They could not only find out about the specialty that they worked in but they could also speaking and asking question from a physician.
I teach in healthcare and I am currently speaking with Physician's office Practice Managers about coming and speaking with my medical office management class. I have found that the practice managers are really receptive of the idea. What I want the student to take away from the speakers coming to class is to see that what I am teaching them about professionalism is not to just hear myself speak. The student can learn so much from speaking to the person who one day they could potentially interview them for an employment. They can see the office or clinics perspective on professional protocol and how to advance in a medical office.
I would really like to use guest speakers more frequently but sometimes am so squeezed for time,it seems impossible to cover my content, let alone making time for a guest--how do you make it work?
I offer field trips to students who have completed two semesters. I offer this as a reward for work and study well-done. The newer students hear about the trips and it gives them something to look forward to.
I was learning about retention and one suggestion was that if you sense a student is not going to finish your class--have a guest speaker. So I tried this--and it worked. The week after the speaker, the two students in question, jumped into the final project, passed the final and passed the class. It really did work.
Students get excited to see and experience the places that they could potentially work after they are graduated. Also, seeing is believing. I love seeing my students get excited when we take field trips to places that are of interest to them. It gets them excited and once they are back in the class room you can almost feel the energy in the room change. I believe that they become more dedicated because there is the realization that this is what they want to do!
I think field trips really make the student see what they are getting into.
Taking field trips gives the student a chance to see their profession up close and personal. They get the opportunity to see how what they have been learning is applied to the real world. It is also a benefit for a guest speaker to come in. In a sense that they get a more personal idea of how their career will benefit them.
Hi Brad:
This is especially true for learning situations that are incorporated into that student's career choice.
Field trips give students another perspective about the learning topic, and provide the chance ot ask others questions about that topic matter.
Regards, Barry
Hi Robert:
Right! To paraphrase, the student gets another perspective to incorporate into their learning process.
Regards, Barry
Making field trips and scheduling guest speakers, help the students to realize what you as the instructor is saying is TRUE. It's the parent syndrome, if your parents say "wear a jacket it's cold outside" the child say "Mom/Dad stop babying me" but it the cool aunt/uncle says the same thing then the child thinks that it super cool to wear a jacket. Guest speakers and filed trips brings the "Real World" into reality !!!
I believe and have experienced with numerous classes and students that when I take them on field trips or have guest speakers they are able to apply the material better. Also, they are able to hear a different point of view on the topics addressed in the class whether they are with my own views I have given them or the texts we are using.
I greatly value field trips and guest speakers when planning my courses.
Field trips give the students a different perspective. The students become less inhibited and are more freely able to ask questions and open up. The students are more objective, feel a greter sense of purpose.
Guest speakers is a more practical application to the students of the course content. A very good guest speaker expert in the subject matter will invoke thinking on students' part and allow the student to really access whether this is the right career choice for the student.
I have done both of these. I believe this is important to show experience from the speakers, and real life situations with field trips.
