Get Your Students Hired
They so many benefits for students when they go on field trips and get exposed to guest speakers, that we could blog about it for days. But, I think one main reason why it should be done is that it puts the theoretical applications of the subject being studied to a reality test. These outer applications provide the students with different perspectives of the subject.
The benefits on student field trips are to gie them a more broader asspect on the careere that they have choose.
Field trips are not part of our curriculum, however, we do bring in guest speakers when ever we can. Previous students make the best because they can give the current students real life "what do I do next". Students have a hard time beleiving the instructor or extern coordinator, mostly because we have our jobs. It is good for the student to hear about the struggles and the rewards of finding their new careers, and who better to tell them, someone who just went through the process.
I agree, bringing speakers with expertise in the course you are teaching makes the course more interesting.
Hi Patricia:
You are right - students cannot get the unique experience and memorable work-related aspect of their profession soley in the classroom. A field trip can be magical in the way it motivates and stimulates students to want to try harder, based on the inspired time the field trip provided.
Regards, Barry
Hi Carl:
Field trips and guest speakers are such powerful activititis in and of themselves. I think it's a great idea to have some sort of measure, either before, or perhaps some questions that follow these experiences. It'll keep the students more focused when the speakers and tour guides are speaking. It'll also facilitate a better experience if the guest feel like the students are interested by asking pertinent and relative questions.
Regards, Barry
Hi Amber:
Invaluable experiences. These are what students will remember. Very powerful activity.
Regards, Barry
In my experience, field trips and guest speakers have really motivated students to see what it will be like once they have graduated. Also gives a nice variety to the class time.
Hi Heather:
Motivaing and inspiring!
It's great when you can get a roomful of students to sit up and pay attention to everything the presenter is saying. That can happen with guest speakers.
What's cool is some students may only have vague ideas about what they're studying for. Clarity can be improved through this activity. And that can ignite the desire for a student to work harder and realize improved performance based on their hope for success in the work setting.
Regards, Barry
Hi Elizabeth:
What students can potentially gain from eithr or both of thes experiences can be very powerful in creating a new desire and vision for the hope of a successful caeer and a better life. These offer an opportunity that's not available in the classroom setting.
Sometimes, information the teacher has hammered into them gets validated, and that reinforces their trust in the teacher and may make for a better learning environment afterwards too.
Regards, Barry
Field trips and guest speakers are great ways for students to met people in their future field/career. I think guest speakers are great because it offers a new face and voice into the classroom. Field trips are great because it allows the students to observe and possibly take place in a field experience (hands-on experiences).
Field trips are very valuable as they show a student what they can expect and look forward to when they finish school and start working. Guest speakers can also share real world knowledge as well as bring a new teaching style and face into the classroom. A peek into the "real world" that will altimately be a student's career can be very motivating to students.
Hi Brandi:
These activities are almost always very motivational and inspiring because the student gets to see a perspective of the work setting they can't see in the classroom. I think in some cases, it's quite powerful how harder a student will work or perform when they get a vision of themselves working in the profession thet're being traind for.
Regards, Barry
Stduents wold get an extended knowlegde about the field in which they are being educated. Also they would get to see the skill in which they are being taught being used in possibly more than one way.
Hi Earle:
Both the field trip and guest speaker are dynamic methods to inspire and motivate students. They can open the eyes of students who may only have a vague idea of the real world, and also contribute to having students want to work harder and perform better in order to be successful in the profession, because they have a clearer understanding.
Regards, Barry
Hi Erica:
Sure, when they see the real world of work they're preparing for, they will be very motivated, willing to work harder, and tend to take their studies more seriously.
Regards, Barry
Field trips provide the reality component to the curriculum. It lends a perspective that is lacking in lecture and career experience.
PHanley
I really like the idea of having the students use worksheets with prompts to focus the content they are expected to get from field trips. It makes the experience a learning activity and not just fun time out of the classroom.
Guest speakers can bring a different perspective than the instructor. The students may not be able to relate to the war stories and experiences of the instructor, but a different face (maybe closer to their age or background) can bring a relevancy that keeps the students focused on their goals.
Carl
Guest speakers may help present material in such a way as to reach more students and help them to better understand.
Field trips help to reinforce classroom material and hopefully make it more meaningful.