Gayle,
Both these activities have the potential to add information, create new visions, and motivate students. They can inspire students to do better in class too. Being able to see or ask questions from someone other than their teacher can be a great opportunity.
Barry Westling
Sometimes it is nice for the students to get a new perspective from another resource, be it a guest speaker or a field trip.
Theresa,
I imagine there are many specialty areas in nursing that students would be fascinated by having an expert come in and elaborate on some aspect of their area of expertise. I agree too, that student really enjoy a good guest speaker. It breaks up the routine, generates interests, motivates, and may even inspire students to do better in class as the result of the presentation.
Barry Westling
I have always found field trips and guest speakers very helpful. As an nursing instuctor I find that it helps my students better understand the field that they are entering. Guest speakers are helpful in answering questions in a particular field that I may not know the answer too.
Kristen,
Before a cold call, if there is an individual or type of individual from your industry you think would make a good guest speaker, ways to reach out to that person might include contacts you already have with salespersons, community, civic or professional society, former supervisors, or even the Chamber of Commerce. Second level contacts might be church, your doctor or dentist, or fitness club/gym, as these people are in contact with everyone within a community. The idea is to try to get an inside referral, so that your call is based on someone the potential guest already knows. If all else fails, you've got the cold call.
Barry Westling
I used to have a relevant contact in my field to be a guest speaker but she moved out of the area recently, leaving me without a "go-to" guest speaker. Do you recommend I cold call a new guest speaker?
Tara,
Great question. There are a lot of variables but I can share ideas that have worked for me. I have classes that are from 20-25 in a session at a time. In a hospital, the group can meet in the waiting room or lobby, or even the parking lot. By yourself, you can take teams of 5-6 to the area to be observed while the waiting students have a "waiting" assignment (discussion, writing questions to be asked, etc.). If there are several areas that are to be visited, the class can be divided, with each group visiting different areas, rotating so that each group sees all areas. If you can get a fellow instructor, or a graduate, or a senior student to assist, this helps supervise and manage a larger class.
Even with a smaller group of 5-6, this group can be divided into an even smaller collection of 1-2 while observing a procedure or special area of attention, rotating among the remainder of their waiting group until all have participated.
I tell my students when they are walking in the hall to "stay to the right", following behind me in a single file in order to minimize blocking the corridor. If we stop to chat, I instruct them to remain "clustered" so as to occupy the smallest space and by no means blocking any doorways, corridors, or areas where hospital work flow could be interrupted. I ask them to observe what is to me obvious things, but to them, anything that looks unusual or unfamiliar. This provides for discussion after the visit. Also, I insist they remain virtually silent as we walk about. I want the "touring group" to be almost invisible to the working staff. The intrusion of a group of non-workers can be a bit disruptive, so I emphasize the importance and as above, insist on absolute adherence to my preliminary guidelines.
As I said, there are a lot of variables. I hope this will give some ideas how you can make these important visits memorable and successful.
Barry Westling
Karen,
The multitude of benefits that result from a good field trip far outweigh the time and effort to plan them. These are ususally memorable for a lifetime.
Barry Westling
I really like the idea of field trips and guest speakers. I have a practical question...in a medical setting, what is the bast way to get a large class in the clinic/hospital/lab environment without completely disrupting patient flow? As a new instructor, I want to put great ideas to work in a smooth way.
I agreed. Classroom discussion is great regarding BOH operations, but spending a day behind the scenes at a busy resort is an eye opening experience.
Nancy,
I agree, these experiences are invaluable. Planning and coordinating seems to be the biggest obstacles, with occasional student transportation conflicts being another less frequent barrier to conducting these sessions.
Barry Westling
I agree George that even a quick trip to a different part of campus. This type of activity can still provide variety and show actual application. Plus, it gets the students out of their chairs, stretching their legs, and allows them to apply the concepts presented in lecture. Thanks for the ideas. Nancy
Not only do field trips and guest speakers provide a look at the "real world" of the topic being studies, it also provides variety. Variety is necessary to keep students engaged, and so much can be learned from observing in the field. I enjoy taking my students on a routine field trip so they can apply the concepts of the chapter and gain a much better understanding of the world. It works, and the students love a chance to do something different. Sometimes, they don't even realize they are learning; when this situation occurs, some of the best lessons are learned.
Carol,
I think graduate guest speakers bring two important factors to classes. One, they are nearly always very enthusiastic in their delivery. The other is they are familiar with the program. Sometimes more experienced guest speakers bring good information, but it's left to the student (or teacher afterwards) to put it into perspective relative to their course, whereas a graduate usually has that perspective and can integrate it into their comments.
Barry Westling
Students are very motivated after field trips and guest speakers. Students are excited to hear
from speakers in their field. It is a great idea to have graduates of their program as guest speakers. Students know if the guest speaker graduated they can too.
Ralph,
I agrre. Numerous times I've been asked to speak to HS student groups, Explorers, and community service clubs. It's interesting that what I think is important is not reflected in the kinds of questions asked. So, I can relate to your observation that you thought you could bring all necessary career information to your teaching.
Barry Westling
Shawn,
I too believe few activities inspire more than a good field trip or guest speaker.
Barry Westling
I have often felt that because I actively work in the field, that bringing those experience into the classroom were enough. But I realize from reading this, that sometimes it would be beneficial to offer differing perspectives of the field by exposing the students to other work enviornments and speakers related to their career choices.
I love incorporating field trips and guest speakers in my curriculum. This ensures that students get a "real-world" experience in the field they think they want to join!
George,
Good points. Validation of "that's what I've been trying to tell you" is always a good thing. And I think field trips motivate students, as some have only a vague idea what they're in for.
Barry Westling
