field trips
I find that taking my students on field trips that involve their related studies really puts everything in more perspective and gets them motivated more.
Field trips are great for students. But I have students that wont show up on field trip days. I give them an option if they would rather do research on the subject, and often only get poorly completed papers turned in. In other words, the students are just not interested in doing anything, only the minimum to pass a class.
Hi Erik,
Field trips are very rejuvenating! You made an excellent point about the soft skills.
Patricia
I agree Samantha,
Not only does it give the students to see their future career in action, it also gives a chance to discuss soft skills that may otherwise be lacking in a school environment.
Such as dress, grammar, punctuality, and yes, attentiveness.
Those students that have participated in field trips are generally the ones that come back with a renewed attitude.
Erik
Hi John,
I like the assignment! Students tend to pay more attention whenever an assignment is involved.
Patricia
Field trips are a great way to motivate all students, and I also find it gives a nice change of scenery from the classroom, which gets talked about for days to come. I always give a handout ahead of time, so the students know the objective and purpose of the trip, and require some sort of written follow-up and reflection relating the experience to their future careers.
Yes, field trips seem to emphasize the importance of the learning objective of concepts dicussed in class. They are a fun way to learn material and to expose students to new exepriences.
Hi Allison,
You're right, you must have rules in place. I take attendance at the beginning and end of the field trip.
Patricia
I AGREE FIELD TRIPS WOULD BE A BENEFICIAL REINFORCEMENT OF LEARNED MATERIAL.THE ONLY CONCERN I WOULD LIKE TO PURPOSE IS THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIME OF SAID LOCATION SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR ALL STUDENTS OR IF NOT THEN THE STUDENT SHOULD BE MARKED OFF FOR A TARDY OR LEAVING EARLY OTHERWISE I AM PRO FIELD TRIP!!!!
Hi Kim,
Field trips act as a validation to various concepts.
Patricia
Field trips allow students to draw correlation between classroom and industry from which they are currently studying. It gives them an opporturnity to relate to a person in the field on that field trip.
Hi Patricia,
May I add, it also forces the student to really take the field trip seriously.
Patricia
Field trips followed by a written or oral report of the experience are a great way to give students a true to life concept of the subject matter at hand. It breaks up the same old routine and adds a little excitement for the whole class.
Hi Mary,
Field trips are exciting for students. I like the way you become involved as the virtual bus driver...how creative.
Patricia
Field trips can provide a fun learning environment for the students. I announce them early and sometimes ask them to sign permission slips.
When we do take our field trips, I am the virtual bus driver, moving them from one site to another, and even have a little bell I ring each time we get "back on the bus".
At each stop, I ask for comments on the site and what they found useful/not useful.
It keeps the students focused and I find they really enjoy the interaction.
Hi Kristen,
I come up with my own questions for students to answer about the field trip or come up with a group project so that I can determine what was learned from the field trip.
Patricia
I agree, field trips are great at motivating students. I often have them write up a paragraph or two about the trip. I encourage them to share with me what they learned or what they thought about the trip as a whole. I often use these write-ups to demonstrate the relevancy of the time and to showcase our involvement in the community.
Kristen
Hello Samantha,
Field trips are great for students. I even have them do an assignment pertaining to the field trip so that they see the relevance to the work related material.
Patricia
