field trips
i throughly enjoyed field trips as a kid growing up. it helped widen my understanding of the big world out there.
Adina,
Although I often prepare reflection questions for students to complete after a field trip, mostly during the event I just let the experience happen, and like you, students nearly always enjoy it.
Barry Westling
Field trips exposes students to the real world experiences and professionals.
Mahmood,
Many times students get very inspired by a change in routine and a visit to a segment of the job setting they're being trained for.
Barry Westling
It's often hard to set up a field trip with a large class group, we have to insure that they will be there and stay and experience or just look at it as a day off from class. The experiences I have had in the past were very positive and it gave meaning to what we were learning and they had the opportunity to see up close and personal what it actually was, how it looked and so forth. My issue is with my class being at night, there are hardly any places that will let us do a field trip. Any suggestions?
It gives them a better under standing of there chosen field and can motivate them.
Dena,
I always accompany my students, take roll, and if a student does not appear, they are marked absent and don't get credit for the activity. As for night classes, you might look at both directly related and indirectly related settings. Say a medical assisting class is offered at night. A doctors office would be the most likely directly related setting. An indirect (alternative) setting for a field trip might be businesses that run late night/all night services, such as emergency walk-in clinics, convalescent care, home care service, a hospital, or even a fire house where the paramedic aspect could be toured and experienced. Sometimes, just some creative thought can uncover a real instructional gem.
Barry Westling
Anthony,
I find most students are very motivated, even inspired after experiencing a field trip. Sometimes students will see an aspect of the significance and importance of the job they're training for.
Barry Westling
I agree with field trips, and I understand the importance of them for a well-rounded education. However, there is absolutely no time in our curriculum. The students go to clinical sites, and I consider this type of hands-on education like field trips.
Marlene,
One practical way to consider for guest speakers is recent grads who have knowledge about the program, are enthusiastic, and students tend to relate to them as one of their own.
Barry Westling
I view field trips to be a very important part of the student's learning experience. I always accompany them and there are many Urgent Care offices open at night where I have been able to set up a field trip for the students. I divide the big classes in smaller groups and we go on this field trip over a period of a week.
Mignonne,
Great! I've mentioned visiting urgent care/walk-in clinics as potential visiting sites for field trips, especially when medical program instructors have said "I teach at night, how do I find field trip locations?". I'm glad to hear others have found this to be a suitable site. Students nearly always get an inspired visit and motivated by the experiences in field trips.
Barry Westling
