field trips and outside activities
during lecture periods I find that outside activities associated with the lecture material tends to tie lecture with reality and assists in keeping the students interested. also field trips associated with the course being taught tend to allow welcome breaks from the daily routine, They seem to refresh the students and
keep them on track as well as allowing the students to experience the real world in their field of endeaver.
Great comments Raymond. Anytime you can blend your learning goals to actual student activities, students will walk away with a much better appreciation and deeper understanding of the materials. The activities need to be relevant and the instructor needs to make sure they ask questions of the students to ensure their understanding. Building such experiences into the assessment process can also be a great way to evaluate student learning outcomes as they may relate do such activities and provide actual data driven purpose to growing more and more field trips and outside activities to the classroom.
Kindest regards,
James Jackson
This is so true, Raymond. I find field trips to be very motivating for the student as well as the teacher.
I agree.
We have been fortunate here lately and have had some great opportunities to attend lectures and activities that directly relate to the graphic design profession. The students have given a lot of positive feedback. They are able to take the information from their book lessons and class lectures and see how they relate in the actual discipline. It is also helpful for them to see and mingle with other professionals in design that are outside of the school. And lastly, it has been a bit like training wheels. They are able to dip their toes in the pool of the design world, and then come back to the security of school and reflect on the information and experience.
Great post Danielle. I really like how you are able to relate the importance of getting the students a taste of the "real-world' and then have them reflect in the safe environment you have created in your classroom. This reflective experience is key to your students gaining that additional motivation needed to work hard in school so they can become direct participants of the "real-world" environment they were able to experience, if even for a brief period of time.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
James Jackson
I am a court reporting instructor and our course of instruction is very long. Field trips are an important tool in motivating students. Students need to see the 'finish line." After I have taken my students to court, they usually all come back and are so motivated that they pass their upcoming test. When I have a student that is losing focus, I always instruct them to take a trip to the ocurthouse. The judge in the particular court I take them to usually is gracious enough to allow them to sit in the jury box, if there is not a jury present, to get a better feeling of what goes on. The whole process encourages students to keep focused on their goals.
Relevant field trips are excellent. It is important to augment the in class material with a taste of the real/outside world. Over the years, the places I have been able to take students has not only made them pleased to be outside the classroom and experience something different, but the people at these places often validate what we are instructing students which makes their attitudes better when they return to the traditional classroom. One of the best comliments I get from graduates is "Gee Mr. Conrad, It's exactly what you'd said it would be". Field trips help with this.
Josef, thanks for sharing your student affirmations. It is hard to argue with such results and how students comment on their experiences related to field trips and the opportunities they have to see in person what their future work environment will look like.
Regards,
James Jackson
A short field trip can be as simple as having your class stand up and walk across the lab to a training aid that is related to the topic you are currently discussing. A simple "field trip" across the room is a great opportunity for a change of state. I use this technique often, and always have good results.
Thomas, I have never thought of a field trip in that way but it makes perfect since and is a fantastic concept. Thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
I try and schedule field trips or outside lectures every term. This gives the students to see the application of the concepts we discuss in the classroom setting. I feel this helps them to become more well rounded as an individual in the workforce.
