Lesson 11

Making the most of Community Resources and Field Trips

What procedures must we follow to avoid the failed study trips described above? Let’s plan. Planning a field trip includes these steps: 1) preliminary planning by the teacher, 2) preplanning with others going on the trip, and 3) taking the field trip itself and, 4) post-field trip follow up activities. 

For preliminary planning by the teacher, Brown (1969) proposes the following:

·         Make preliminary contacts, a tour on final arrangements with the place to be visited.

·         Make final arrangements with the school principal about the details of the trip: time, schedule, transportation arrangements, finances, and permission slips from parents.

·         Make a tentative route plan, subject to later alteration based on class planning and objectives.

·         Try to work out mutually satisfactory arrangements with other teachers if the trip will conflict with their classes.

·         Prepare preliminary lists of questions or other materials which will be helpful in planning with the students.

Preplanning with students joining the trip.

· Discuss he objectives of the trip and write them down. The main objectives should be included in the permit slip given to parents and should be consulted later when the trip is evaluated.

·   Prepare a list of questions to send ahead to the guide of the study trip.

·   Define safety and behavior standards for the journey there and for the field trip site itself.

·  Discuss and decide on ways to document the trip. Everyone is expected to take notes.

·   List specific objects to be seen on their way to the site, on the site of the field trip and on their way home from the site.

·    Discuss appropriate dress. Comfortable shoes for walking are important.

·    Before the trip, use a variety of learning materials in order to give each student a background for the trip.

Preplanning with others joining the trip

Other people accompanying the group need to be oriented on the objectives, route, behavior standars required of everyone so they can help enforce these standards. These may be parents who will assist the teachers, other teachers and/or school administrator staff.

Taking the field trip

·         Distribute route map of places to be observed.

·         Upon arriving at the destination, teacher should check the group and introduce the guide.

·         Special effort should be made to ensure that:

-          The trip keeps to the time schedule

-          The students have the opportunity to obtain answers to questions

-          The group participates courteously in the entire trip

-          The guide sticks closely to the list of questions.

Evaluating field trip

These are questions we can ask ourselves after the field trip to evaluate the filed trip we just had.

·         Could the same benefits be achieved y other materials? Was it worth the time, effort, and perhaps, extra money?

·         Were there any unexpected problems which could be foreseen another time?

·         Were new interests developed?

·         Should the trip be recommended to other classes studying similar topics?

Disadvantages of field trips

These educational benefits can compensate for the drawbacks of field trips, some of which are: 1) it is costly, 2) it involves logistics, 3) it is extravagant with time, and 4) contains an element of uncertainty.

 Community Resources

A field trip may be a visit to a scenic spot or to a historical place. What community resources can we use for learning?

These can be persons and places in the community. For persons, let us not go too far. Let us begin with the parents of our students. Many of them can be resource speakers in their fields of expertise.