Lesson 11: Making the Most of Community Resources and Field Trips

“Field Trips offer an excellent bridge between the work of the school and the work of the world outside.”

Field Trips are expensive. They require much time for preparation and planning. However, considering the intensity and the extent of concrete experiences that come through field trips, we are encouraged to use them Only, if there is no other less expensive but equally effective instructional tool. Preparation and planning for the field trip includes discussions and decisions on what to do before the field trip, during the field trip and after the field trip.

Community resources like historical and scenic spots, museums, zoos, botanical gardens, places, of exhibits can be destinations for field trips. Other community resources can be people themselves such as parents, senior citizens and other members of the community.

Planning a field trip includes these steps:

• Preliminary planning by the teachers

• Pre-planning with others going on the trip

• Taking the field trip itself

• Post-field trip follow up activities

Pre-planning with others joining the trip

  Other people accompanying the group need to be oriented on the objectives, route, behavior standards required of everyone so they can help enforce these standards.

Taking the field Trip Itself

• 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.

Educational Benefits derived from a field trip

   Field trips can be fun and educational when they are well executed. They offer us a number of educational benefits:

• The acquisition of lasting concepts and change in attitudes are rooted on concrete and rich experiences which are fundamental to learning that lasts.

• Field trips bring us to the world beyond the classroom. The real world connection is more work but the benefits of broadening teaching beyond textbooks far outweigh the little bit of time it takes from a teacher’s schedule.

• Field trips have wide range of application. It is not meant only for children. It is for adults also.

• It can bring about a lot of realizations which may lead to changes in attitudes and insights. The field trip “ can nurture curiosity; build a zest for new experience and a sense of wonder.” ( dale, 1969).

Permission Slip

     A permission slip in the United States is a form that a school or other organization sends home with a student to a parent in which the parent provides authorization for minor children to travel under the auspices of the school or organization for some type of event, such as a field trip.

Waiver

     A document recording the waiving right or claim.

Itinerary

      A schedule of intended destinations and activities for travelers

Evaluating Field Trip

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

Disadvantages of  FieldTrips:

   
These educational benefits can compensate for drawbacks of field trips, some of which are:

• It is costly

• It involves logistics

• It is extravagant with time

• It contains an element of uncertainty

Community Resources

      
      A field trip may be a visit to scenic spot or to a historical place.

These can be persons and places in the community. Many of them can be resource speakers in their fields of expertise.

• A dentist may be invited to talk to the children on how to take care for their teeth.

• A journalist may serve as resource speaker on the parts of a newspaper and how to write an editorial.

• A dynamic teacher will find a way to have a record of parent’s names, contact number, occupation, and other pertinent data she needs.

• There are other people in the community who can be excellent resource speakers.

• A senior citizens and a war veteran in the community may be invited to class for an interview on a topic of which he is expert, for example, his memories of World War II.

• A barangay captain may be asked on what the barangay intends to do to curb the rampart alcoholism among the youth in the community. 

Field Trip

      As to places to visit, popular destinations are museums, zoos, botanical gardens, historical places, places of exhibits, scenic spot. Performances like a play, a concert, and a dance presentation also form part of the community resources.

Field trips are expensive. They require much time for preparation and planning.

Preparation and planning for the field trips includes discussions and decision on what to do to before the field trip, during the trip and after the field trip.

A Field Trip: A bridge of the school and the community

Field trips abolish the “walls” that divide the classroom and the outside world.

Field trips also connect people. All people involved in the field trip – students, teachers, parents, and school head – come together for joint planning.