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 the world outside.”

Planning a Field Trip

1.       Preliminary planning by the teachers

2.       Preplanning with others going on the trip, and

3.       Taking the fieldtrip itself and,

4.       Post-field follow up activities

For Preliminary Planning, by Teacher, Brown (1969) proposes the following:

·     Make a preliminary contact, a tour final arrangement with the place to be visited.

·     Make final arrangements with the school principal about the detail 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 listsvquestion or other materials which will be helpful in planning with the students.

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

Educational Benefits Derived From a Field Trip

1.       The acquisition of lasting concepts and change in attitudes are rooted on concrete and rich experiences . Fieldtrips are opportunities for reach and memorable experiences which are fundamental to learning that lasts.

2.       Fieldtrip bring us to the world beyond the classroom. Tha 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.

3.       Field trips have a wide range of application. It is not meant only for children, it is for adult also.It is not only meant for the social science subjects as well.

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

Preplanning with Others Joining the Fieldtrip

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

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 trips keeps to time schedule

·         The students have the opportunity to obtaine answers to questions

·         The group participants courteously in the trip

·         The guide sticks closely to the list of questions

Permission Slip

                Refers to a document that a given school or organization sends home through the use of a student to a parent or guardian to obtaine consent for the student to travel under the care of the school or the respective organization for a specific event or field trip.

Waiver

                A document recording the waiving of a right or claim.

Itinerary

An itinerary is your trevel plan-where you will go and when you will be there.

Evaluating field Trip

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

Disadvantage of Field Trips

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

·         It is costly.

·         It involves logistics.

·         It is extravagant with time.

·         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 place in the community. Many of theme can be resource speakers in their fields of expertise.

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

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

·         A dynamic teacher will find a way to have a record of parents name, 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 concerty, 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 decisions on what to do before the field trip, during the field trip and after the field trip.

The field trip: A bridge of the school and the community

·         Field trips 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.