Experiential Learning in the Field: Utilizing a Field Trip

How often do you hear students saying that the best part of a field trip is getting out of school. What always makes me laugh is that, while yes, the students are getting out of the school building, they are not leaving the actual institution of school. Field trips should not be about getting out of school, field trips should be integral. A part of school, that students expect to happen, not a welcome surprise to get out of a classroom.

Most people, when they think of the term field trip, they immediately think of the students leaving school property and going far away to a place that the students are unfamiliar with. But why, why can't a field trip be the simple idea of just getting out of the classroom. Maybe you take your environmental students out to the wooded area behind the school. Maybe their is a stream within walking distance that you can take students to, to perform a stream study. Maybe you bring livestock onto school grounds for your animal science class. Just because your not going very far, it doesn't mean it isn't a field trip for your students.

That of course doesn't mean that you can't take students on those far away trips. Sometimes, these can be some of the most valuable learning lessons, as they are a truly hands-on experience for the students, so they can see why this education is important, and where they can use it in the real-world.

Often the problem is that our students aren't excited for the learning opportunity, but for the chance to leave the classroom setting for a day. What should be expected is that students are excited for the learning opportunity as much as, if not more than, the opportunity to leave behind the desk. So how do we accomplish this;

1. Make the field trip student centered.
Just like in the classroom, education should be student-centered. Whether that's making a post-field trip survey for your students or letting them have a say in where field trips are, student's must have some kind of investment in their education.

2. Take into account the Prior, During, and Post steps of a field trip.
Make sure that students have enough background information, and are assessed adequately so that when the field trip takes place, the students can be excited for whats happening, and less excited about what their getting out of.

I believe that if these two aspects are considered, students will get more of a complete experience out of field trips.