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Why field trips?

In this post, I will be sharing some reasons why all educators should utilize field trips to enhance their students learning and some practical tips for educators who are planning a field trip.

There are a ton of research out there that talks about informal learning and how it is a crucial part of education. Informal setting allows students to explore the learning materials at a different level. The exposure can help students to apply their knowledge in the real world context.
I know, I know. Teachers already have many responsibilities and adding another one doesn’t sound fun. But trust me, investing the time to scout out the venue is going to be very helpful for the field trip. Knowing what to expect and being prepared will help maximize your students’ experience there. Get their buy in. Have a pre-visit lesson where you can insert photos of the venue. This is very helpful, in a practical sense. Students will also have a good understanding of what the expectations and minimize confusions.
This is where the magic happens. When you are at the field trip, try to be as present as you can be. Circulate around and engage the students. This is also a good opportunity to assess their learning. Encourage students to interact with the materials//displays. Create an interactive assignment where it can keep the students accountable for their learning. For my class, they did a scavenger hunt assignment where they had to take photos of the displays and answer questions. They genuinely enjoyed the learning process so much more!
Never underestimate how you can reinforce the learning back in the classroom. In my class, I chose to assign a post-visit reflection where they had make deeper connection and insights to the curriculum.
Here are some photos from our field trip at the ROM for my Grade 11 biology class. We went there when we were learning about the diversity of living things.
Make sure you stop by my IG page if you haven’t already. Find me @teachtoserve for more teaching related content.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you found this post helpful!

Blessings,

Mrs. T

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