lesson 11 making the most of community resources and field

Making the Most of Community

Resources and Field Trips

By: Allan S. Tomaquin Regine Delos Santos

Have you gone through a field trip?

. .

What do you suggest to improve a failed field trip?

Objectives: Enumerate the procedures and criteria that must be observed in planning and conducting field trips.Learn the educational benefits of having a field trip.Know the community resources that can be utilized for learning.

Planning a Field Trip includes three steps:

Preliminary planning by the teacher and preplanning with others going on the trip.

Taking the field trip itself.

Post-field trip follow up activities.

Preliminary planning by the teacher


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

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

Date and Time Schedule Transportation Arrangements Finances Permission slips


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


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


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


Preplanning with others going on the trip

1. Discuss the 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.


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


3. Define safely and behavior standards for the journey there and for the field trip site itself.

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


5. 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 field trip.


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


7. Before the trip, use a variety of learning materials in order to give each student a background for the trip. For example, by viewing a film, a slide set, or a still picture unit dealing with housing standards and conditions, a class maybe better prepared to learn through a visit to an actual slum area.


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.

These may be parents who will assist teachers,

other teachers and/or school administrator staff.


Taking the field trip itself.1. Discuss route map of places to be observed.

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

Taking the field trip itself.3. Special effort should be made to ensure that: - the trip keeps on 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

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

Were there any unexpected problems which could be foreseen another time? Were these due to guides, students, poor planning, or unexpected trip conditions?

Were new interests developed?Should the trip be recommended to other

classes studying similar topics?

These are questions we can ask after the field trip to evaluate the field trip we just had:

Planning a Field Trip includes three steps:

Preliminary planning by the teacher and preplanning with others going on the trip.



Educational Benefits Derived 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.

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 a wide

range of application. It is not meant

only for children, it is

for adults also. It is not only meant for the social science subjects, it is for all other subjects as

well.

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)

Disadvantages of Field Trips

It is costly.It involves logisticsIt is extravagant with timeContain an elements of

uncertainty.

Disadvantages of Field Trips

Community Resources

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 are source speakers in their fields of expertise.

Community Resources

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 an editorial.

Community Resources

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

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

Community Resources

The 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, school head – come together for joint planning. Resource person in the community are brought to the school as key informants in an interview by children or as lecturers. Why not open your school to field trips? We lose nothing when we open our school doors to parents, officials, and other members of the community. Instead, we gain this support and cooperation. They are rich learning resources.