Lesson 11

Making the most of Community Resources and Field Trips

    ​The teachers, comments given above indicate failure of the field trips conducted. This is definitely the consequence of no planning or if ever there was, planning was done poorly.

​What procedure must we follow to avoid he failed study trips described above? Let’s plan. Planning a field trip includes these steps: 1) preliminary planning by the teacher, 2) preplanning with others going on the trip, and 3) taking the field trip itself and, 4) post-field trip follow up activities.

For preliminary planning by the teachers, Brown (1969) proposes the following:

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

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

• Make a tentative route mutually satisfactory arrangements with other teachers if the trip will conflict with their classes.

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

Preplanning with Students Joining the Trip

• Discuss the objectives of the trip and write them down.

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

• Define safety and behavior standards for the journey there and for the field trip site itself.

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

• 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 site.

• Discuss appropriate dress.

• Before the trip, use a variety of learning materials in order to give each student a background for the trip.

Taking the Field Trip

• Distribute route map of places to observed.
• Upon arriving at the destination, teacher should check the group and introduce the guide.
• Special effort should be made to ensure that: 
• He 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.

Evaluating Field Trip

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

• 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?

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:

1.The acquisition of lasting concepts and change in attitudes are rooted on concrete and rich experiences.

2. Field trip bring us to the world beyond the classroom.

3. Filed trips have a wide range of application.

4. It can bring about a lot of realization which may lead to changes in attitudes and insights.

Disadvantages of Field Trips

​These educational benefits can compensate for the drawbacks of field trips, some of which are: 1) it is costly, 2) it involves logistics, 3) it is extravagant with time, and 4) contains of element of uncertainty.