Chapter 15: Using the Community as a Resource
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“Field
trips are unique opportunities to engage learning in the community. They allow students to see classroom concepts
in action and engage in learning through preferred learning styles by seeing,
doing, manipulating, and interacting.
Field trips have the power of simulations; they allow children to use
imagination to engage in ideas that let them be part of the experience. Experiencing aids memory so field trips have
longevity as learning experiences” (360).
This quote demonstrates many of the enrichments field trips provide to students, their learning, and their lives, but even though the ideas listed in the quote above may be believed by educators, I do not think these ideas are always taken seriously or implemented accordingly. The chapter goes on to mention the limits that are placed on fieldtrips due to administration, board policies, cost, accessibility, and insurance (Maynes & Straub, 2012). The grade 4/5 room I taught in last year was only allowed to go on one field trip a year and it had to be somewhere in Essex county. I remember when I was in elementary school, we went on several trips a year, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Field trips give children an opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to the outside world. The goal of education is to foster intuitive and analytical citizens of Canada, but children will have a hard time fostering these skills if they are only tied to learning in the classroom. I understand that things such as board policies, age, and safety need to be taken into consideration, but it seems that concerns placed around field trips are now having a negative impact on children’s learning and experiences. I learned things on field trips that I will remember for the rest of my life; things that cannot be taught from a textbook. Placing heavier restrictions and limitations on fieldtrips not only widens the gap between students’ education and life experiences, but it also places a further divide between privileged and underprivileged children. For these reasons, I want to stress to my colleagues to be persistent and fight for the right to take your students on these rich learning experiences, because there is truly nothing that can replace them.
Below are some ideas for field trips all based on my personal experiences either in field trips I have taken during my school years or on family trips. Click on the
destination you wish to explore, and it will take you to the website.
This quote demonstrates many of the enrichments field trips provide to students, their learning, and their lives, but even though the ideas listed in the quote above may be believed by educators, I do not think these ideas are always taken seriously or implemented accordingly. The chapter goes on to mention the limits that are placed on fieldtrips due to administration, board policies, cost, accessibility, and insurance (Maynes & Straub, 2012). The grade 4/5 room I taught in last year was only allowed to go on one field trip a year and it had to be somewhere in Essex county. I remember when I was in elementary school, we went on several trips a year, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Field trips give children an opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to the outside world. The goal of education is to foster intuitive and analytical citizens of Canada, but children will have a hard time fostering these skills if they are only tied to learning in the classroom. I understand that things such as board policies, age, and safety need to be taken into consideration, but it seems that concerns placed around field trips are now having a negative impact on children’s learning and experiences. I learned things on field trips that I will remember for the rest of my life; things that cannot be taught from a textbook. Placing heavier restrictions and limitations on fieldtrips not only widens the gap between students’ education and life experiences, but it also places a further divide between privileged and underprivileged children. For these reasons, I want to stress to my colleagues to be persistent and fight for the right to take your students on these rich learning experiences, because there is truly nothing that can replace them.
Below are some ideas for field trips all based on my personal experiences either in field trips I have taken during my school years or on family trips. Click on the
destination you wish to explore, and it will take you to the website.
Ontario ParksSince there are provincial parks all around, teachers can decide if these will be day trips or overnight trips, depending on the distance travelled, which makes these destinations suitable for any age
Huronia Museum
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Other fieldtrip ideas could be as simple as trips to the fire department, pumpkin patch, apple orchard, post office, etc
REFERENCES
Maynes, N., & Straub, J. (2012). Social Studies: Innovative Approaches for Teachers, 1st ed. Chapter 15: Using the Community as a Resource (pp.
359-382).Toronto: Pearson Canada.
REFERENCES
Maynes, N., & Straub, J. (2012). Social Studies: Innovative Approaches for Teachers, 1st ed. Chapter 15: Using the Community as a Resource (pp.
359-382).Toronto: Pearson Canada.