Field Trips: Making the Most of Your Experience

As a teacher, what comes to mind when you hear the words, “field trip?” Perhaps scheduling challenge, expense, permission slips, coverage, transportation, not enough time? Each of these are valid concerns, but if planned properly, field trips can be impactful experiences for students and valuable for teachers. A little effort on your part can yield great rewards.

A field trip is where classroom (formal) and out-of-school (informal) learning environments intersect. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) notes their potential in the position statement: Learning Science in Informal Environments. These experiences, “can spark student interest in science and provide opportunities to broaden and deepen students’ engagement; reinforce scientific concepts and practices introduced during the school day; and promote an appreciation for and interest in the pursuit of science in school.”

How can teachers make the most of the field trip experience? Here are a few tips:

1. Consider the timing.  Will the field trip be used to introduce a topic or reinforce what has already been learned?  
2. How will the trip be funded? Are there funds in the department budget? Or can you utilized BOCES or ask the PTO/PTA, do some fundraising, or will students pay?
3. A trip looks interesting but you’re not sure if it will suit your needs. Ask to observe a program in action. Which skills, tools, methods or vocabulary would you like your students to practice? Share this information with your field trip provider.  
4. Before the trip, set your expectations with your class and tell them your specific learning focus. During the trip, remain engaged to ensure the experience is meeting your expectations. Finally, plan for post-visit discussions and activities back in the classroom.

Consider field trip providers as partners in educating and inspiring your students. And these experiences aren’t just for students. Meeting teachers’ professional development needs is a priority for many field trip providers. If you see a student offering that piques your interest, ask to participate as a learner. Classroom teachers can gain content knowledge as well as pedagogical skills modeled by the informal science educator.

Investigate what’s out there. Reach out to a STANYS SAR for recommendations, review options at BOCES Exploratory Enrichment, and talk with your peers at conferences. Give field trips a try. The experiences support and enrich what you do in the classroom. They are an additional tool in your already fantastic toolkit! Check out the list of field trip providers and other resources below.

RESOURCES

Here’s a list to get you started:

Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Office of Educational Programs	Long Island Science Center
Caumsett Outdoor and Environmental Education Center	Mount Sinai Marine Environmental Stewardship Center (MESC)
Center for Environmental Education & Discovery	Oceans Wide
Center for Science Teaching and Learning	Quogue Wildlife Refuge
Central Pine Barrens Commission	Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research & Preservation
Children’s Museum of the East End	Science Museum of Long Island
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center	Seatuck Association
Connetquot River State Park Preserve	Stony Brook University’s Institute for STEM Education
Cradle of Aviation	Suffolk County Marine Education Center
DEC Region One Environmental Education Office	Tackapausha Nature Preserve
Fire Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)	Tesla Science Center
Garvies Point Museum	The South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center
Girl Scouts of Suffolk County Discovery World STEM Center	Vanderbilt Museum, Mansion & Planetarium
Long Island Aquarium	Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge – US Fish and Wildlife Service
Long Island Explorium	Western Suffolk BOCES Outdoor Environmental Education Program
Long Island Maritime Museum

 

 

NSTA Position Statement: Learning Science in Informal Environments

Connected Science Learning: Linking In-School and Out-of-School Learning

Field Trips are Valuable Learning Experiences

School Teacher Learning Agenda Influences Student Learning In Museums