Chapter 10: Going Beyond the Classroom

Chapter 10: Going Beyond the Classroom

            One idea mentioned was to take students outside the classroom and into the field to do some activity related to class work.  They mentioned going to a park to clean it up, while learning about the fish and plants.  Other activities outside the classroom were mentioned, ones that would demonstrate knowledge and ideas they were studying in the class.

            I feel this would help students to become more interested and involved in class topics.  If a field trip were taken to a nearby location, for instance a recent road cut showing rock and soil layers that had a connection to class topics, the novelty would bring up their energy.  I have been on trips like these myself, and it definitely makes the ideas more real and interesting.  Being outdoors would appeal to the naturalist, spatial, and active, physical intelligences.  Demonstrating real – world connections to class topics would energize future discussions.  If the trip could be connected with local research, such as glacial grooves in bedrock in the area, this would bring such ideas to life and more connected and solid in the minds of the students.  As a teacher, I hope I will have the opportunity to conduct an activity such as this at least once a school year.