My dissertation research explored what constituted lasting learning. I discovered that students remembered immersive experiences and especially field trips. Where you go on a field trip is not the only venue for learning that day. Children will be responsible for staying with their group. They will negotiate relationships with friends while riding the bus. They will manage their spending money, if they have any opportunity to purchase souvenirs. They will eat all their lunch or save a snack for the long ride home. All of that is before any of the curricular objectives are introduced. Kids love field trips! It is great to get away from the school and experience something first hand. Here’s what you need to know; field trips are a LOT of work for the teacher. Some schools have standardized field trips for each grade level while others rely only on what the teacher plans. There are about a million forms to fill out, approval to gain, and plans for paying the expenses related to the trip before you ever even mention it to your students. If your school does not have standard field trips for each grade level, consider planning one local and one out-of-town trip each school year. If you are in a school affected by poverty, you can often ask business or community sponsors to help cover the expenses. The answer is always no until you ask. 

Schools affected by poverty are often excluded from field trips because of the daunting problem of how to pay for a trip when the parents can’t contribute. In this age of technology, don’t underestimate all the places you can take your class virtually. You can plan activities that resemble field trips and virtually go see the Sistine Chapel, or the pyramids in Egypt. Get them excited about it. Tell the students,  “We are going on a field trip tomorrow to Egypt to study the pyramids! Don’t worry, you won’t miss your bus.”

Virtual field trips do not replace the full experience but it is a reasonable solution for children whose only option is to view the pyramids in a book. Most museums have virtual online tours so if you want to visit the Smithsonian, the Louvre or the space station, there are tons of options available for free to give your students the virtual field trip experience.

Sadly, there are some schools and districts that have eliminated leaving the campus altogether. Usually the prohibition has come about because of poor decisions made by the professionals in charge on some previous trip. Also, there is liability to consider as well as compromised instructional time. If you are in a school or district that does not allow field trips, consider bringing the field trip to your classroom. There are some traveling animal exhibits sponsored by local museums and there are always historians with an enviable collection of Revolutionary War relics that love to have a captive audience to talk about their collections. There are more ways to give students an immersive experience even if you are not allowed to leave the campus.

If there are limitations in your school district about leaving campus for field trips, look  at the resources available  in your local community. Firemen, Policemen & many other community helpers will come to your classroom, grade level or entire school, if you  ask. Many of the parents in your building are great resources as well. There are Certified Therapy Dogs in every community and they love to come to schools and “work”. Therapy Dogs are known  for the emotional support and calming effect they have on learners of all ages. Our Therapy Dog, Lucy & I have been in schools , nursing homes & hope to be able to go back into hospitals soon. Most communities have “Storytellers” connected to their local libraries. Invite them into your classroom.

What constitutes lasting learning? You can create these immersive , hands on, interactive experiences without ever leaving your campus. Be creative and open in imagining the possibilities. Ask your students who they would like to meet and what they would like to learn. There are farmers in every community who will bring equipment, farm machinery and farm animals to your campus, if you invite them. Invite a sanitation driver and his truck to visit your students ( this will require a little more research, but it is possible). Imagine the possibilities…….

Pamela Webster, M. Ed., SPED