Field trips known to boost in-school success
Today was the first field trip of the year for 7th grader Hayden Johnston.
“Personally when I’m outside the classroom I work a lot better than sitting in a desk, cause it’s a lot harder for me to sit in a desk,” said the Alcona Community Schools student.
According to a 2010 study by the American Association of School Administrators, “More than one‐third (36 percent) eliminated field trips for the 2010‐11 school year, 57 percent anticipate doing so in 2011‐12, and 26 percent never considered it.”
The association found that budget cuts and decreasing educational programs threaten student learning and achievement. That’s why the schools’ science and STEM teacher Chelsea Neuenfeldt initiated a way to get the entire 7th and 8th grade classes on a field trip to the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan.
She said she’s working on a long term program to take students beyond the four walls of the classroom.
“Hands on things can be taught in the classroom, but actually getting out there and experiencing it can kind of spark an interest that might not be sparked in the classroom.”
