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Field Trips and Experientially Anchored Instruction
Field Trips and Experientially Anchored Instruction
Today I will talk about “Experientially Anchored Instruction”. Experientially Anchored Instruction is when instruction or class content is based in students’ everyday experiences. If we want learning to be transformative, it needs to be deeply connected with students’ everyday experiences, thus, giving meaning to the content.
As a Career and Technical Education teacher, I am lucky in the fact that all of our content is based in actual careers, and real-world experiential classes. However, like all subjects, certain content can get lost, and go over student’s heads. As teachers, it is our job to make learning fun, yet informative, and by using experiences, and actual projects that have basis in the “real-world”, student’s can find meaning.
Somedays I feel like Field Trips are lost arts. In elementary school, Field Trips were always something to be looked forward to, and I have fond memories of many different trips from my childhood. However, today, with many budget cuts, transportation cuts and lack of resources, going on Field Trips (especially in the High School setting) is nearly non-existent. In my Independent Living class, I am fortunate to have resources that allow my students to practice and prepare for life after high school.
Whether it's projects about living on your own (see my first connections blog here) or allowing them to do a web-quest that simulates filling out your taxes- students are offered these different experiences that can help them make the connections to why this is important to learn. But, I digress, the Field Trip is the culmination and apex of Experientially Anchored Instruction, and we need to include more meaningful field trips into our curriculums.
On Tuesday this past week, I was fortunate enough to be able to take 56 of my students to the Junior Achievement Finance Park in Thornton, Colorado.
On Tuesday this past week, I was fortunate enough to be able to take 56 of my students to the Junior Achievement Finance Park in Thornton, Colorado.
At the Finance park, students are given a scenario about their life after high school. Some are married with kids, some a divorced, some are bachelors making 100K a year.
At the Finance park, students are given a scenario about their life after high school. Some are married with kids, some a divorced, some are bachelors making 100K a year.
Regardless of their situation, they go to different business and places in a “mini-village”situation. Using their provided tablets, students begin making purchases, and paying bills.
Regardless of their situation, they go to different business and places in a “mini-village”situation. Using their provided tablets, students begin making purchases, and paying bills.
They have to purchase cars, file taxes, make budgets, buy transportation, arrange child-care, setup utilities, etc.
They have to purchase cars, file taxes, make budgets, buy transportation, arrange child-care, setup utilities, etc.
They soon find out how expensive items really are, how much of a pain-in-the-butt setting up things can be, and gives them a dose of reality (all while being in a risk-free environment - the IRS won’t come after them if they mess up their taxes here!).
While we have been talking about and doing activities all year-long related to these different things - being in an environment where they “go” to Toyota to buy a car, or “go” to the bank to set up a checking account, allows for this experiential learning to happen.
I can talk all day about setting up a budget, but to have the students complete one for their family, and realize just how expensive those kids and spouses really are - now that is priceless!
Check out Junior Achievement here to find out more about their Finance Park program for kids. Or watch the video below!
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