Field Trips for Schools ? the Advantages

Posted by genedumas on June 17th, 2013

With World War 2 receding into history, the Normandy Landings have been portrayed in books, films and documentaries. Nobody can deny the horror of the landings which started on 6th June, 1944 and were vividly portrayed at the beginning of the film “Saving Private Ryan”. Troops waded ashore on the beaches of Normandy and were mowed down in their thousands. The beaches of Normandy are quiet in peacetime, and once more the preserve of holidaymakers enjoying the sands or visitors on one of the popular D Day Landing Tour that operate there.

These tours are becoming an effective part of educating today’s young people in their history studies. Modern Europe was born out of World War 2 and it’s important that the young people in Europe today have a clear understanding of the war. Field trips are a great way for schools to get the kids interested in a subject and visiting historic battle locations is an effective way of bringing history to life. Teachers can turn the whole trip into a mobile classroom, getting the kids to collect information and then assigning projects to be completed based on what they’ve learned.

This sort of educational trip will reinforce what the pupils have already learned in class, bringing the events to life and helping children gain a better understanding of just what happened on the Beaches of Normandy. For many pupils, this will be the only opportunity they every get to see these former battlefields and travelling in a group with their classmates is a vital part of their social/emotional education. They visit a new environment, travelling in a group and they will learn to be respectful of the locations they visit. The “episodic memories” that result from educational field trips help the kids to retain the information more effectively than they would by learning in the classroom.

However, going on an educational field trip is more than just a trip away from the school grounds. This is a great opportunity for the kids to build closer bonds with classmates while they enjoy time away from the classroom. Students and teachers will form new bonds as they discover new environments and experiences – a great way of strengthening the teacher/pupils relationship. The opportunity for the children to connect with each other on a personal level encourages new friendships – a great way of mixing it up.

The learning environment provided when a class is taken on a field trip means that the kids experience learning without textbooks and it’s often noted that learning takes place more effectively when there is an element of fun involved. Teaching staff are there and available to answer questions and encourage debate amongst the students – allowing each child to voice their point of view.

Educational trips cater to all learning styles so they’re considered one of the best learning tools available to educators and schools in modern Britain. Whether it’s a trip to a reconstructed medieval village, an outing to an art gallery or one of the D-day landing tours, field trips of this kind mean that the kids get to work, rest and play while being immersed in the subject which they are studying.