Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

THE WORLD A LABORATORY By Alvin B. Roberts Director, Andio-VIsnal Department Western Illinois University THE value of travel as a means of enriching instruction has been recognized by educators for many, many centuries. Today, study in the field can be a part of practically every educational program from primary grades through high school, college, and university, if the people in charge so desire. Probably one of the greatest factors which is giving considerable impetus to the whole movement of educational travel is the attitude of parents. During World War II almost fourteen million Americans were in some branch of the Service in different areas of the world, and through their own experiences have learned how valuable travel can be. Also, during the past ten years, hundreds of communities have sponsored business, industry, and education days. On such occasions leaders have taken groups of teachers through their plants, and have tried to show just how that particular industry contributes to the community and the nation. There is also the desire on the part of instructors and administrators to provide a series of real experiences for their students. Coupled with this, of course, is the excellent system of highways which practically blankets the entire nation. Today, nearly every school owns a bus or a fleet of buses that are used primarily to transport the students to and from school. Therein is one of the greatest factors favoring the use of travel as a part of our instruction program; for these buses can literally become mobile classrooms. Adding considerable interest again to this whole movement is the attitude of business, industry, foundations, national monuments, and other organizations relative to assisting visiting school groups. At many of our national monuments housing facilities have been established so as to make it easier for school groups traveling a considerable distance to visit that particular place. Also, many of our national monuments, such as the reconstructed village of New Salem near Springfield, Illinois; historic Williamsburg, Virginia; and Greenfield Village near Detroit, all spend considerable time in training personnel for conducting groups through these various places. Our national parks provide excellent service for groups that wish to take advantage of it. Few people realize the extent to which travel is being used. Today approximately one-half million high school students visit our national capital each year. This figure may be more significant if we think of it in this way. Let us assume that there are 200 days in the school year and that we divide the visiting students into groups of 25. On this basis, we will have 100 groups each day for the 200 days. Since the average stay is five days, we will have approximately 500 groups per day throughout the year. When we add to this the hundreds of elementary and high school groups that are visiting their own state capitals and other places of interest within the state and nation, we can readily see that travel is h^re to stay. The use pi community resources, through field work, has developed rapidly the past decade. One of the large cities in Illinois has a fleet of five buses that are available for school trips throughout the year, and during the past three years this school has sponsored more than 600 tours per year. So for those who feel that educational travel is only a fad, let me again state that it is here to stay. When thinking of the educational tour there are two aspects that should be given careful consideration. The first, and a very important one, is planning the mechanical details. This includes the arrangement for trans portation, securing permits from parents, working out the schedule, notifying the guides of the places to be visited, acquainting the guides or the person who conducts the group through a place, with the tour objectives. One cannot overemphasize the necessity of planning carefully a field tour, whether it is of one hour's duration or one of fifty or sixty days in length. The smoothness with which the tour is handled adds a great deal to its educational value. The second phase of the tour, which should receive careful consideration, is the educational planning. Unfortunately, this is the area that has received little, if any attention. However, after thirty years experience with field work, with elementary, high school and teacher groups, I would like to point out that the field tour is one of the most dynamic methods of imparting information ever devised by man, and will probably continue to be; unless one plans carefully for the educational outcome of the tour, it can be simply a waste of time and money. In thinking of the educational aspects, one should apply the same procedures to a field tour as when using a film: mainly the setting up of specific objectives and procedures An amplifying system mokes it possible to use the bus as o classroom for orientation, for discussions, reports, summorizotions, and evaluations. EdScreen & AV Guide — November, 1957 531