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Effective teaching in the field

Learn to design, lead, and prepare for engaging field trips that inspire and educate students in Earth Sciences. This comprehensive guide covers logistics, safety, student engagement strategies, and trip preparation to ensure a successful educational experience.

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Effective teaching in the field

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  1. Effective teaching in the field Devin Castendyk Earth Sciences Department State University of New York, College at Oneonta

  2. Types of Field Trips Show-and-Tell Visit amazing vistas Inspire Instructor talks, waves arms, and points to things Students listen and take notes Activity-based Team work Observations Interpretations Scientific Method Bonding experience • Field camp • Independent • Observations • Geologic tools • Interpretations • Professional experience

  3. Session Goal • Design your own activity-based field trip • Prepare for teaching • Prepare for job interviews

  4. Before you begin… FIND IDEAS • Department colleagues, Chair and Professor Emeriti • Faculty at nearby universities and colleges • Google Earth • GSA field trip guidebooks • Proceedings of the state geological association meetings • Roadside Geology series • State geologic maps • State and National Parks

  5. Before you begin… FIND SUPPORT • Trip goals • Support course goals • Support departmental goals - Chair $ • Learning outcomes • Recruitment and retention of majors • Cohort development • Support academic mission of the institution - Dean, Provost, or Office of Off-Campus Programs ($$$)

  6. Field trips take lots of time: 25% Leading 25% Preparation 25% Safety 25% Logistics

  7. Part I. Logistics

  8. A. Trip logistics • Where are you going? • When are you going (weather)? • How many students (minimum/maximum)? • Will you have co-leaders/student helpers/drivers? • How will you get there? • Order vans early • Overnight trips • Meals (special dietary considerations) • Camping (student comfort and experience)? • Equipment • Alcohol/drug policy

  9. B. Interest meeting • Held 6 months to one-year before a major off-campus trip • Convey • Preliminary itinerary • Academic expectations • Physical expectations • Equipment requirements • All expenses • Registration procedures (physical?) • Deadlines

  10. C. The students • How many geology classes have they had? • How diverse is the group (male/female)? • How much outdoor experience have they had? • Are they physically fit enough for your activities? • How well does the group know each other/work together? • Is this trip partially intended to be a bonding experience or aid recruitment/retention?

  11. D. Use upper-classmen as TA’s • Egger to help and share knowledge • May need to be enrolled in an independent study • Van drivers, cooks, camp-helpers, etc. • Looks good on their transcript • Roll-models for lower-level students • Earth-Science Education Majors receive teaching experience • Provide a liaison between faculty and students • Decrease ratio of students to instructors • Ideal 8:1 or less

  12. Part II. Safety

  13. A. Safety Considerations • Know the hazards • Van ride, cliffs, rock falls at outcrops, cars, knives and fires in camp, water, etc. • Site specific: Lyme Disease • Know the weather • Temperature and rainfall • Have a back-up plan and be willing to use it • Know the students (bring extra gear) • Do they have gear: foot ware, clothing, water, sunscreen • First aid, CPR, First Responder, EMT • Do they agree to alcohol/drug policy • Know your emergency plan • First aid kit • Phone (satellite?), emergency numbers, hospitals

  14. B. Student information • Emergency contact information • Two phone numbers • Health insurance company and policy number • Photocopy of insurance card • Physical? (off-campus programs) • Special health issues: • Physical conditions • Mental conditions • Medications • Allergies • All students must be enrolled in a course

  15. C. Know your liability • Talk to Department Chair • Van use policy • Drug/alcohol policy • Privacy policy (medical records) • In case of emergency, who should I call? • Discuss “what-if” scenarios for known hazards • Talk to Dean • Talk to College/University lawyer • Consider personal liability insurance • Make sure you and your students are covered

  16. Part III. Preparation

  17. A. Expand Goals • What do you want students to learn/gain from this experience? • Academic/theoretical/applied concepts • Affective domain • Vocational skills • Note taking, drawing, topographic map reading, GPS use, measuring strikes & dips, fossil identification, hand lens mineral ID, rock hammer use, stream gauging, water sampling, etc. • Social-bonding experience

  18. B. What will students need? • Geo Gear (empower students) • Write-In-Rain notebook with mechanical pencil • Rock hammer • Sharpy • Hand lens • GPS • Compass (Brunton or Sylvan) • Calculator • Handouts • Regional geology maps and topographic maps • Identification guides • Goals, Instructions, and Examples

  19. Example of field notes

  20. C. Dry Run • Visit locations in advance • Visualize • Will the planned activity work? • Is there public access? • Is the outcrop visible? • What are the hazards? • Are there bathrooms? • Is there a rain shelter? • Is there a pleasant place to have lunch?

  21. Part IV. Leading

  22. A. The Overview • Geologic context • Keep it brief • Try not to conflate too many events or processes • Don’t give away all the secrets • Give clear instructions for site activity • State the amount of time at site • State hazards and where not to go

  23. B. Observations • Take notes on what you see • Landscape view • Outcrop view • Collect a sample and describe hand-lens view • Draw pictures • Make measurements • Waterfall retreat rate • Measure beach profile and grain sizes • Map features • Glacial striations • Contacts

  24. C. Interpretations • What is the rock type? Evidence? How did it form? • Is there any evidence that the rocks have been uplifted or tilted? What processes might caused this? • What processes have eroded the landscape and what is the evidence for these processes? • What is the order of geologic events occurred, starting with rock formation and ending with the present day outcrop? • What information do you want to know?

  25. D. Discussion • Share observations • Share interpretations • Address questions • Wrap up • AH-HA moment • 2 things learned and one thing muddy • Write down a hypothesis • What would you do next if you had time and money • Key: Allow plenty of time

  26. E. Take the obligatory group photo

  27. Your Turn • Write a description of the trip: • Where are you going? • Who are the participants and how many? • What are the goals? • Brainstorm ideas on the following points: • Logistics, Safety, and Preparation • Design field activities • Design field discussion

  28. Thank you

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