Realms extends its academic program into the community with a wide variety of field trips for students in all grades. Often under appreciated, field trips play a crucial role in educating students. Field trips provide students with exposure to new locations and knowledge they might not otherwise access.
In fact, student health, emotions, surroundings, and actions while learning all figure prominently into how well they recall information. As we know, recall is critical, particularly when faced with a standardized test.
Our brains are wired to recall information based on experience, action, and emotional connections. Myriads of research have reached and continues to reach the same conclusion. A former neurologist turned middle school teacher, Judy Willis discusses exactly how recall and experience are linked in What You Should Know About Your Brain. Learning through action produces better and deeper connections, and it can also be more efficient. Lacking context, a young person may have to be taught the same concept over and over again before the information will stick.
So, rather than extra niceties, field trips are really laboratories for learning. And they need to be treated as such.
As reflected in our philosophy and mission statement, we are committed to providing experiences that support the cognitive, physical, emotional and spiritual growth of our students. When we empower these four functions of the brain through integrated learning, the hidden strengths of a student begin to emerge.