Turn every field trip into a high-quality learning experience! What youngster isn't excited at the prospect of taking a field trip? Enthusiastic students present teachers with the ideal scenario for creating meaningful out-of-the-classroom encounters and giving students the building blocks to help them become active participants in their own educational process. This resource helps educators take full advantage of off-site educational opportunities by developing lessons that connect informal learning with content standards. Based on constructivist philosophy and inquiry-based learning, the book provides numerous sample lesson plans and technology tips, and includes: • Learner-centered activities for language arts, math, science, social studies, and fine art • Ways to support English Language Learners and special education students • Guidelines for developing corresponding classroom activities • Strategies for building partnerships with informal learning sites • Methods for bringing museum-type activities into the classroom when a trip is not possible Field trips turn the whole world into a classroom. Informal Learning and Field Trips helps enrich students' lives as they explore the world outside the school grounds and gives teachers a prime opportunity to revitalize the learning experience.

Science learning that takes place between and at the intersections of formal and informal science environments has not been systematically reviewed to offer a comprehensive understanding of the existing knowledge base. Bringing together theory and research, this volume describes the various ways in which learning science in various settings has been conceptualized as well as empirical evidence to illustrate how science learning in these settings can be supported.

Informal science is a burgeoning field that operates across a broad range of venues and envisages learning outcomes for individuals, schools, families, and society. The evidence base that describes informal science, its promise, and effects is informed by a range of disciplines and perspectives, including field-based research, visitor studies, and psychological and anthropological studies of learning. Learning Science in Informal Environments draws together disparate literatures, synthesizes the state of knowledge, and articulates a common framework for the next generation of research on learning science in informal environments across a life span. Contributors include recognized experts in a range of disciplines-research and evaluation, exhibit designers, program developers, and educators. They also have experience in a range of settings-museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, aquariums, zoos, state parks, and botanical gardens. Learning Science in Informal Environments is an invaluable guide for program and exhibit designers, evaluators, staff of science-rich informal learning institutions and community-based organizations, scientists interested in educational outreach, federal science agency education staff, and K-12 science educators.

HauptbeschreibungField trips are a popular method for introducing students to concepts, ideas, and experiences that cannot be provided in a classroom environment. This is particularly true for trans-disciplinary areas of teaching and learning, such as science or environmental education. While field trips are generally viewed by educators as beneficial to teaching and learning, and by students as a cherished alternative to classroom instruction, educational research paints a more complex picture. At a time when school systems demand proof of the educational value of field trips, large gaps ofte.

With an emphasis on active learning, this supplementary text helps busy elementary and middle school teachers engage all students in the vibrant world of social studies. This inquiry-based book presents hands-on explorations, interaction with primary sources, and critical thinking activities, that provide concrete methods to successfully integrate the language arts into the social studies curriculum. Key Features Promotes the development of literacy skills by authentically integrating language arts Supports differentiated instruction for specific grade levels, English language learners, and students with special needs Connects to standards in language arts, social studies, and technology

The authors provide practical, research-informed, guidelines and detailed lesson plans that improve learning of chemical, physical, biological, and Earth & space sciences. The context for learning is the myriad of exciting opportunities provided by informal science institutions such as zoos, museums, space centers and the outdoors. Many such institutions seek to educate the public and inspire budding scientists. Visits outside school help students relate science to everyday life, providing strong motivation to learn science for all abilities. This book shows the key to making such visits effective, is when they are linked to classroom learning using a learning management system, drawing upon modern students’ fascination with digital technologies and mobile devices.

Practitioners in informal science settings-museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, libraries, aquariums, zoos, and botanical gardens-are interested in finding out what learning looks like, how to measure it, and what they can do to ensure that people of all ages, from different backgrounds and cultures, have a positive learning experience. Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments, is designed to make that task easier. Based on the National Research Council study, Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits, this book is a tool that provides case studies, illustrative examples, and probing questions for practitioners. In short, this book makes valuable research accessible to those working in informal science: educators, museum professionals, university faculty, youth leaders, media specialists, publishers, broadcast journalists, and many others.

Founded on the premise that zoos are ‘bilingual’—that the zoo, in the shape of its staff and exhibits, and its visitors speak distinct languages—this enlightening analysis of the informal learning that occurs in zoos examines the ‘speech’ of exhibits and staff as well as the discourse of visitors beginning in the earliest years. Using real-life conversations among visitors as a basis for discussion, the authors interrogate children’s responses to the exhibits and by doing so develop an ‘informal learning model’ and a ‘zoo knowledge model’ that prompts suggestions for activities that classroom educators can use before, during, and after a zoo visit. Their analysis of the ‘visitor voice’ informs creative suggestions for how to enhance the educational experiences of young patrons. By assessing visitors’ entry knowledge and their interpretations of the exhibits, the authors establish a baseline for zoos that helps them to refine their communication with visitors, for example in expanding knowledge of issues concerning biodiversity and biological conservation. The book includes practical advice for zoo and classroom educators about positive ways to prepare for zoo visits, engaging activities during visits, and follow-up work that maximizes the pedagogical benefits. It also reflects on the interplay between the developing role of zoos as facilitators of learning, and the ways in which zoos help visitors assimilate the knowledge on offer. In addition to being essential reading for educators in zoos and in the classroom, this volume is full of insights with much broader contextual relevance for getting the most out of museum visits and field trips in general.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2014, held in Graz, Austria, in September 2014. The 27 full papers and 18 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 165 submissions. They address topics such as informal learning, self-regulated and self-directed learning, reflective learning, inquiry based learning, communities of learners and communities of practice, learning design, learning analytics, personalization and adaptation, social media, computer supported collaborative learning, massive open online courses, schools and universities of the future.

This book aims to capture the current innovation and emerging trends of digital technologies for learning and education in k-12 sector through a number of invited chapters in key research areas. Emerging Patterns of innovative instruction in different context, Learning design for digital natives, Digital learning resources for personalized learning in both formal and informal educational settings, e-leadership and teacher’s digital capacity will be covered in the book. This book intends to provide reference for the innovation in K-12 schools. Researchers, policy makers, school administrators and also teachers could benefit from this book on researchers and methods for innovation in K-12 schools all over the world.