Field trips

Do you remember lining up to get on the yellow school bus for a day at the museum or  zoo? Growing up in Buffalo, NY, I remember field trips to the Albright Knox Art Gallery, the Wonder Bread factory, the Niagara Falls Power Plant, and, in high school, a train ride to Corning Glass. For our 8th grade Earth Science class, I have a vague recollection of going to Letchworth State Park, where we would have looked at various historical and geological stratum as we climbed paths up and down a hill, found mica, and explored the forests. 

Undoubtedly, there were permission slips and a long list of logistics for each trip to happen and be successful. From a kid's perspective, the process included growing excitement, and perhaps anxiety, as the day for the field trip got closer. In the early grades, there were buddies and handholding, and later, a count off to make sure no one was left behind. Probably there some pushing and shoving during the event. Maybe we sang on the bus. For sure, there was homework and a quiz based on what we saw.

What was common to those outings was that learning became more of an adventure, not just facts from books or one person. It was fun. Schools and all sorts of other venues like museums, have now incorporated teaching techniques to make learning more of a hands on, field trip experience. Fun engagement is now the norm, rather than a one day exception.  Adults go on longer field trips through vacations by Road Scholars, the National Geographic expeditions and other companies.

The purchase of a new iPhone made me realize I need a field trip to Appleland. I know that tutorials exist, but what I need first is a way to find the excitement for such a field trip rather than the dread and defeat I am feeling as I prepare to figure out the apps, buttons, sounds and images on this communications/learning/entertainment device I can hold in my hand. I'd rather be holding my field trip buddy's hand in anticipation of walking into the Apple store than all the confusing options I'll find inside. Oh well, I'm sure along the way I'll find, at least metaphorically, some mica amid the layers of programming. And, I hope, some fun.

Marilyn