Focus on Elementary Education

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• Changing the World
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Changing the World

In 2005, professors Tim Slekar, Leigh Ann Haefner, and Brad Slonaker began a new project to help their elementary education students integrate social studies, science, and math in a hands-on, out-of-classroom experience. With the resource of the nearby Fort Roberdeau Historic Site, an eighteenth-century lead mine fort used during the American Revolution, Slekar, Haefner, and Slonaker took more than two dozen seniors on a three-day, two-night adventure at the Fort.

Each year, Fort Roberdeau welcomes many local fifth grade classes to its grounds for field trips. The professors' plan was to have the student teachers observe the volunteers give tours and lessons to the fifth graders one day, and then give these tours and lessons on their own the next day.

Arriving on a Wednesday evening, the students pitch their tents, build a fire, receive their period clothing to wear the next day, and meet the volunteers to gain an understanding of what they will be doing. On Thursday, the students are paired with their volunteers all day. The day ends with a debriefing session to discuss what they liked and didn't like, and how they might do it differently when they are on their own on Friday.

Haefner notes that "we really try to help our students think about how you prepare your class for a field trip and then, how do you bring a field trip back into your classroom. The idea is that this is a very connected experience. The field trip shouldn't be about simply going out for one day. A meaningful field trip should enrich the curriculum."

"We have so much local history around here," states Slekar. "I want our students to know that, as teachers, you have to see what's available to you and try to use it."

This year, Slekar, Haefner, and Slonaker took the second group of Penn State Altoona students to Fort Roberdeau in late September. A number of these students grew up locally and remembered their own fifth grade field trips to the Fort.

"I have a lot of good memories from when I came out here in fifth grade," recalls senior Crystal Bierly. "I remember making the food, hearing the cannons go off, and learning a lot."

The students spent time on Thursday evening discussing how they could make the experience more interactive for the fifth graders when they got to be in charge on Friday. They felt strongly about making this a positive learning experience, recognizing the need to keep the children involved and engaged in activities.

On Friday, the students were feeling the success of their effort. According to Amanda Shomo, "Today was just great to see the kids and the excitement on their faces. They were 100 percent engaged in the activities; they were doing it and not just reading about it in a text book. When I'm a teacher, I'll remember how important it is to get students really involved in an activity."

Part of engaging the students was being a part of the activities themselves. States Shomo, "I think that the crazier that we acted today, the more involved and interested the students became. As a teacher, you need to be an actor, get up there and dare to have fun, because that's how these kids learn." Brady Waltz agrees, "The more we got involved in our roles as people from that period of time, the more the students wanted to learn about it."

And what will these students take with them as they prepare to enter the world of teaching next year? "I know I'll try and bring as much into the classroom as possible and recreate actual experiences," states Shomo. "This was more than a field trip for a lot of them; the experience was very real. They were asking questions about everything and were so curious. I hope to find a way to keep that curiosity going in the classroom."