What Students Really Learn When Traveling to NYC

By Beth Hedrick

I grew up always wishing and hoping to be able to travel to New York City. I was curious, always have been, of the lifestyle of the locals and the bustle of the city. I remember learning about the history of famous landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and yearning to just go there and see it for myself. Instead, I just sat in my hard desk chair and learned it via movie strip in the classroom.

When I turned thirty, I finally got to go with a friend, because, well, my dream didn’t die. We went for a week, and I remember laying eyes on the city for the first time, intensely awestruck at what I was standing in the middle of. It really is unexplainable. I also remember thinking, ‘Oh, if I could just share this experience with my middle school students…’

That’s what good teachers do. They always think of the best ways to motivate and impart any information into the minds of the young, so they won’t forget it…ever. New York City has so much to offer to students in every subject area. And being there is hands down a once in a lifetime experience.

A Rich History
Visiting New York City is an ideal way to teach students many historical concepts. There is such a dramatic myriad of opportunities to teach history that, of course, it cannot be done in one, two, or even three days. The number of opportunities for learning specific historical concepts is great, therefore, as a teacher you need to plan, plan, and plan some more. The ideal way to give your students the history education that they will always remember is to choose a few key concepts you want them to explore. To combine history with the sciences, many teachers choose one of the largest and most comprehensive museums in the world, The American Museum of Natural History, and others, namely The 911 Memorial, Statue of Liberty, and The Federal Reserve. These are a few icons in which a solid and sound history lesson can be taught.

Science
There is just no comparison to teaching science in a classroom, or even a lab, than allowing them to have direct, real, hands-on experiences and active roles in discovery. This is very true for any age. In fact, even teens love the excitement of an “entertaining” science museum! One amazing, breathtaking experience is the Space Show at the Hayden Planetarium. This experience allows the students to be involved in their learning by allowing them to feel as if they are really a part of the action. It really is a challenge to learn about the miracle of outer space in a classroom setting; which needs to be accomplished in a real-life setting. This type of learning is much more efficient and exciting for students – even those who struggle in a traditional classroom.

The Importance of the Arts
In traditional educational settings, the arts sometimes get put along the wayside, especially in traditional elementary schools. Research demonstrates that children who consistently learn music, art, dance, and media (to name a few) achieve more when learning general subject areas, so this makes me ask, “Where is the A in STEM?” The exhilarating thing about teaching through travel is that the students will take home a wealth of knowledge that will last a lifetime.  One place on the map that students will cherish for a lifetime is visiting The Theater District, which includes Radio City Music Hall and Broadway.

The Epitome of Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is a topic in which all students should learn about, or better yet, be immersed in. The knowledge and understanding of everyone’s differences in our country, from learning about immigration (hello, Ellis Island!) to being aware of social and cultural differences and how they make up our great nation is so very crucial. New York City undeniably delivers in the teaching and learning of our country’s multiculturalism; it is a city full of diversity, exposing students to people from other cultures. Sharing boroughs and neighborhoods the Italians, Puerto Ricans, Jamaicans, Russians, Koreans, and many more, show the students that people from all walks of life can accept one another’s difference for the sake of humanity.

When visiting New York City, not only will your students learn key concepts according to your curriculum, they will achieve an understanding of the completely unique lifestyle and culture of those who make the illustrious city their home.

Beth Hedrick has been educating students for 22 years. She teaches in a rural southwest Virginia community that values the education of every student. She is the mother of two boys, Aaron and Landon, and is married to Todd.

She is an advocate for Autism Awareness, as her son Landon has Asperger’s Syndrome. She has served on her community and school system’s autism support team. Beth enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her Basset Hound, Lenny. She also likes to read, write, blog, and travel in the summer months.

"Go Play Video Games!"

By Heather Aulisio

Words You Never Thought You’d Utter, But 5 Reasons Why You Should.

Up until recently, I used to cringe when I’d listen to my students talk about playing video games. I’d start thinking about the hours of their lives that they wasted, the brain cells they’ve killed, and the moments they missed because they were cooped up in their room gaming all afternoon and night. But, I recently learned that playing video games in moderation is actually beneficial for today’s youth. How? Let me explain! After you hear my five reasons (with research), you may change your tune about your students’ after school activities too!

1.Video Games Improve Memory
A recent study concludes that playing 3D video games can aid in memory formation, which is highly important for today’s youth. The University of California, Irvine asked non-gaming students to commit to playing video games (either 2D or 3D) for about a half an hour every day for the course of two weeks. Before and after the sessions, students had to participate in an object-recognition memory test that engages a part of the brain associated with higher-level thinking and memory. The study showed that students who played 3D games improved their scores on their memory tests by about 12 percent! So, if you see students struggling with studying or remembering facts or figures, suggest they get on the gaming bandwagon!

2.Video Games Boost An Interest in History
If you’re struggling to get your students interested in a war or era in history, consider suggesting that they pick up the controllers. Tons of video games have historical settings and events that power the game. They also get introduced to new cultural situations, languages, and even visuals that they normally wouldn’t be immersed in. Researchers David Shaffer and James Gee found that when children have parents or teachers who offer or suggest historical games, they can tie what they see into 

3.Video Games Assist Motor Skills
Some teens and tweens still suffer from poorly developed motor skills. One way they can get stronger is by gaming. How? They can take a cue from some of the best surgeons-who coincidentally have played hours of video games in their youth. CBS News reports that researchers found that doctors who spent at least three hours a week playing video games made about 37 percent fewer mistakes (in laparoscopic surgery). They also performed tasks 27 percent faster than other doctors who did not play games. Hey, if it works for doctors, it can certainly help your students!

4.Video Games Promote Leadership
Do you have some students that need a confidence boost in regards to their leadership skills? Encourage them to play some games. Studies show that there are many games that encourage kids to complete a task or mission for the good of others. Kids are actively involved in decision making, thinking quickly, and solving real world problems. Some games foster the feeling of community and may help kids want to step into more leadership positions in the classroom because they have built their confidence with completing missions, saving characters, or directing others while gaming together as a team or pair.

5.They Improve Vision
I constantly remember my parents telling me to get off my video game or not sit closely to the television when playing. But recently, studies show that playing video games occasionally may actually make your vision better. Playing action games helps high school kids drive well in the dark, and even read at night. National Geographic News reports that the contrast sensitive function allows people to pick up on changes in shades of gray against a colored backdrop. This is also one of the first visual aptitudes to diminish with age-so adults may even want to start gaming a few times a week.

So, are you still convinced video games are terrible? Video games are not going away, but it’s reassuring to know that there are some significant benefits from playing them. They next time you hear your students’ brag about their gaming sessions, ask them to tell you about it, rather than scold them or dismiss it as a waste of time!

Where Democracy Lives

Mark Twain so pointedly tells us that “travel is fatal to prejudice,bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Twain’s statement can directly relate to why every student needs to discover our country and the world outside their hometown. Understanding different cultures simply changes your life forever for the better. Imagine a 10-year-old who cannot go to school because her job is to bring 10 gallons of water a day to her family. Imagine a society where every family grows its own food and has nothing to supplement their meals. Or, imagine a place where students listen to gunfire on their walk to school.

In recent years, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has hosted Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Elie Wiesel and a plethora of other important world leaders. (Ronald Reagan dedicated the cornerstone in 1990.) While the speakers and the museum’s programs and exhibits are in fact, incredible, the experience always becomes focused at more personal level. A visitor is inundated with rich information about World War II and the Holocaust. Survivors who were mere children during these days tell their stories (some in person but most via media) which are compelling and awe-inspiring. The power of the message helps to ensure that atrocities perpetrated by mankind remain etched in our minds forever so that we do not repeat them.

Sharing history and culture with thousands of young people over many years remains the cornerstone of American education. Today, as technology makes our world smaller, it has simultaneously magnified our political, geographic, and cultural differences. The importance of sharing history has grown exponentially especially as the time required to communicate has diminished to seconds.

There is much evidence of a growing movement: A fourteen-year-old from Philadelphia drags his parents Washington DC to visit the new Museum of African American History, two young college women lead their colleges in creating organizations to make sure the lessons of atrocities are not lost forever, a teacher from Texas raises money and leads a trip to New York City to understand immigration to America, thousands of students from North America travel to 20+ countries to build classrooms, children from every mid-eastern country become friends at a New England summer program, and countless others embark on opportunities to protect their own future.

Be part of this movement. You CAN change the world one mile at a time. Tomorrow’s leaders have chosen their path, and it involves exploring and understanding the history of our country and the cultures of our planet. Explore with your students, immerse them in the breadth of our Nation’s story. You may change lives forever while you watch your students become smarter, happier, and gain an understanding of what lies ahead as our future heroes.