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DSU Education students take field trip to Omaha

            Dakota State University assistant professor of Education for the College of Education, Joe Bishop recently took 36 students from the Foundations of Education class to Omaha, NE to satisfy the level one field experience for education students.

            “The trip is designed to help create a multi-cultural experience for our education students,” said Bishop. “It was an all-around eye-opening experience for most of the students.”

            Bishop began working on the idea of going to Omaha in 2001 and took a trial group of 12 students last semester. The trial run was a success so Bishop decided to offer the field trip to his entire class this semester.

            “Everyone was excited to go,” said Bishop. “Our students were able to learn what a teacher does and were able to get a feel for the classroom experience.”

            The trip made an impression on several of Bishop’s students, most being from rural South Dakota who have never had the chance to see diversity in the classroom. The Omaha school of around 2,000 is made up of 50 percent Caucasians, 40 percent African Americans, and 10 percent Asian students.

            “I observed many things that I otherwise would probably not be able to experience during a field experience in a small school near Madison,” said Jill Starnes, a sophomore Elementary Education student from Montrose. “I grew up in a small rural area, so observing in a large school like Northwest was a big change. There were many things I observed concerning diversity in the classroom, some that I saw as being positive, while other things I personally questioned.”

            Other students were impressed to see the interaction between students and teachers, while some students compared the differences between rural and urban schools.

            “It was so interesting to see all the students and the way they interacted with each other and with the faculty,” said freshman Elementary Education student Andrea Kimball of Platte. “I learned that being in a large school system isn’t as scary as I thought it would be. I went to a high school of about 175 students and was very adamant about teaching in a small school. After going to Omaha, I see that teaching in a large school would have many advantages. They offered many more programs and had the resources to meet the needs of all their students. It was a very good experience, and I will never forget it.”

            “The field experience to Omaha was interesting,” said sophomore Business Education student, Nick Huntimer of Oldham. “I got a chance to see the differences between rural and urban schools and compare the teaching methods. It was a great experience observing a school like that in Omaha.”

            A Level I field experience is designed to introduce prospective teachers to school and classroom life, allowing students to observe school cultures and teaching methods.  Students who participate in Level I field experiences have limited background knowledge about teaching and learning. Level I experiences are often a students’ first exposure to school and classroom life, as well as their first opportunity to observe and perhaps assume the role of a professional teacher.

“I enjoyed being able to sit through various types of classrooms to view both teaching and student learning styles,” added Starnes. “This experience gave me, as a future educator, another opportunity to experience a different type of school system in every aspect, as well as the opportunity to pose any questions I had to cooperating teachers.”