CORTNIE BELSER'S MSED PORTFOLIO
Academic-Based Field Trips
Students are exposed to and take advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom through the
research, planning, and guidance of teachers and staff for college and career readiness
Table of Contents
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Introduction to Academic-Based Field Trips
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All Grades: Book Talk with Kondwani Fidel
Introduction
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Students are able to process and understand classroom content better if they are able to connect it to a personal experience. Moreover, as child development supports, students should be exposed to various learning styles from auditory to spatial to kinesthetic. Often times, classroom instruction can only reinforce learning through traditional models, which provides an opportunity for field trips to deepen content knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, students in Baltimore City have been subjected to a limited access to out of classroom experiences. As a way to supplement for the lack of relevant voices and representation in curriculum, field trips create extended experiences for students to connect to classwork beyond the classroom. Field Trips not only create experiences that can translate the curriculum for a student, it also deepens engagement and motivation for students to understand how my classroom and content can support their long-term goals. Access to learning outside of the confines of the classroom allows them to utilize the skills learned in the classroom in their real lives. The field trips I curate for my students are always anchored in deepening the academic and learning experience; this bring authors, concepts, histories, and the possibility options for college and career.
All Grades: Book Talk with Kondwani Fidel
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At the beginning of the year, I expose my 7th and 8th grade classes to Baltimore-based authors as a strategy to deepen the class culture and vision, build their critical consciousness, and provide illustrate how content instruction can be culturally relevant. For my students, author and poet Kondwani Fidel describes a glimpse into their world through his writing. Born and raise in East Baltimore where my school is located and many students live, Kondwani literally speaks about the streets my students walk. As a point of access, we read several of his poems, videos, and excerpts from his first self-published book, Raw Wounds. Last year, I tried to organize for Kondwani to speak at our 8th grade closing graduation but he was already booked. This year, I reached out to his formal booking email to invite him to speak with my students who had read his critically-reviewed essay, A Death Note, published in Baltimore's City Paper. Ultimately, due to timing or funding none of these opportunities were able to come into fruition. When the opportunity to organize a field trip to meet and greet with Kondwani, I knew the impact of the experience would still be beneficial for my students.
The document to the left are student samples of direct instruction utilizing Kondwani's poems and essays. The close reading on Page 1 analyzes the systemic oppression people of color have experienced in America. In particular, his reference to the 13th amendment critiques mass incarceration and the prison-industrial complex. The student work demonstrated to me early in the year that students were engaged in critical analysis of Kondwani's work and could benefit from being exposed to outside opportunities connected to the author.
The document to the right represents two sample homework sheet reflections completed by 7th and 8th grade students. Student A is a 7th grade male student I selected to attend the book talk because his HW response demonstrated that he could be mature and reflective enough to benefit from an in-person conversation with the author. Likewise, Student B is a 8th grade female student I selected to attend the book talk because she posed poignant questions that I felt she genuinely wanted answers to. Through the HW sheet, students were initially exposed to the author and had a foundation to build from for the field trip.
 This student wanted his own individual photo with the author after the group photo. He is posed with his autographed newspaper. |  We took about a 20 minute walk from school to attend the event. Even though it was sold and they did not know before, they were already so excited about meeting Kondawani that there were barely any complaints. |  Baltimore Police Chief of Community Collaborations, Melvin T. Russell was also in attendance. Here, students are seen listening to him attentively as he engages in discourse about the connection between policing and literacy. As evidence of access, this interaction reflected an unconventional relationship and community dynamic my students are not typically exposed to. |
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 Students are entering the historic Amazing Grace Church. |  Kondwani is seen talking with a student about going to Virginia State University. As they engage in conversation, my other student in the blue hoodie is shown rushing over to join their conversation. |  Kondwani is shown introducing himself to the other teacher I co-planned the field trip with and a parent chaperone. |
 Students waited eagerly in line to receive their autographs from Kondwani. I had extra City Paper newspapers that I could provide to all of the students and parent. |  Whole-group photo with students holding their signed newpapers and books with Kondwani. |
The 3 images above represent the planning and collaboration I initiated to present this opportunity to my students. Image 1 to the top left is the first announcement I received about the book talk. As Image 2 shows I reached out to the Title I ELA teacher who I know also integrates Baltimore-based authors in her instruction. To ensure a diverse body of students could receive access to this opportunity, collaborating with the Title I teacher builds an awareness that access should be provided to a variety of students whether it's honors students, students with disabilities, or students who are seeking extrinsic motivation for learning. Image 3 is the email notification sent to my administrators, seeking approval to move forward with this field trip opportunity. After receiving approval and support for providing students this access, I finalized plans with the event coordinator and we were ready to move forward.
Click on the images above to view and learn more about how students were provided access on this field trip.
Kondwani Post-Trip Reflection 1
The student video above is a reflection from an 8th grade female student who struggles with reading and writing on grade-level. This is relevant to how her reflection serves as evidence of access through this field trip. Although she is not academically strong, she is always passionate about topics and themes related to community-driven politics and change. As she notes, the importance of attending the field trip to her, was to connect what we've learned in class to the outside world.
The audio file above are other student reflections on the Kondwani field trip. As Student 1 shares, although he does not come from a similar neighborhood as the author, he was still impacted by the book talk, as it taught him about gratitude. Even though students may have a different childhood than the trauma and violence the author discusses in his work, access to opportunities exist for all students who are exposed to him as he inspires young people to think critically about how they can use their words for change, regardless of circumstance.
7th Grade Class Trip to the Holocaust Museum ​
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While I only have one section of about 25 seventh graders, I am always intentional about providing the equal opportunity to learning experiences in and out of the classroom. As the 7th grade honors class, most of them exhibit intrinsic motivation and an investment in learning. In the third quarter, the district curriculum has students reading Anne Frank: The Play, which has themes of adolescence, the impact of oppression, and perseverance that are relevant to their own lives. Early into the unit, I observed how my students were deeply interested and motivated not only to read the required text but learn about the history, politics, and culture of the Jewish community. While the play adaptation of Anne Frank's diary does not offer extensive background knowledge and analysis of WWII and the Holocaust, I knew this was a potential point of access for my students. To provide access to this smaller population of my students, I collaborated with other teachers to find the resources necessary to take my class to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC. For many of my students, this was their first field trip learning experience tied directly to academic content (as opposed to one such as an amusement park). Likewise, as evidenced this trip provides students with access not only to academic-based opportunities of learning outside the classroom, but access to considering possible career fields in Library and Museum Studies.
The PowerPoint to the top left is the prompt I provided to students as a pre-work assignment to gauge the potential interests and impact of attending the museum. The student samples to the top right represent students' final draft responses with my annotated analysis. To ensure I am providing my students with an outside opportunity they had not previously been able to take advantage of, I wanted to not only know if they've attended museums, but also know what they hope to learn and engage with at the museum so that I may meet their needs.
My 7th grade student overlook the infamous piles of shoes from the concentration and extermination camps.
Immediately when you enter the museum, a Holocaust survivor is speaking with the public about her experience. My one students leaves the entrance line to hear what she has to say, but it is too crowded for all of my students to take advantage of this experience.
Student poses in front of the photograph collection of Jewish families affected by the Holocaust that spans across the 3 floors of the museum.
Students are seen tracing the facts from the exhibit with the person on their ID card given when you enter the museum.
Due to the nature of the Holocaust Museum, I did not take many photos in the museum. You can click on each photo above to view more details on how this experience provided access for students.
The document to the left are the student post-reflection surveys completed after our visit and Day in DC. As Student A's red box indicates, she was able to build upon the prior knowledge we explored in class about the infamous shoes at the museum. She notes that by reading the information, she also learned that the shoes were not only from those who were burned or killed but also bystanders. Moreover, because of the question I posed I now know that she is interested in arts history and can follow-up with other outside opportunities to explore. Student B's highest impact was through the connections we made to our core text, Anne Frank. Since we read the play version and not the diary students were eagerly excited to see actual artifacts of Anne's diary and annex. Student C reflects on the importance of offering students of color diverse learning experiences. She notes that she enjoyed being exposed to Jewish history and culture this unit. Overall, the 3 students demonstrated how students can take academic-based field trips and still be highly engaged in making connections to the real-world.
Teacher Reflections ​
I wanted to provide not only access but equity in the field trips I organized. For many of my students they often struggle to find connections with the texts that are given to them in public school classrooms. More often than not the curriculum is packed with vocabulary and cultural contexts that do not reflect their lived realities. The book talk field trip to meet Kondwani Fidel was an extension of the access of culturally relevant pedagogy. Based on my students' reflections, it is evident that with the proper planning and responsive instruction, students can also be invested in content that is not about those in their community. To bring both types of instruction to life, field trips serve as the middleman to opportunity. The impact of these opportunities may not seen actualized today or tomorrow but the inspiration and enthusiasm observed in my students is hope enough that they are truly believing that there are people, places, and resources that could open doors for their future.