Methodology of the tour: types, features of pedagogical activity

Each person knows how difficult and multifaceted the profession of a teacher is. Teachers and educators face dozens of tasks. It is difficult to list all of them, however, now I would like to pay attention to only one topic. And it concerns the methodology of the tour. In this format, lessons are held quite often, they have their own characteristics and advantages. However, first things first.

Features of the lesson-excursion

This is a very interesting form of learning. Such lessons can turn learning into a very exciting action. Children are much faster involved in certain types of activities, their cognitive activity is more easily motivated, their abilities and skills develop more intensively.

Through such activities, they quickly establish a connection between real life and study. Children get the opportunity to actually study certain processes, phenomena and objects. To put it briefly, then at such lessons the didactic principles of scientificness, accessibility, and also the connection between theory and practice are realized.

By typology, they can be classified as follows:

• Introductory tour. Her teacher holds at the very beginning of the topic, in order to familiarize students with it. For example, the first biology lesson in the Plants section can be held in the botanical garden, on the school site, or in nature. Children will visually familiarize themselves with trees, shrubs and grasses, learn the characteristics of shade-tolerant and photophilous, teach them to distinguish between cultivated, wild, deciduous and coniferous plants.
• Excursion on a specific topic. The approach will be more constructive. If, for example, students go through the work of Pushkin, then it will be possible to conduct a lesson in the museum named after Alexander Sergeyevich.
• The final tour. Its purpose is to systematize knowledge on the whole course or section. The last geography lesson in the school year is usually devoted to the interaction of man with nature. Their ideal venue will be an ecological trail.

Preparatory stage

Now you can delve into the topic regarding the methodology of the tour. Preparation is the first step after identifying a topic that depends on the curriculum. The following important aspects of this stage can be distinguished:

• Selection for the route of those objects that will be directly related to it. They should also be interesting, represent cognitive value.
• Consideration of their location. A convenient location is important - the path to the starting point of the excursion should take a little time, and also not cause inconvenience.
• Accurate alignment of the route in a logical or chronological order.
• Accounting for security requirements. For example, it is strictly forbidden to lead children into a dilapidated building - no matter how valuable it is historically.

The methodology for preparing and conducting excursions implies that the teacher thinks in advance exactly how he will teach the lesson, which methods he will take, and how he will involve schoolchildren in cognitive activities. After all, this is the most important thing - to stimulate their active perception.

The teacher must prepare materials using various sources, draw up a route, and also briefly, succinctly and interestingly describe each object of the tour. He will also have to go the prescribed way on his own. This check is needed to:

• Quickly navigate the route at the time of the lesson.
• Estimate the approximate timing. For younger children, a maximum of 1 hour. For seniors - 1.5.
• Refine descriptions of objects included in the route.
• Make corrections if necessary.

The teacher will have to familiarize himself with the methodology for conducting the tour, even if it is conducted by a specialist, guide. This usually happens when children are brought to a museum, theater or art gallery. The teacher will also need to talk with the guide and give instructions on what exactly it is necessary to draw the attention of children, so that this reveals the topic of the lesson.

Features of route construction

They should be discussed in more detail. Any methodology for conducting excursions around the world implies giving special attention to the development of the route. The following requirements must be observed:

• The drawn up route must ensure that the selected objects are displayed in a logical sequence, as well as contribute to the maximum disclosure of the topic.
• It is necessary to choose such a terrain so that the studied objects are not located too close, or even obscure each other.
• The transition between the selected locations should take a maximum of 10-15 minutes. Long pauses in the process of presentation of the material on productivity and information content will not affect in the best way.
• The location of objects on the route must ensure the continuity of the walk. Otherwise, steady attention from the students can not be expected.
• You cannot allow uniformity when choosing objects. If, for example, a city tour is planned, then only monuments, sculptures and monuments should not be present in it. In the route you need to enter the display of streets, buildings, parks, squares, etc.
• There should not be repeated passes through the area where the group was already. This is impractical, and some tires.

In general, you first need to determine the type of route. There are only three of them:

• Thematic. Let's say, "Crafts of the native land."
• Chronological. For example, “Composer P. I. Tchaikovsky in the Klin”.
• Thematic and chronological. The most popular option when it comes to sightseeing tours. The bottom line is that the material is presented sequentially only within each of the many subtopics.

Of course, it is necessary to consider the length of the route, the time of the excursion and the age of the students.

Story

Of course, the teacher will have to independently compose the text of the tour. The requirements for it are as follows:

• Clarity of wording and brevity.
• The presence of detailed and interesting information on the topic.
• Its full disclosure.
• The presence of factual material - surnames, dates, names, numbers, real events.
• Literate speech, literary language.

The tour begins with an introduction. The teacher acquaints students with the theme of the tour and its route, duration, stipulates the time and place of its completion.

Then you need to state the content of the event and its actual tasks, sound subtopics, mention some of the most interesting objects. It is important that the introductory word is intriguing, dynamic and concise.

Objects must also be described appropriately. Each is given a characteristic, general information, related significant events. Then the above is generalized, and a logical transition is made to the next subtopic.

Structure

Studying the methodology of the tour, it should be mentioned that the teacher, as on any other day, will need to write a plan. In general, everything will be similar to the structure of a regular lesson. The plan looks like this:

• Organizational and motivational part. The teacher creates a positive, benevolent atmosphere, tells the children the topic, purpose, and also the task of their unusual lesson. Then he announces the main questions and objects of the tour, informs about safety measures. You can also give out cards with questions that children will have to answer during the tour.
• Actualization of knowledge. This stage is aimed at repeating the material covered. According to the methodology for conducting excursions in elementary school, you can just briefly mention what was mentioned in the previous lesson. For more simply there will be no time and opportunity.
• Excursion part. Pupils should not just be listeners and spectators. They need to become active participants in the process. They should ask questions, take pictures of objects that interest them, make sketches and notes, observe, etc.
• Generalization and systematization of the information received. At the end of the tour, the results of the lesson are summarized, the main thing is determined. Each of the students should briefly share their impressions, talk about what was remembered most of all.

The methodology for conducting educational excursions as the last stage implies an assessment by the teacher of the student's work. The teacher should give them creative homework. It can be anything: a photo report, a wall newspaper, a presentation, a stand, a report, an essay.

Teacher Tasks

Since we are talking about the organization and methodology of excursions, you need to pay attention to the tasks that the teacher himself faces. If strongly generalized, then there are two of them:

• Didactic. The teacher should equip his students with useful knowledge.
• Educational. It consists in the formation of norms of behavior, worldview, as well as speech etiquette.

But if we talk about the components of activity, then there will be more of them:

• Communicative. The teacher establishes business relations with a group of students, a bus driver, bureaucrats, a guide, museum workers (theater, gallery, etc.). The teacher shows affability, ease, friendliness, while not showing fussiness, indecision, haste and excessive gestures.
• Informative. Even if the teacher conducts such a lesson for the hundredth time, he should be interested in improving his methodology for conducting excursions and walks. The teacher is interested in transferring his knowledge to students in the most entertaining way. He is aware of the need for a high degree of visibility and a distinct thematic material.
• Constructive. The teacher is thoroughly engaged in the selection and understandable design of excursion material, restructures the lesson plan and the methodology for applying the methods, is determined with the principles of information submission.
• Organizational. This is perhaps the main aspect of the methodology for conducting excursions for students. The teacher should organize the students, motivate them to concentrate, provide information correctly, and then direct the attention of students to the necessary objects to ensure the implementation of the curriculum.

All of the above is relevant in any case, regardless of the topic, the age of the students, the didactic goal and other nuances.

The nuances of the process

The methodology for conducting excursions in elementary school (in secondary and high, too, however) requires the teacher to display many skills. Here is what a teacher should do in class:

• Speech knowledge. He is obliged to speak competently and clearly, it is interesting to convey information. It is important that the teacher colorfully intonates his speech, as well as express certain emotions, feelings and thoughts.
• Pantomime and facial expressions. On the tour it is very important to be “alive”. This situation is similar to cases when a sales assistant in a large store is interested in buying a certain product. Only if there a successful outcome becomes a successful transaction, here is the attention and interest of students.
• Goodwill and good nature. The tour is an extra-curricular event, and it may not go as planned. Some of the students are able to rage, someone can’t share something. It is important for the teacher to maintain self-control, as well as to establish an atmosphere in a good, positive way, so as not to interrupt the learning process.
• Acting and directorial skills. Without them, it will not be possible to exert a verbal and gestural influence on the audience.

In general, the methodology for conducting a museum or anywhere else tour involves fully utilizing pedagogical techniques. This includes the art of communicating with people, the ability to select the appropriate tone of communication, the ability to direct attention, share subjective and objective thoughts on the topic, and call for interaction.

Methodology for conducting nature excursions

Classes of this type are provided by the curriculum in all elementary grades. In the first and second, such excursions are seasonal in nature, and in the third, their goal is a detailed study of various nature objects of their native land.

In high school and high school, such classes are also conducted. Such excursions are relevant, since in modern conditions environmental problems are the most important issues of mankind. And the task of teachers is to form the so-called ecological culture of personality, which is subject to comprehension of the diversity and complexity of moral, social and natural problems.

This is all important. After all, the man of the future is that person who is able to live in harmony not only with himself, but also with the world around him, acting in accordance with the rules of environmental necessity.

In any methodology for conducting nature excursions, a special place is given to the moral aspect. Such classes are conducted so that a responsible, responsive attitude to the environment and the environment is formed in children. They must understand as early as possible how beautiful, diverse and valuable it is. Teachers (but primarily parents) should instill in children an awareness of the need to preserve nature as a source of health.

The use of modern technology

And it is necessary to talk about them, because in the 21st century, innovation cannot be avoided. The concept of a virtual tour is already widespread. The methodology for conducting such classes is slightly different, but more on that later.

The use of modern tools in training as a progressive toolkit characterizes the teacher from the best side. Everyone knows that a good teacher is one that is always open to new experience, and also continues to learn and develop itself.

Perhaps in the near future, schools will begin to use virtual reality technology, already firmly rooted in our world. But while teachers resort to the following methods:

• Presentation technology.
• The use of geographic information systems (virtual maps, for example).
• Creation of graphic cards.
• Using panoramic compositions.
• 3D modeling.

You can also resort to Internet resources. Nowadays, being in a small town in a remote Russian region, it is quite possible to delve into a virtual tour of the Hermitage, the Louvre, the Galileo Museum, etc.

This is a very convenient, convincing and effective technology, because thanks to it you can create a complete illusion of presence. And if we talk about the structure of the lesson, then it will be standard. Simply, the teacher will conduct a tour, not moving along the route with the children, but independently regulating the situation with the help of gadgets.

Career Guidance

Above we examined the methods of conducting excursions into nature, to museums, and also studied the features of this process. But that is not all. It is also necessary to talk about career guidance excursions, which, as a rule, are conducted either at the end of high school or in high school.

This event involves a class trip led by a teacher to an enterprise. This is an excellent form of career guidance work that activates the self-determination of students.

Pupils in the framework of such an excursion should not just observe how specialists work. In order for them to have the correct impression of a particular profession, they must study the essence of the activity itself.

Each student is required to independently analyze the specialty. Many succeed in this, as during the tour cognitively develops. Schoolchildren do not just get information from the guide (director of the enterprise, head) - they get acquainted with the methods of its analysis, perhaps even master some specific details, try to do something on a professional level.

It is very important. It is the skill of analysis acquired during such excursions that helps to further understand the multifaceted world of professions, and then reasonably, reasonably choose the appropriate field of activity.

Methodology for conducting excursions in a preschool educational institution

This topic deserves special attention. Excursion lessons are difficult anyway, and even more so for preschool kids.

The teacher is obliged to organize a lesson in a certain system, to connect it with the daily life of children. It should be easy for them to apply them in free activity and understand what exactly is being discussed.

The greatest attention is paid to the beginning of the excursion - the teacher organizes children's attention, poses a creative or educational task for the kids, clearly and easily explaining the ways of its implementation.

Attracting students to actively participate in the work, the teacher must remember their individual characteristics. This is important for the successful formation of learning activity skills and the development of the ability to evaluate, and in the future, control the actions taken.

Still need to draw the attention of children of this age to the concept of strict logical sequence. Nevertheless, any knowledge must rely on the subjective experience of the child, his aspirations, inclinations, interests, values. All this determines the peculiarity of the baby's perception of the world.

According to the methodology for conducting excursions in kindergarten, the final part of the lesson involves the formulation of a general outcome of cognitive activity. It is important that the final judgment is formulated by the children themselves. They should at least give an emotional assessment of the excursion.

Mistakes not to be made

Considering the methodology for conducting a lesson-excursion, we still need to talk about what you definitely do not need to do. The lesson will not bring the proper result under the following conditions:

• The teacher may be carried away by the story, and this will come to the detriment of the show. This approach (not always special) violates the very principle of visibility. If there is such an opportunity, then the children themselves must see, study, touch, etc. They need to get acquainted with the subject in practice. Of course, we are not talking about valuable exhibits under glass, paintings, etc.
• Sometimes the teacher shows the objects separately, without linking them together. It may also be interesting, but the result is a kaleidoscope. It will be difficult to find something in common for all elements, especially children.
• Pupils are not involved in cognitive activity at all. Therefore, they are passive recipients of knowledge. This happens if the teacher has incorrectly compiled questions and assignments for the children, has not set an exact goal for them, and also has not explained the tasks.

Also, the lesson in which the teacher did not follow the logic of showing objects, violated the chronological order, and confused the sequence would not be productive. This only adds to the confusion and greatly complicates the perception. To avoid this, the teacher must carefully study the methodology for preparing and conducting excursions.