EDS VISITS - Xcaret

By: Miss Erin O’Farrill & Miss Laura Zamora

At our EDS visits, students take what they have learned back in the classroom into an everyday life context in different visiting places, which impacts them for months and years to come. Students and teachers have a great time, it is not only a fun activity and a hugely memorable time, but there are also constant opportunities to expand individual tacit knowledge like everyday life application, critical thinking development, and problem-solving skills, as well as teamwork.

Experiential learning takes place at the sites and we take from classroom learning moments into an effective simulation of the real world. Due to the idea that experiential learning argues that when learning is shifted into a real-life situation it becomes more powerful in individuals because learners get extra knowledge from their learning experiences.

Getting to know students more throughout these trips is a great way to build a strong rapport with them. This benefits and improves the rest of the teaching year. It also develops greater bonds, by having a personal connection, students are more motivated and connected to what they are being taught. It can enrich their perspective and understanding. They are also encouraged to learn at these educational trips, grab atten tion, and be exposed to sensors they would retain better than from a presentation slide lesson in the classroom.

By bringing students out of the classroom into the real world, we can have a great way to spark their interest, take advantage of the informal learning situation and ignite passion in those who learn by doing and live watching, as well as witnessing. It also enhances lifelong memories among peers, which is no doubt a fun learning experience in itself.