Identifying Resources

Talk with other teachers in your program. Where have they taken field trips in the past? Who would they recommend as a guest lecture? Whenever possible, rely on colleagues who have been there already.

Find out if your technical program or department has a community partner. If partnerships exist, they are guaranteed to offer relevant work experience. Check with your department head for suggestions before contacting the industry directly.

Look to your own experience. Most instructors work full time or part time in addition to teaching. You most likely already incorporate anecdotes describing your experiences into your lectures. Try taking this one step further by having students visit your workplace to see processes or equipment in action or set up internships with some of your colleagues.

Keep in touch with alumni. As students graduate and accept jobs, they become good contacts. Because they have gone through the program already, your current students will be especially interested in alumni experiences.

Look to schools, libraries, park systems, and hospitals. They all have people and projects that could help expand classroom learning.

Don't forget the college itself. Even small colleges have many resources, such as computer labs and "clean" rooms, which may be relevant to your studies. Talk to administrators to arrange a visit.

Ask students to do their own research. As a part of the community in which they live, work, and study, your students are probably already familiar with a range of industry and community resources. Allow more independent students to design their own internships or field experience, with input from you.