2008 Woodie Awards
Learning Outside the Classroom
Students and Professors Venture Into NYC
Andrea DeBrito
Issue date: 10/4/06 Section: Features
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A growing number of professors at Manhattan College are getting their students out of the classroom and into New York City. Class trips to museums are acquainting students with the unlimited amount of resources the city has to offer. Professors are taking the first initiative in getting students out of the confining boundaries of a classroom for credit, and some courses take field trips to another level.
Power and the City, for example, focuses on significant buildings and public works downtown, and students are expected to walk about five miles over several hours-rain or shine. The New York Skyscraper uses Manhattan as its classroom, taking students downtown once a week to discover and analyze the evolution of the skyscrapers. Professor John Kriskiewicz's syllabus uses Confucian philosophy to explain his classroom ideology; it says, "Tell me and I'll forget…Show me and I'll remember…Involve me and I'll understand…"
"It allows students to place works being studied into a larger social context," said Dr. Rocco Marinaccio, professor of English who recently brought his American Modern Literature class to the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Dr. Marinaccio also takes his students on an architectural landmarks walking tour that highlights important historical monuments and buildings downtown, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide in the field. Field trips like Dr. Marinaccio's initiate student interaction with a seemingly intimidating activity in a seemingly intimating city.
Students are rather surprised, though, when they discover how easy it is to visit and enjoy a trip to a museum downtown. "It's watching history take place literally before your eyes," says senior Jayne VanVolkenburg.
As Dr. Marinaccio put it, "It would be illogical not to present New York City as bibliographical evidence to our class discussions, because many cultural movements were actualized in this city."
Students who have taken Dr. Stephen Kaplan's Yoga: Philosophy, Praxis and Art also had unforgettable experiences. Dr. Kaplan accompanies his students to Hatha Yoga Centers where students practice yoga and mediation techniques. He also instructs a class on Buddhist thought and incorporates trips to a Tibetan Buddhist meditation center, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, the MET, and MOMA.
Power and the City, for example, focuses on significant buildings and public works downtown, and students are expected to walk about five miles over several hours-rain or shine. The New York Skyscraper uses Manhattan as its classroom, taking students downtown once a week to discover and analyze the evolution of the skyscrapers. Professor John Kriskiewicz's syllabus uses Confucian philosophy to explain his classroom ideology; it says, "Tell me and I'll forget…Show me and I'll remember…Involve me and I'll understand…"
"It allows students to place works being studied into a larger social context," said Dr. Rocco Marinaccio, professor of English who recently brought his American Modern Literature class to the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Dr. Marinaccio also takes his students on an architectural landmarks walking tour that highlights important historical monuments and buildings downtown, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide in the field. Field trips like Dr. Marinaccio's initiate student interaction with a seemingly intimidating activity in a seemingly intimating city.
Students are rather surprised, though, when they discover how easy it is to visit and enjoy a trip to a museum downtown. "It's watching history take place literally before your eyes," says senior Jayne VanVolkenburg.
As Dr. Marinaccio put it, "It would be illogical not to present New York City as bibliographical evidence to our class discussions, because many cultural movements were actualized in this city."
Students who have taken Dr. Stephen Kaplan's Yoga: Philosophy, Praxis and Art also had unforgettable experiences. Dr. Kaplan accompanies his students to Hatha Yoga Centers where students practice yoga and mediation techniques. He also instructs a class on Buddhist thought and incorporates trips to a Tibetan Buddhist meditation center, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, the MET, and MOMA.