THE ULTIMATE CLASSROOM COLLEGE PROFESSORS OFFER UNPARALLELED FIELD TRIPS.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer Richard Raskoff teaches geography, oceanography oceanography, study of the seas and oceans. The major divisions of oceanography include the geological study of the ocean floor (see plate tectonics) and features; physical oceanography, which is concerned with the physical attributes of the ocean water, such as and meteorology meteorology, branch of science that deals with the atmosphere of a planet, particularly that of the earth, the most important application of which is the analysis and prediction of weather. at Los Angeles Valley College LAVC redirects here. For the software library, see libavcodec. The university is adjacent to Grant High School. Often called "Valley College" or simply "Valley" by those who frequent the campus, it opened its doors to the public on September 12, 1949, at which time the campus was . But his classroom encompasses the Grand Canyon Grand Canyon, great gorge of the Colorado River, one of the natural wonders of the world; c.1 mi (1.6 km) deep, from 4 to 18 mi (6.4–29 km) wide, and 217 mi (349 km) long, NW Ariz. , an underwater shark cage off Santa Catalina Island San·ta Cat·a·li·na Island or Catalina Island An island off southern California in the southern Santa Barbara Islands. Discovered in 1542, it has been a noted resort center since the 1920s. and the rough terrain of Utah. Anthropology professor David L. Schutzer considers the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica Costa Rica (kŏs`tə rē`kə), officially Republic of Costa Rica, republic (2005 est. pop. 4,016,000), 19,575 sq mi (50,700 sq km), Central America. an extension of his Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. classroom. And Pierce biology professor Raymond Wells roams the Sea of Cortez with his students as if they were back home on the Woodland Hills campus. Seeking to enliven en·liv·en tr.v. en·liv·ened, en·liv·en·ing, en·liv·ens To make lively or spirited; animate. en·liv  en·er n. their classroom lectures with real-world experiences, the three professors offer field study programs unparalleled for most community colleges. ``We're not just a chalk-and-talk school,'' said Schutzer, who will lead a trip to Costa Rica in January to observe capuchin capuchin (kăp`y  chĭn), name for New World monkeys of the genus Cebus, widely distributed in tropical forests of Central and South America. , howler and spider monkeys. ``You can talk about this stuff (in the classroom) or you can take the risk and take the students into the field.'' The field study programs are available for course credit at Pierce and Valley colleges and can range from one-day jaunts to Catalina Island Catalina Island: see Santa Catalina. to two-week diving adventures off the Baja coast. Costs vary from $80 per person to $2,000 per person, depending on the destination and length of the excursion. Mission College does not offer such courses but plans to develop a field study program as its 7,900-student enrollment grows. Professors say the trips are important because they reinvigorate their enthusiasm for teaching and transform students' lives. ``I've been working in the sea for 30 years; it is the love of my life,'' said Wells, who leads his biology students to Baja, Catalina Island and the Sea of Cortez to study marine life. ``I love introducing people (to the sea). I love watching people's lives change. I came back a different person after every field course I took.'' Students say the trips bring their classroom lessons to life and have even inspired them to further their education. And although the excursions seem glamorous, students say they have never worked harder for a grade. ``It was one of the most rigorous classes I've ever taken, not only educationally, but physically,'' said David Adler, a Pierce College student who credits Wells for inspiring him to pursue a doctorate in marine biology. ``We were living outside in a pretty harsh environment, we had three two-hour lectures a day, two times a day we were out in the field doing research. The amount that I learned in those two weeks was unbelievable.'' One project required Adler to identify a territorial fish, plotting its habitat and making observations about its shelter, escape route, feeding and territory-defending habits. ``It applied everything that I'd been learning in his lecture class, and made me see how you could use it in the field,'' the 20-year-old Woodland Hills man said. Chelsea Crawford, an environmental science teacher at Granada Hills High School Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills High School) is a public, charter, co-educational, secondary school consisting of students in grades 9-12. The school colors are green, black, and white. , has taken five field classes with Wells to help teach her students more effectively. ``I attended UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , and I did not have opportunities like this,'' said Crawford, 31, of Granada Hills. IF YOU GO: Pierce College and Valley College offer field study programs to Santa Catalina Island, the Sea of Cortez and other destinations. Costs vary from $80 person to $2,000, depending on the destination and length of the trip. For more information, call David L. Schutzer at Pierce College at (818) 710-4283 or visit his Web site www.anthroprof.org. Raymond Wells, at Pierce College, can be reached at (818) 710-4285 or visit his Web site at www.pcmsusa.org. Richard Raskoff, at Valley College, can be reached at (818) 947-2330. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box Photo: (1) Students of professor Raymond Wells' Pierce College biology class study marine life of the Punta Banda in Baja California. Chelsea Crawford, an environmental science teacher at Granada Hills High School, has taken five field classes with Wells to help her teach her students more effectively. (2) Pierce College students study dolphins in the Sea of Cortez while on a field trip in professor Raymond Wells' biology class. Raymond Wells/Special to the Daily News (3) A student in Pierce College anthropology professor David L. Schutzer's class takes notes on a field trip. David L. Schutzer/Special to the Daily News Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
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