202 BE1WEENTEXTANDAR"IlFACT
paneldiscussions.Conversationrangesnotonlyamongpanelists(typi-
callymembersofthestaffandotherinvitedguests)butalsobetween
studentsand panelists. In these conversations students and panelists
carryontheworkofbringingarchaeologicalmaterialtobearonsubstan-
tialquestionsofbiblicalstudies.Withfreshexperienceinfieldexcavation
anddisciplinedcontrolofarchaeologicalmethod-not 10 mentionthree
orfourweekendsoftouringimportantarchaeologicalsites-studentsby
thispointareuniquelysituatedtomakecoherentuseofbotharchaeol-
ogyandbiblicalstudies.Il hasbeenmyexperience,in facl, thatmany
on-campusseminarsstruggle(Qattaintothelevelofengagement and
comprehensionthatfrequentlydevelopsduringtheseclosingsessionsof
thefieldschool.Thosemomentsare,inmyjudgment,thepedagogical
goalofthefieldschool.
Twootherbriefsuggestionsm~IYalsobehelpfulatthispoint.When
takingstudentsintothefieldforaseasonofexcavation,startsmall.Itis
nornecessary-infact,itisnotevenadvisable-togathera largegroupof
fifteenortwentystudents.Asa practicalmaUer,agroupoffivetotenwill
bemuchmoremanageable.Notonlyisa smallgroupeasiertotravelwith
(theycanallfitintoonevan,forexample),butalsoa smallgroupallows
ustostayinclosertouchwitheachstudent.Inaddition,takealo'lgextra
money. Everythingalwayscostsmorethanonethinksit will,andunex-
pectedexpenseshaveawayofpoppingup,sopadthebudgetwitha little
extraforthosesurprisesalongtheway.Eachstudem'sfee,inotherwords,
shouldincludea small premiuminordertoproVidea financialcushion.
ThatisnottosaythatweshoulddoleOUIextrashekelstostudentswho
havespentalloftheirsonfelafelandGoldStar,butitcanbeveryhelpful
tohavesomeresourcesonhandwhenaweekendtripdoesnotgoexactly
accordingtoplan.Finally:putupa website. Itmaybeonlya fewdigital
photosanda bitoftexttoyou,buttocollegestudentstodayitseemstobe
thesignandsealoflegitimacy.Intheireyes,ifyouareontheWeb,you
arereal.
Ifbysomechanceyouarestillunconvincedofthemeritsofmyargu-
mentthatthebestwaytoteachstudentstointegratearchaeologyand
biblicalsmdiesistotakethemintothefieldforaseasonofexcavation,
thinkforamomentofwhatwoulditmeanifnoneofusbroughtanystu-
dentsalongfortheexcavation.Inthatcase,weonthestaffwouldhaveto
doall thework: all thedigging,Sifting, potterywashing,and (heaven
forbid)rockremoval.Perish thethought.Asthalcruise-linecommercial
putsit,"l1leworldmaybegettingsmaller,butitstillcan'tcometoyou.
Getoutthere."