Virtual Field Trips

Virtual Field TripsBy: Cherry Middleton

Purpose of Virtual Field TripsA virtual field trip is an educational tool. It can help teachers to reinforce lessons and use exciting experiences to engage students. The Internet can guide students to levels previously unimaginable. It can take a student to locations too far away to travel to or too expensive to visit.

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Virtual and Real Field Trips

Virtual and real trips are different from one another, but they also have many features in common.

Similarities DifferencesGroup activities where kids interact with each other. Virtual field trips can be repeated over and over again.

Involve active, not passive learning.Virtual field trips give students more room to move at their own pace and explore things to their own depth.

Take the student mentally out of the classroom and into a new and different learning environment. Virtual field trips can take you to places you would not otherwise go.

Virtual field trips lack the sensory experience of a real field trip.

Virtual field trips are safe and free of hazards and tap into more expert resources on a single topic.

3Virtual Field Trips in Academic Content AreasScienceStudents can visit endangered species from fifty years ago and find out how and why these plants or animals are placed on the endangered list.

Social StudiesStudents can visit re-enactment battles and visit historical landmarks or sites.

Math Students are able to improve math skills by solving math problems in a virtual tour.

ELAStudents can improve reading by learning new strategies.

MusicStudents will be able to hear instruments play and meet famous musicians.

ArtStudents can gain better understandings and learn more about Art.

Physical Education & HealthStudents are able to experience and interact at their own pace

ScienceDinosaurs of Utahhttp://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=17181

Social StudiesExploring Ancient Egypthttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/

MathLure of the Labyrinthhttp://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/

ELAGet To Know Poehttp://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/default_flash.asp

MusicViolins Makers Shop Tourhttp://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=13273

Physical Education & HealthPlastic Fork Diarieshttp://www.plasticforkdiaries.org/

Creating A Virtual Field Trip

Use simple slides or pictures with words to fully interact and high detailed video or audio clips, using website software, video or movie-making software, PowerPoint, or even Microsoft Word.When creating your own virtual field trip search thoroughly to find exactly what you are looking for.You can search the web for step by step process to creating a virtual field trip. There are also pre-made such as the ones you have just seen.If you really want to have fun let the students create their own.

ReferencesA Hotlist of Virtual Field Trips http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listvirtualgr.htmlAreavibes: Virtual Travel: Online Field Trips for Students http://www.areavibes.com/library/online-field-trips-for-students/ Bpep History http://bpephistory.com/virtualfieldtrips.htmlGoogle Images http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wiTeaching with Technology http://www.powertolearn.com/articles/teaching_with_technology/taking_a_virtual_field_trip.shtmlTechTrekers http://www.techtrekers.com/Telecommunications in the Science Classroom http://www.laep.org/target/overview/telecommunit.htmlVirtual field trip guidelines http://www.d.umn.edu/~hrallis/guides/virtualfieldtrip.html