Classroom Activity - Virtual Field Trip
A virtual field trip is a great way to get students engaged in experiential learning without ever having to leave the classroom! Virtual field trips can simple or very complex - such as a photo tour of a famous museum to extremely detailed and high-tech field trips that offer video and audio segments to make the visit more interactive. Virtual field trips are not only engaging and educational, but also extremely convenient for teachers as they're affordable and do not involve any form of transportation. It also provides students with experiences they may never received otherwise - for example students can take a photo tour of the Louvre museum in Paris, France from the comfort of your classroom!
Another great things about virtual field trips is that you can easily adapt them to suit the needs of each individual student. For example, if a student is a visual learner they might be able to sift through a photo gallery while another student might need an auditory stimulus to engage in their learning and might listen to commentary instead. That's the beauty of the World Wide Web - there's something for everyone!
However, there are some planning and management considerations to take when introducing virtual field trips to a class. Firstly, it's important to consider the needs of each of your students when planning a virtual field trip. Some sensory-sensitive students may need less visual and auditory stimulus, while others may need more visual aid and less lecture or reading to stay focused. Additionally, it's important to ensure that your students are staying on task when taking a virtual field trip. As a teacher, I would have to monitor my students regularly to ensure they are staying on task and not searching elsewhere on the web. I would also provide my students with a detailed list of the tasks they are expected to complete by the end of the lesson to ensure they focusing on the content they are being presented with.
Overall, I think virtual trips are a great way to expose students to unique experiences in a safe, affordable, convenient and most importantly engaging way! Here's an example where a class was part of the historic Mission 31 expedition during which Fabien Cousteau and his team broke new ground in ocean exploration. Fabien and his team spoke with classrooms around the world via Skype.
Another great things about virtual field trips is that you can easily adapt them to suit the needs of each individual student. For example, if a student is a visual learner they might be able to sift through a photo gallery while another student might need an auditory stimulus to engage in their learning and might listen to commentary instead. That's the beauty of the World Wide Web - there's something for everyone!
However, there are some planning and management considerations to take when introducing virtual field trips to a class. Firstly, it's important to consider the needs of each of your students when planning a virtual field trip. Some sensory-sensitive students may need less visual and auditory stimulus, while others may need more visual aid and less lecture or reading to stay focused. Additionally, it's important to ensure that your students are staying on task when taking a virtual field trip. As a teacher, I would have to monitor my students regularly to ensure they are staying on task and not searching elsewhere on the web. I would also provide my students with a detailed list of the tasks they are expected to complete by the end of the lesson to ensure they focusing on the content they are being presented with.
Overall, I think virtual trips are a great way to expose students to unique experiences in a safe, affordable, convenient and most importantly engaging way! Here's an example where a class was part of the historic Mission 31 expedition during which Fabien Cousteau and his team broke new ground in ocean exploration. Fabien and his team spoke with classrooms around the world via Skype.
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