Hello future teachers,
Asynchronous virtual field trips are a great way to get students engaged in the curriculum without leaving the classroom. There are not a lot of field trips that happen anymore in the public school systems due to budget cuts. And we all remember how exciting it was to have a field trip day. The opportunities are really perfect for a class to be exposed to something out of town that would not physically be possible to see. For example, a science class could visit the Natural History Museum in San Francisco, a history class could visit a Civil Rights Era march, and there is even a Mathematics Museum. These are fun and educational lessons that the child can go home and show their family as well. There are expert lead tours that provide exciting information and the students wont have the expenses of the bus, lunch and entrance fees.
Through a h.323 video conferencing device the entire class can experience the field trip. We are moving to a time where students will have media devices instead of text books and more and more technology is becoming available to use in the classroom.
The field trips will assist the teachings of the curriculum but in an elementary or special education class it will still be important for class trips to give the class the life skills of crossing the street and being around new environments. So old fashioned field trips to the park will have to continue for a well developed next generation.
Thanks for listening Alison Disque
Hey Alison,
ReplyDeleteI agree that asynchronous virtual field trips are an amazing resource that should be utilized by many teachers to better engage their students. With recent cuts it is difficult to find the money necessary to take classes on field trips and this allows students to have that excitement and experience within the classroom. I feel fortunate to have been able to go on several field trips but at the school I work with I rarely hear about students going on any field trips and when I do it is to somewhere close and cost efficient. Using these virtual field trips excites students about learning as well as introduces technology into the classroom.
Thanks,
Brooke Gerrard
Hi Alison,
ReplyDeleteI liked your comment about old fashioned field trips still being important and not necessarily cutting them out, but rather adding to them with virtual field trips. There are still a lot of places that are feasible in regard to cost & time for most schools, like visiting a local fire station. Hopefully educators and administration won't see the virtual world as a way of cutting out field trips all together. It will take organized and diligent teachers (and perhaps ones that are also skilled fundraisers) to keep the real-world field trips alive, but the virtual alternatives seem like wonderful complementary tools!
Melissa
Hi Alison,
ReplyDeleteYour commentary on these virtual field trips is right on par with my thinking. I believe that these technology tools can only open up more dimensions in our students' learning. I also agree with what Melissa said, too, in that it's going to take a really invested teacher to keep taking students out for real trips IN ADDITION to these awesome tools. It might be easy to write off actually taking students out on field trips when we can just project a virtual field trip into the classroom...but again, nothing will ever replace experiencing something in real life physically.
Great thoughts! :)
Marina