Scheduling Virtual Field Trips

1
Scheduling Virtual Field Trips
Videoconferences

• EETT Grant Partnership
• Corinth, Glens Falls, Granville, Johnsburg,
  Warrensburg,St. Clements, Saratoga Catholic,
• St. Marys/St. Alphonsus)

2
What is a Real Time Virtual Field Trip?

• A live interactive two-way video and audio
  session with an instructional provider

• Art Center
• Museum
• Science Center

• Space Center
• Hall of Fame
• And More

3
Why Virtual Field Trips?

• Enhances instruction
• Take students places they would never get to go.
• Opens the doors to a world outside of upstate New
  York.

4
How do Schools Use VFTs?

• As an extension of learning a particular topic or
  subject
• As an introduction to a topic or a culminating
  event to a unit of study
• As a motivational tool for students

5
Polycom VSX-7000Portable Videoconferencing Unit
6
Warning! Tech Talk!!!ISDN or IP?

• The connection can be
• ISDN Integrated Systems Digital Network
• IP Internet Protocol
• IP is basically connecting straight over the
  internet using an IP address (Ex. 24.35.186.26)
• ISDN is a like having a dedicated phone line to a
  provider. It is usually more reliable, but also
  more costly.
• Your Polycom unit has been pre-configured to
  handle either kind of connection.
• Your building technical contact person is _____??

7
Transport of Choice
8
Planning a Successful VFT or Videoconference

• Planning Sheet

9
Finding a Content Provider

• Which providers are good?
• Searchable evaluation database.
• http//www.twice.cc/fieldtrips.html
• Lesson Plans by grade level, subject, and content
  provider.
• http//www.projectview.org/IntegratonPlan/IndexofP
  lans.htm

10
Examples of Institutions Providing Trips (i.e.
Content Providers)

• Albany Institute
• Baseball Hall of Fame
• Center for Puppetry Arts
• Cincinnati Zoo
• COSI Toledo
• Health Museum of Cleveland

11
Institutions, Continued

• USS Intrepid Museum
• Museum of Television and Radio
• Mote Marine Laboratory
• Library of Congress
• Museum of Tolerance
• And Many, Many More
• Click here for Nassau BOCES Catalog

12
How Do Teachers Prepare Students for a VFT?

• Teach lessons from materials available from the
  provider PDF Documents and more-
• Access information from the web on the topic
• No need to re-invent the wheel!

13
Preparing Students

• Have students research topics
• Have students complete lesson materials supplied
  by the provider in print or on a website

14
Types of Materials Available

• Total unit with lesson plans

15
Types of Materials Available, Continued

• Web site only

16
What Do Teachers Say?

• Students wanted to do more in-depth study of the
  content
• Students wanted to do additional studies of
  associated topics
• The VFT was a wonderful enhancement to classroom
  instruction

17
Various Organizational Links

• SBC Videoconferencing Adventures
• NoodleTrip.com
• Southeastern Wisconsin Instructional Network
  Group
• Two Way Interactive Connections in Education

18
Various Organizational Links

• Keystone Conference
• Vanderbilt Virtual School
• Tandberg Connections Program
• Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration

19
Questions and Answers

• David Ashdown
• Joanne Layden
• dashdown_at_wswheboces.org
• jlayden_at_wswheboces.org
• Phone [phone]