Virtual Field Trips

1
Virtual Field Trips
Curriculum Opportunities
NETS Standards
What is a VFT?
Preparing the Trip
Groups
Do and Dont
Categories of VFTs
Samples
Works Cited
2
What is a Virtual Field Trip? Why Take One?

• Computer simulation in which you can explore and
  interact with a place, an idea or an environment
• Provides an alternate learning experience
• Allows students to visit places they normally
  could not
• Students learn through exciting online
  experiences
• Instruction is delivered through print
  curriculum, videos, the Internet, and satellite
  broadcasts
• Students dont have to travel anywhere
• Students are able to interact and participate
  on their field trip
• Kawka and Burgess, 2001, pgs. 1-2

3
Curriculum Opportunities

• A great tool to teach a concept that is difficult
  to study in a traditional classroom setting
• Can be done with all subjects
• Literature visit Shakespeares Globe Theatre
• Music Follow Mozarts career across the cities
  of Europe
• Mathematics Visit Greenwich Observatory in
  England and learn about the mathematics of
  determining longitude
• Examples for History? Art? Science?
• Lengel, 2006

4
Preparing a VFT

• Purpose- Why?
• Provocation- Challenge with a problem or
  assignment
• Path- Guide with proper directions and
  information
• Pre-requisites- Before trip, prepare with
  necessary background information.
• Lengel, 2006

5
Categories of VFT

• Student-Generated Students take pictures and
  notes on actual field trip. Put together as
  class culminating project
• Pre-Activity for upcoming Field Trip Students
  preview sites about they will be visiting
• VFT Made by others Provide information about
  places the student is unable to visit
• Teacher-created VFT Teacher travels outside of
  class
• Virtual Fieldtripping, 1999

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Do and Don't

• Do!!!
• Select a trip that connects to your class
• Permission from parents to use internet
• WATCH your students online activity
• Plan ahead
• Consider group size
• Assessment when completed
• Follow up lesson
• Don't
• Wandering students
• Present a site you are unfamiliar with
• Use VFT as a free time
• McKenzie, Walter (1999-2004)

7
NETS Standards

• NETS 2.3 Positive Attitudes
• NETS 3.1 Technology as a Tool
• NETS 1.2 Proficiency (in the use of technology)
• NETS 5.1 Technology Research Tools
• There are many types of field trips that meet so
  many of our standards
• Literature
• Writing process
• Poetry
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Foley, 2003

8
Groups

• But I only have one computer in my classroom.
  Problem solved! Here are some solution for this
  problem.
• WHOLE CLASS
• The entire class can take the field trip
  together. The teacher can guide the students
  through the field trip and ask questions as the
  students go on the field trip.
• SMALL GROUPS
• Divide your class into groups. Each group can be
  in charge of finding the answer to one question.
  Allow the students to take turns on the computer
  to answer the questions.
• Each student can take the field trip on his or
  her own. The results of the field trip can be
  discussed with the whole class after each person
  has finished.
• The field trip that you take may be completed in
  one day or over a span of a few weeks (depending
  on the number of computers your class has access
  to)
• Lengel, 2006

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Samples

• Tour of Colonial Williamsburg
• Brickyard

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Works Cited

• Foley, Kim (2003). A virtual field trip into real
  technology standards. Multimedia Schools, 10(1),
  38.
• Kawka, B. Burgess, B. (2001).Why take V-Trips.
  V-Trip Travel Guide Classroom Strategies for
  Virtual Field Trips (p. 2). Oregon
  International Society for Technology in
  Education.
• Lengel, Jim (2006). Taking a virtual field trip.
  Teaching with Technology. Retrieved on March 1,
  2006, from http//www.powertolearn.com/articles/te
  aching_with_technology/taking_a_virtual_field_trip
  .shtml
• McKenzie, Walter (1999-2004). Virtual field trip
  guidelines. Walter McKenzies Innovative
  Teaching. Retrieved on March 1, 2006, from
  http//surfaquarium.com/IT/vftguide.htm
• Virtual Fieldtripping (1999). Retrieved on March
  1, 2006 from Meridian A Middle School Computer
  Technologies Journal. http//www.ncsu.edu/meridian
  /jan99/vfieldtrip/fieldtrips2.html