There are a lot of great web sites for various subject and content areas. I put a list together to make finding virtual field trips a little easier.
http://www.surfaquarium.com/virtual.htm
http://216.87.182.205/project/fieldtrips
http://www.satlab.hawaii.edu/space.hawaii/virtual.field.trips.html
http://www.geog.le.ac.uk/cti/virt.html
http://www.tramline.com/cross/world/tr.htm
http://www.wooleysoft.co.uk/vrml.html
http://Idshomeschoolinginca.org
http://dir.yahoo.com/recreation/Travel/Virtual_Field_trips
http://www.field-guides.com/trips.htm
Friday, December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Virtual Museums
Virtual museums are very beneficial to educators. From a multicultural standpoint, they bring far exhibits close to home. Virtual museums have the ability to keep exhibits on display without tine limitations or spacial constraints.
Navigating through a virtual tour of any museum allows the user to replay/reread the information about the display. Unless you are in a guided group, when exploring an actual museum you are often on your own. Virtual museum tours supply supplementary information such as text hyperlinks, quicktime movies, and shockwave games. These are likely to enhance the lesson and reinforce what was just learned.
If we, as educators, can incorporate fun into learning, we are likely to have more motivated students who are actively involved. This will likely increase retention. Virtual museums can offer so much to enhance our lessons and entice our students to want to learn more.
I found this humorous quote from John Naughton (1998) in a London newspaper, The Observer.
"The great thing about virtual museums is that they exist only in cyberspace and as such lack these features: leaky roofs, queues of customers with smelly socks, crocodiles of unspeakable children at half term, trade unions, maternity leave, and staffs which make actual museums difficult to administer. Virtual museums are like ideal universities: all those libraries and research labs, and not an undergraduate in sight."
Navigating through a virtual tour of any museum allows the user to replay/reread the information about the display. Unless you are in a guided group, when exploring an actual museum you are often on your own. Virtual museum tours supply supplementary information such as text hyperlinks, quicktime movies, and shockwave games. These are likely to enhance the lesson and reinforce what was just learned.
If we, as educators, can incorporate fun into learning, we are likely to have more motivated students who are actively involved. This will likely increase retention. Virtual museums can offer so much to enhance our lessons and entice our students to want to learn more.
I found this humorous quote from John Naughton (1998) in a London newspaper, The Observer.
"The great thing about virtual museums is that they exist only in cyberspace and as such lack these features: leaky roofs, queues of customers with smelly socks, crocodiles of unspeakable children at half term, trade unions, maternity leave, and staffs which make actual museums difficult to administer. Virtual museums are like ideal universities: all those libraries and research labs, and not an undergraduate in sight."
The Viewpoint of a Sixth Grader
While teaching a lesson to a class of sixth graders, they compared and contrasted virtual field trips to actual field trips. Their responses were very interesting.
Similarities
share the same displays/exhibits
same information/text
you can view more than one exhibit in a visit
manipulate exhibits both virtually and physically
Differences
can't touch/smell/taste
no gift shop
no bus ride experience (bus sickness)
lacking city trip experience - sites of another city
physical component of walking around
teacher chaperones at an actual field trip
no lines/crowds at a virtual field trip
takes less time to "arrive" at the trip with virtual tours
They also pointed out that VFTs would be less expensive.
I was very surprised to survey the class and find out that they would prefer virtual field trips.
Similarities
share the same displays/exhibits
same information/text
you can view more than one exhibit in a visit
manipulate exhibits both virtually and physically
Differences
can't touch/smell/taste
no gift shop
no bus ride experience (bus sickness)
lacking city trip experience - sites of another city
physical component of walking around
teacher chaperones at an actual field trip
no lines/crowds at a virtual field trip
takes less time to "arrive" at the trip with virtual tours
They also pointed out that VFTs would be less expensive.
I was very surprised to survey the class and find out that they would prefer virtual field trips.
The Future of VFTs
Virtual field trips will continue to play an important role in education. Selecting field trips that are relevant to the topic and will further the students' learning experience is a necessary guideline. Outlining tasks and specific accomplishments within the VFT will also help keep the student's focus and direction. Students will need to learn time management practices in addition to selecting proper navigational skills within a given site.
According to Weili Qiu and Tom Hubble (2002) who wrote The Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Field Trips in Geoscience Education, the continuation of VFTs and their effectiveness will depend upon these three questions:
1). What do students need to learn?
2). How will these students best learn the material?
3). What is an appropriate design for this VFT?
How would you answer these questions?
According to Weili Qiu and Tom Hubble (2002) who wrote The Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Field Trips in Geoscience Education, the continuation of VFTs and their effectiveness will depend upon these three questions:
1). What do students need to learn?
2). How will these students best learn the material?
3). What is an appropriate design for this VFT?
How would you answer these questions?
Advantages and Disadvantages
Virtual field trips/tours should not altogether replace actual field trips. The real experience is sometimes necessary and are absent from virtual field trips (VFTs). However, the advantages of VFTs are extraordinary.
Virtual field trips can be made available for all levels of users and be individualized to meet the needs of individual students. They offer rich learning experiences and are wonderful learning and teaching tools. For students who are better hands on learners, the opportunity to manipulate a computer and experiment with images and change viewpoints will keep a student better engaged. VFTs also offer convenient flexible access. Lastly, for students who are going on an actual field trip, virtual tours can enhance or build upon what a child is about to experience or has just experienced. And for the student who won't have any other opportunity, what better way to bring the experience to them.
The disadvantages, in my opinion, are few, but worth mentioning. Limited knowledge of the computer and limited navigational skills may hinder an individual and perhaps even intimidate them. Lacking sensory experience with the exhibits is another disadvantage. Virtual tours cannot typically offer touch, smell, and aural feelings.
From a teachers perspective, disadvantages would include lack of permanent sites, too many sites that aren't worthy or high quality, and the difficulty finding appropriate sites.
Virtual field trips can be made available for all levels of users and be individualized to meet the needs of individual students. They offer rich learning experiences and are wonderful learning and teaching tools. For students who are better hands on learners, the opportunity to manipulate a computer and experiment with images and change viewpoints will keep a student better engaged. VFTs also offer convenient flexible access. Lastly, for students who are going on an actual field trip, virtual tours can enhance or build upon what a child is about to experience or has just experienced. And for the student who won't have any other opportunity, what better way to bring the experience to them.
The disadvantages, in my opinion, are few, but worth mentioning. Limited knowledge of the computer and limited navigational skills may hinder an individual and perhaps even intimidate them. Lacking sensory experience with the exhibits is another disadvantage. Virtual tours cannot typically offer touch, smell, and aural feelings.
From a teachers perspective, disadvantages would include lack of permanent sites, too many sites that aren't worthy or high quality, and the difficulty finding appropriate sites.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Virtual Tours in Education
In today's world of high tech achievements, why shouldn't that include education? Virtual tours in education have become a "hot topic" in the reform of multicultural experiences in the classroom. For the past decade virtualfield trips have become increasingly popular in universities with both teachers and students alike. Text books are even being printed to include web links of virtual filed trip sites. The demand for virtual field trip sites is also increasing. Some sites offer more than others. For instance, the quality of one site might be far superior to another by including more interactive involvement.
The GSH Fieldtrips Project at http://216.87.182.205/project/fieldtrips is designed for children with interactive activities while http://surfaquarium.com/virtual.htm mainly provides pictures and explanatory text from different countries and places around the world. Other more enhanced sites for virtual field trips include 3-D maps and arial views of places and locations.
Virtual field trips and tours exist in many different varieties. They can offer valuable experiences for learning and teaching and are widely used.
Qiu, Weili and Hubble, Tom. (2002). The advantages and disadvantages of virtual field trips in geoscience education. The China Papers.
The GSH Fieldtrips Project at http://216.87.182.205/project/fieldtrips is designed for children with interactive activities while http://surfaquarium.com/virtual.htm mainly provides pictures and explanatory text from different countries and places around the world. Other more enhanced sites for virtual field trips include 3-D maps and arial views of places and locations.
Virtual field trips and tours exist in many different varieties. They can offer valuable experiences for learning and teaching and are widely used.
Qiu, Weili and Hubble, Tom. (2002). The advantages and disadvantages of virtual field trips in geoscience education. The China Papers.
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