Zanetis, J.Z. (2010). The Beginner's guide to interactive virtual field trips. L&L—Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25443&
I only wish I had virtual fields trips “VFT” when I was a young student in school. Vft allows students to take field trips all around the world not just to the local fire station, not that there is anything from with the fire station. But how cool would it be to have visited the Grand Canyon from the front seat of your 3rd grade classroom. VFT are field trips that are conducted virtually, over the Internet and/or videoconferencing equipment, so that students can learn directly from experts in far-flung places without ever leaving their classrooms (Zanetis, 2010). Even though these sounds very expensive, most school already have this technology, about 30% of school have it but do not use it.
Question 1. Which types of sites have these available for school: approximately 300 museums, science centers, historical sites, and similar organizations that offer interactive VFTs to schools, Onsite credentialed expert’s usually present live, standalone, interactive lessons focusing on a curricular topic related to the organization. For example, the National Baseball Hall of Fame offers a unit called "Math: Batter Up," which teaches students in grades 4–12 fundamental concepts that connect the calculator and the clubhouse while they learn, use, and interpret the statistics of famous ballplayers. Computation is the key to determining batting averages and slugging percentages.
Question 2. How do you get started if you want to go on a VFT: The first thing you should do is check around your school system to locate a videoconferencing unit. Your district technology coordinator should be able to help. If you find a system, make sure to ask if it is h.323 compatible and capable of IP-based connections (Zanetis, 2010).
No comments:
Post a Comment