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Why a Virtual Field Trip?

• A Virtual field trip (VFT) is a way of taking your class outside the four walls of your classroom, via cyberspace.
• VFTs require planning and consideration in order to make them a success.
• VFTs should be part of your existing curriculum.
• VFTs are not just adding additional lessons simply because they're novel!
• VFTs must have as much supervision and structure as you would on a traditional field trip.

• Anticipate the needs of different learners.
• What are the goals you wish to achieve?
• How will students use the tour? Individually, groups, class?
• Decide if images are important.

• Check http://ginaotto.com/VirtualFieldtrips.html and click on Virtual Field Trip- type lessons under "Projects on Line" "Innovative Ways to Teach", and the NEW Virtual Field Trips site.

• Go to http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/explore/main.html
• Write a handout, study or research sheet  (what do you want your students to know?).
• Connect it to something you are studying - like From the Mixed- Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
• Click on the Interactive Coffin -- see the collar, nut, and other parts.
• The story by E.L. Konigsburg, takes place in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Claudia and Jamie were especially interested in the Egyptian room.
• Steer your students to the Coffin and have them list/brainstorm items explained there.
• Write a letter to Claudia and Jamie telling them why they should visit it.
• Check out other Egyptian Museum sites like http://www.memphis.edu/egypt/

• Try a lesson on Skateboard Science http://www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding
• Check out Skateboard Science, The Ollie, What is a Skateboard? What kind of wood? Shapes?

•  Try a tour of college campuses. Start at http://www.campustours.com/ Take a mobile walking tour, watch videos, check maps.
  

• Try Virtual Field Trips for Kids  and go from ellis Island to Mars without leaving the couch

• Can be found at: http://www.eduweb.com/pintura/

• Open a folder on your desktop.  Save an opened web page to this folder (go to save as).  Add a dot and the letters html after the name. The text and the jpg. and gif files should also save.  If they don't, click on each one and "save image as"..

• If you have Explorer, use Word, create your page and save as html. Or "save as" web archive, or work offline.
  

• See Virtual Field Trip evaluation below by Kathy Schrock .  Was it worth doing?
• Found a great trip? - save the links to your computer (not the addresses, but the pages).  Then  you will always be able to replicate your trip.

Have fun on your trip!!

• Contact me at rbotto@aol.com

 
 



GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS - VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP EVALUATION

After you take a virtual tour of any place on the Internet, answer the following questions to see if the tour met your expectations.
(N/A means Not Applicable--the question can't be answered or it does not pertain to the site you are viewing.)

Your name: ___________________________________ Date:___________

Name of tour site:  _______________________________________

URL of tour site:______________________________________________

1. When you were on the tour, could you tell where you were at all times?

2. Throughout the tour, could you always get back to the beginning?

3. During the tour, could you go to any area that you wanted to, or did you have to visit places in a certain order?

4. Was there a map of the virtual tour site available for you to use for navigation?

5. While you were on the tour, could you use any type of virtual reality to view places in 3-D?

6. If there were photographs on the tour, were they easy to see?

7. When you first entered the tour, could you choose from different options or paths to take?

8. Was there a virtual guide to help you along the virtual tour?

9. Were there any links to other Internet resources that would better help you understand the subject matter of the tour?

10. Was there a place to ask questions or leave feedback about the tour?

11. Did the tour encourage you want to learn more about the topic?

12. Did the tour allow you to visit a place that you would never be able to visit in real life?

In your own words, describe the experience of taking a virtual tour, and compare it with a real tour that you have taken.

Kathy Schrock's Evaluation is great. See her Guide to Everything at http://www.schrockguide.net/
 

Some handout pages
Paris Fact Sheet
Grids Organize Thinking...
Virtual Field Trips
Bat Fact Sheet

When you use Apple+Shift+4 on a Mac to capture a picture (edited by using the cross-bar and dragging the picture you want), when the picture is taken (shown by a click), it is automatically saved to your hard drive and is called Picture (number).

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Last updated October, 2022