Journal #10 (NETS-T 1-5)

Zanetis, J. (2010). The beginner’s guide to interactive virtual field trips. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-march-april-2010.aspx

Summary:
This article gives an introduction to the concept of interactive virtual field trips, or VFT’s. These VFT’s allow classrooms to experience information from outside resources in a way that might otherwise be hard to obtain. Often times class field trips are limited to the immediate geographic area of a school, and also hindered by budget constraints. By taking a virutal field trip, you are not limited by geography, and there are plenty of options available at a low cost or even free. Students learning about marine science can take a virtual trip to Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, and interact with an actual biologist who is working at that location. The article explained two types of VFT’s, the first being asynchronous, meaning that the content is not live, but rather pre-recorded and loaded by the class at a time of their choosing. These can be podcasts of a museum director explaining the exhibits, to a interactive visual tour of an art gallery. The second type of VFT involves specific hardware that allows for the entire class to video conference with destination of their trip, and allows for video and audio interaction between both sides.

Question 1:
What is the classroom value of a virtual field trip?
I think the value of these virtual field trips is extremely high. I can remember just about every filed trip I went on during my school years, they were usually always enjoyable, and I came away with an appreciation for the subject that I didn’t have before. If you can duplicate this same feeling with these VFT’s, then it is certainly a resource that should be utilized. I remember always wanting to go on the field trips that went to Washington D.C. when I was in school, but had no way of affording it. A VFT would allow the class to view many of the same places I would have seen on the physical trip but in the classroom itself. To be able to connect the content with the student in such a way that it peaks their curiosity is a valuable tool in enhancing the learning experience.

Question 2:
How might you go about getting your school a hardware system to make VFT’s possible?
Like the article says, first I would see if the school already has the hardware to make this possible, if not, then I would check other schools within the district to see if sharing is an option. If these don’t work then you can go straight to the manufacturer to see if they offer assistance in obtaining one, either through them directly, or through state or federal grants. If all else fails, this would be the type of thing that I think students, parents, and faculty could get behind with a fundraising campaign. If you explain all the benefits of such a system, I would think that parents would want to help their children out by organizing a way to achieve the funds for such a purchase.