Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Week 6

Some other sensory experiences that can complement a virtual tour: Video sources, such as Youtube or Teachertube. Clips of songs. Pictures. Sound effects playing in the background. Spray a specific smells. Bring sand, water, souvenirs, or something else for the kids to touch.
I went on the Google earth tour involving volcanoes. I thought it was useful to the learning process to put in follow-up questions and other activities within the tour to encourage the students to pay attention. In the Holocaust/ WWII example, I liked how events, linked to places, were put in chronological order. The overlays in the Civil War example were really professional.
The obvious upside of a virtual field trip is that the kids are interested in technology and this makes learning fun. Also, the kids are able to break off into groups and go through the tour at their own pace (if extra computers are available). A downside for the virtual tour, is that the kids may want to go on a real field trip when finances can’t cover it.

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