As we work towards the beginning of the school year (however that looks for you), please check out the creative ways you can take your students on a field trip. Virtual field trips, that is; no mask required as you field trip online.
Virtual field trips (VFTs) allow students the opportunity to visit nearly anywhere on the planet and beyond, from anywhere. With all of the digital resources available online, you can design pretty great experiences for both your students, and you. (After all, what’s stopping you from exploring the world for your own enjoyment? Hello, Dubai!)
Before we get to our fabulous resources, let’s break down what we are talking about.
There are generally two standard formats to deliver VFTs to your students, along with examples of each, courtesy of the School Library Journal.
Synchronous: happening live, in real time.
Asynchronous: recorded or assigned at one time, completed by students on their time.
There are clearly benefits to both synchronous and asynchronous formats in terms of accessibility, students’ ability to tune in at particular times or intervals, and management of interaction in real or recorded time. The flexibility of formats can be super helpful when it comes to distance learning – you get to decide which trip(s) will work best with your classroom.
A Google search using the words “virtual field trip” will produce a list of existing VFTs. Closer examination may reveal a VFT that is perfectly suited to your content area. Great VFTs have:
- current and working links,
- relevancy to your content area, and
- a high potential for engagement.
With the all of these resources, you could create a VFT for your students, OR turn the tables and have them create a VFT for you! Check out this downloadable list for some of the best virtual field trips and resources to help you plan. Safe Travels!
We know you will have a blast perusing and participating in some of these amazing experiences.
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