Have you seen the Staples commercial showing a gleeful father running around the office supply store, throwing school supplies into his cart with delight, while his children plod along miserably behind him. The traditional Christmas song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” plays in the background and most parents I know can completely relate to the father in this commercial. Summer is wonderful…but as the days turn into weeks, most of us become increasingly desperate to find something for our children to do that doesn’t involve them sitting in front of a video game or us paying too much money for trips to the movies, ice cream parlors, or amusement parks.
Why not let them enjoy their computer time, while being reassured that they aren’t completely shutting off their brains in the process? Virtual field trips, a little secret used by educators to introduce or explore a different part of the world when budgets and/or time don’t allow us to take our students there in person, are a great way to keep your kids’ brains’ engaged during the dog days of summer.
Here are some tips for getting your kiddo’s travelling all over the world – while safe and sound in your home:
Do Some Research
A quick Google search of “virtual field trips” will give you over 2 million hits (no lie – I checked!). Planning one is definitely going to take some forethought. Your first step should be to tailor your virtual field trip to match your child’s interests.
For instance, if you’re son or daughter has enjoyed learning about American history, check out the National Park Service site for the Gettysburg Battlefields satellite broadcast tours http://www.nps.gov/gett/forteachers/satellite-broadcast.htm satellite broadcast tours that come with associated lesson plans. If they like nature, go to this link and let them explore all the biomes of the world http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=14051.
Keep Them Accountable
It is just for fun, but you can make sure that your child is really exploring the site by asking them some questions about their trip once they’ve completed it. Having them share their experiences makes for excellent dinner table conversation or material to chat about as you drive them to and from practice. Let them wow you with their knowledge and you will find that they love showing off what they have learned for you!
If your son or daughter struggles at first to talk about what they have learned, ask them to come up with three things they thought were cool. Just three! Once they have that down you’ll find they are able to tell you more and more each time.
I hope that you will encourage your child to explore the world this summer – you never know what experience will inspire them for the rest of their lives!
Helpful Resources
Here are a few resources that will help you jump start your virtual fieldtrips.
The Utah Education Network
http://www.uen.org/tours/
This great site breaks down virtual field trip ideas by subject.
The Teacher’s Guide to Virtual Field Trips
http://www.theteachersguide.com/virtualtours.html
This site is full of many links with great virtual tours like an ancient roman villa, a butterfly conservatory, the American Museum of Natural History, and more!
The Holocaust Museum
http://www.mznet.org/chamber/
Many school’s do units on the Holocaust. A virtual tour can help your child really grasp the horror of this event – but make sure you preview this tour first to choose what you want your son or daughter to see. This is definitely one you might want to do together.
Internet 4 Classrooms – Virtual Tours
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/vft.htm
This website contains a nice group of tours which are organized by topic.
Using Skype in the Classroom
http://www.teachhub.com/news/article/cat/14/item/367
Ideas for using Skype for guest speakers, presenters or interviews.
Second Life Lessons & Classroom Activities
http://www.teachhub.com/news/article/cat/14/item/367
Try virtual versions of historical experiences or far-away sights.
Virtual Field Trips with Google Maps
http://www.teachhub.com/news/article/cat/14/item/71
See the pyramids and Great Wall of China via satellite, take a video tour of the Eiffel Tower or walk the streets anywhere in the world.
