Karen Reeve kreeve@houstonisd.org
Wainwright Elementary http://es.houstonisd.org/wainwrightes
Houston ISD
Pack Your Bags For An Online Adventure
Virtual fieldtrips allow students to take journeys without
leaving the classroom.
In this presentation participants will learn how to create a
virtual fieldtrip.
Objectives/ Participant outcomes:
Participants will develop an understanding of what a virtual
fieldtrip really is by:
• Viewing a variety of virtual fieldtrips
• Developing an understanding of scaffolding
• Viewing examples of questions that guide students online
• Investigating assessment opportunities
• Reviewing the elements that make up a virtual fieldtrip
Outline:
I. What is a virtual fieldtrip?
II. Different types of fieldtrips.
III. Elements of a virtual fieldtrip:
a. Destination
b. Learning goals
c. Web sites and activities per tour stop
• Tour stops - pick 3 or 4 web-based resources (avoid
unreliable information, questionable authorship, and bias)
• Write directions that will guide the students online.
There should be an activity at each tour stop.
d. Assessment tasks for the destination (presentation, journal
writing)
• One per tour stop and one overall. (rubric)
Tips for virtual field trips
• Prepare for the trip. Visit the site yourself first and
look around. Knowing what's there will help you prepare lesson
plans and avoid wasting time when your students are online.
• Look for online resources and experts to assist in your
field trip. Many museums have staff members who are willing to
answer students' questions online.
• Because it is hard to have an entire class crowd around a
single computer, consider allowing your students to go on virtual
field trips in smaller groups.
• Planned activities at every tour stop is one way to make
sure your kids don't wander off into inappropriate places online
and will keep them focused on the lesson.
Helpful Sites
To post - http://www.eboard.com
Free safe e-mail - http://www.gaggle.net
Search engine - http://www.google.com
These search strategies were taken from: Classroom Connect http://cu.classroom.com/Catalog/HowTo.asp?HID=4
• quotations (“ “) around a phrase to look for
those words exactly as entered.
• a plus sign (+) in front of a word to indicate that it
must be included in the search results.
• a minus sign (-) in front of a word to indicate that it
must be excluded from the search results.
Classroon Connect - http://www.classroom.com/login/home.jhtml
Field Trip Examples
A Trip To Mars
http://es.houstonisd.org/wainwrightes/Student/mars.htm
The Field Trips Site
http://www.field-guides.com/
Welcome To Virtual Field Trip Central
http://www.essex1.com/people/mpyoung/VFT.Central.html
Egypt e-board
http://www.egyptblue.eboard.com
the password is egypt
http://www.egyptsilver.eboard.com
the password is egypt