Journal 7-The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips-NETS I & V

Zanetis, J. (2010, March/April). The Beginner's guide to interactive virtual field trips. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/L_L_March_April_2010.htm


The article I read was very informative, for so before reading this article I did not know about Virtual field trips, also known as VFTs. Virtual field trips are field trips that are done virtually over the internet. VFTs are great because it allows students and teachers to visit other places that would not be economically possible for some schools and by doing the VFTs it allows them to do this. VFTs allows students to learn about so many things, it allows them to tour historic sites, witness scientific experiments, attending folk festivals and so many other events without ever having to leave their classroom. There are two types of VFTs, the Asynchronous VFTs and the Interactive VFTs. The Asynchronous VFTs are not delivered in real time, they usually have websites that are devoted to a topic or subject matter. These websites provide videos, text and audio about these topics and sometimes they have a podcast of a host guiding you through the website. Not all Asynchronous VFTs have great quality or vast substance and so the author of this article recommended us with some good websites that are of good quality and substance. These websites are efieldtrips.org, accessexcellence.org/RC/virtual.php, and gaillovely.com/VirtualFieldtrips.htm. Another type of VFTs is called Interactive VFTs. These Interactive VFTs are synchronous, real-time experiences that allows students to communicate with the people on the other side of the screen. The Interactive VFTs also take place in the internet using h.323 videoconferencing technology. The author does note that before people think this option might be too expensive that they should first ask the school if they have this equipment already because a 2009 study made found that approximately 30% of U.S. schools have this equipment installed. There are many museums, science centers, historical sites, and many other organizations that offer Interactive VFTs to schools. The presenters of these interactive VFTs are trained and adjust their lessons to the student's level of comprehension. They provide interactive lessons focusing on the subject matter being studied that also correlates with their organization. VFTs allows students and teachers to learn about and visit far away places without having to spend so much money. Students and teachers have found these VFTs to be engaging and very effective.



Do I see myself providing my students with VFTs? Definitely! I think VFTs are great opportunities for different types of learning. It is a new experience, that as I read in the article, seems to effectively engage the students. Students would be able to research these websites, visit far away places that they may have dreamed of visiting and not only will they be visiting far away places but they will also be learning about them at the same time.



Which type of VFT do I like best and why do I think this type of VFT will engage students and teach them better? I liked best the Interactive VFTs because they are real time field trips, where students can actually ask questions and get answers right away. They would be experiencing real time tours through museums, historic sites, and many other places that they may be learning about. The students will be able to interact much better than in the Asynchronous VFTs and I think it will be a great educational experience for all students.