You are in your classroom and look out the window at yet
another dark, gloomy day. Inside the classroom,
students are restless. This is the perfect
time for a field trip! No money for buses, admission fees, or lunches? Not enough time to travel to the destination? How about a virtual field trip? The internet is full of resources. Use them to provide a fun learning experience
for your students. Alternatively, you
could create a virtual field trip. When
you travel, take photos and videos to upload to your class website. Students can go on the virtual field trip
individually, as groups, or as a class. They
offer enriched learning experiences and are exceptional teaching tools. For hands-on learners, being able to
manipulate the computer and experiment with images keeps the student more
engaged. For students with an upcoming
field trip, virtual field trips can enhance or build upon what a student will experience. Because
they do not offer touch, smell, and aural feelings, virtual field trips should
not completely replace actual field trips. Virtual field
trips can also take place through videoconferencing as shown in the video
below.
Word
clouds are a great way to improve students vocabulary. They can also be used to stimulate
their thinking. It would be interesting
to ask the students to write down anything they know about the subject or
concept. Have them make a word cloud
with their list. At the end of the lesson,
have them add or delete words according to their new knowledge. This is an excellent way to encourage
critical thinking.
When my son was growing up, I remember him having an
electronic speller and dictionary. It
was a very helpful tool in assisting him to learn to spell. It allowed him to spell a word; then it would
correct any mistakes and give definitions.
Electronic spellers and dictionaries not only aid students in learning
how to spell, but they also help with learning the meaning of words, and teach
children to express themselves through writing.
These two chapters contained a wealth of information about
engaging students in the classroom. When we are engaged in something, we are
more likely to succeed. This is true
with students; an engaged student is more likely to learn and succeed than an
unengaged student.
References
Driver, L. (2016, June 5). Virtual Field Trip. Created with
ToonDoo http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/10214277
Driver, L. (2016, June 5). Word Cloud. Created with ABCYA http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B.
(2014). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition.
Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Vidyo.
(2011, November 15). Vidyo Video
Conferencing for K-12 Education Enables Virtual Field Trips. Retrieved June
6, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4co6lltz2g
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