Powered By Blogger

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Virtual Field Trips

I really like the idea of a virtual field trip as a supplement to a real field trip. I don't think field trips should be replaced electronically because they are so valuable for students, nothing is as powerful as seeing something for yourself, something real. However, I feel that virtual field trips are a great option for a museum out of state, such as the Smithsonian, which have great exhibits but are impossible to get to for some schools. I also think they're a good option for either pre-field trips or post-field trip review. I don't think they can replace field trips for schools that can't afford busses and the other expenses associated with field trips, because if they can't afford bus fares how can they afford computer labs? On the whole I do think that virtual field trips can add to the classroom experience during a single class period.

I also think Digital Images have a potentially great place in the classroom. They can add so much and they address the needs of kids who are visual learners. Digital images can be very powerful in stimulating a students senses. I really look forward to incorporating images into my classroom, I think it is very possible to incorporate images into almost all aspects of English, as long as you're creative.