4 Reasons Why Virtual Field Trips Need To Be In Your Childs Classroom
Posted on Wed, Dec 22, 2010
Has little Tommy mentioned he wanted to swim with the sharks and visit Tokyo all in one day? Little Cindy next door did it yesterday. Virtual video field trips are becoming the norm in many K-12 grade level classrooms around the country. Your students get access to the latest cultural events, newest scientific discoveries and musical inspirations with the touch of a button.
Susan McGinnis from CBS’s “The Early Show” did a clip called “Virtual Field Trips Take Off”, how students can visit far-away places without ever leaving the classroom. “1 in 4 classrooms in America now use virtual field trips as part of their curriculum. There is no need for a passport anymore” reported Susan.
Many video conferencing companies are offering these types of virtual programs to schools now. They want their day to day tools to benefit the children and school systems not just large corporations. Video Conferencing giant Tandberg offers a free Virtual Field Trip program called “Connections Program” to their education customers. They say if a camera can go somewhere then a class can go somewhere too.
1. Cuts down on preparation time.
There’s no need to hand in a permission slip on time, pack a lunch for the day, offer to be a driver/chaperone and pay for an admission fee.
2. Inspiration
Your children will be amazed and inspired by what they will be exposed to without leaving the classroom. Parents’ workload may never allow presenting these opportunities and trips to their children.
3. Interaction
The visual and verbal interaction with the expert may encourage your child to look deeper into a particular subject. This may lead to a future career path.
4. Increased Level of Knowledge
The exposure to new and ancient areas around the globe will increase their knowledge. This will make them open up and communicate more with other children and adults.
Author: Julie Bertok