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The Modern Classroom

• Virtual Field Trips: Are they the next best thing? Page 6
• AD Expo Markers: Can your students read what you write? Page 10
• 5 Questions for 5 students, teachers, and parents that have seen

virtual field trips in action. What will they say? Page 11

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Ed 243-5
Virtual Field Trips

Kaitlin Wrye
April 2019
Dr. David Marshall
Brigham Young University- Idaho

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Table of Contents:

Title page………………………………………………………………………………………1
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………....3
About the Author………………………………………………………………………………4
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………...5
Classroom Technology Article………………………………………………………………6-8
References………………………………………………………………………………………9
Advertisement……………………………………………………………………………...…..10
Question & Answer………………………………………………………………………....11-13

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About the Author:

Miss Kaitlin Wrye is attending Brigham Young University- Idaho and is majoring in
Elementary Education with an emphasis, or core study, in science. She has worked with many
third graders in Teton Elementary School in eastern Idaho and individual tutoring in various
subjects with students in West Virginia and Maryland. Growing up, Miss Wrye lived in Falling
Waters, West Virginia and there she found a love for learning. She grew up in a family with
many siblings and she learned how to teach them at a young age. For fun, Miss Wrye likes to
travel. Her favorite place to visit is Washington, D.C. and touring the Smithsonian Museums and
monuments. Other places include Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and
the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Miss Wrye’s hobbies include photography, watching movies,
and reading. Currently her favorite series to read is Harry Potter. Someday she hopes to visit
countries around the world and teach children how to speak, read, and write in English. Over
many years, Miss Wrye has been learning and enhancing her
knowledge while developing her personal belief and philosophy
about education. She claims every student has an innate curiosity
for the world and how it works. As teachers, we must cultivate it
and let it flourish in each student. No matter the student, we can all
learn, grow, develop, and become a successful asset to the future.
To get the most out of learning, the student must come to the
classroom ready to learn and have a desire to increase their knowledge. A teacher can use that
readiness and help them along the path towards learning, or the teacher can distinguish that
students desire. Miss Wrye wants to guide children towards their learning the most effective way
possible, because every child deserves a chance to learn everything they can. (WC 303)

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Abstract:

Virtual field trips, or cyber field trips, are growing in popularity among public schools.
These virtual experiences allow students to see the world around them without stepping outside
the classroom. This teaching technique has been around for a few decades, but the way
curriculums employ it has changed. Before, teachers have only shown videos and pictures from
places around the world. Now, teachers can virtually place students into an environment and
allow them to explore freely. This environment can be in modern day, as if the student were
placed in this location that day, or it can be from the past so the students can see how the world
or society used to be. Every age can be catered to these virtual field trips because now there are
programs that align the Common Core Standards of teaching with the vast virtual experiences
available. Because students are not leaving the classroom to explore the world, there is less of a
financial demand from parents of the students, no chance for physical harm, and now places
around the world are accessible to every student. Some critics do not appreciate the use of virtual
field trips in the classroom. This is because it dilutes the tangibility of the world, you cannot feel
the surroundings, you are solely dependent on the screen in front of you. The use of other senses
like touch, smell, and taste which can be attained with physical field trips are not being met by
virtual field trips. Because of the strong opinions I have read online about this teaching method, I
have decided to attain my own set of opinions from those who have used virtual field trips in the
classroom. Students, teachers, and parents of teachers seem to find both advantages and
disadvantages in virtual field trips, but all have been left with a positive impression of this
teaching method. (WC 312)

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Virtual Field Trips: Are
they the next best thing?

Mrs. Baker is preparing to teach her a virtual experience. If Mrs. Baker chose
to explicitly teach out of the textbook,
5th grade class about volcanoes. She her students would not be as engaged,
has the option to teach out of the and essentially not learn as much.
textbook and give out worksheets on Because of the success of this lesson,
the material. Her other option is to Mrs. Baker decided to involve virtual
show her students a volcano so they field trips in her lessons throughout the
can study it for themselves. This may school year. Her reasons included
seem impossible, given that Mrs. increased student attention and
Baker teaches in Kansas and there are engagement to lessons, low cost
no volcanoes that her class could compared to field trips, and the ease of
physically visit within a day’s journey. implementing it into her lessons and
A fellow 5th grade teacher she works alignment to Common Core Standards.
with told her about virtual field trips.
She told Mrs. Baker that her students The lessons they have available include
can see different volcanoes around the exploring the differences between the 7
world, how they vary in shapes and continents, microorganisms in the ocean,
sizes, and see how they work all
because of the accessibility of virtual
field trips. Mrs. Baker decided to go
with implicit teaching and allowed her
students to use the virtual field trip
about volcanoes. They were curious,
excited, and engaged with the lesson,
all because they were able to explore
in a virtual experience. If Mrs. Baker
6c|hPosaegtoe explicitly teach out of the
textbook, her students would not be as
engaged, and essentially not learn as

What are virtual field trips? lessons can be found on other programs,
but science is the most popular among
Virtual field trips are an electronic teachers and students.

experience based from real world Why should teachers choose virtual
field trips instead of field trips?
experiences. Scientists and
Field trips provide experiences that
photographers team up to capture cannot be offered in virtual experiences.
The purpose of a field trip is to provide
different places or events around the students an experience to see and touch
the things they are learning about.
globe and make their footage available
Most children in public school cannot
to all students. Arizona State University afford to go on many field trips. Schools
do not set aside enough money to pay
designed virtual field trips for students for each student to go on multiple field
trips a school year. The typical field trip
to use. They describe their virtual field includes taking students to a site in the
trips as, “topic based interactive and same town the school is in. The costs of
a typical field trip include transportation
educationally rich experiences captured (bus rental and gas expenses),
sometimes an entrance fee (ticket to a
by real expeditions with scientists doing museum), and food for each child. This
current research.” The lessons they expense may be too much for a family
to make several times a school year.
have available include exploring the Virtual field Virtual field trips are accessed on a
differences as a, “topic based trips are an school-provided computer and do not
interactive and educationally rich electronic demand any money from students or
experiences captured by real experience their parents. This is the clear choice for
expeditions with scientists doing based from real teachers who are financially conscious.
current research.” The lessons they
have available include exploring the world Sometimes field trips can pose a
differences between the 7 continents, experiences. physical danger to students. With our
example of Mrs. Baker’s 5th grade class
microorganisms in the ocean, land learning about volcanoes, there is a
physical danger involved with
formations, early civilizations, and volcanoes. There is a high chance a
student could become injured with a trip
biological anthropology just to name a

few. In each of these experiences, a

series of videos introduce the topic, an

explanation of vocabulary words used

in the lesson, and an interactive map for

students to explore freely. This program

is highly informative but exclusively

for science lessons. Art, math, social

studies, history, and language arts

le7ss|oPnsacgaen be found on other
programs, but science is the most

popular among teachers and students.

There is a high chance a student could What can field trips provide that a
become injured with a trip to a volcano. A virtual experience cannot?
virtual field trip takes that physical danger
out of the trip. The senses a virtual experience can
satisfy is only sight and sound.
Accessibility is another issue with field Although these are provided in virtual
trips. If a teacher wants to take his/her field trips, they are not authentic. They
students on a field trip to a historical are recorded and displayed on a
battlefield, many aspects of this trip will computer or speakers. For a student
need to be made accessible, so every student who is studying the ocean, they can see
can go to on this field trip. Many historical the waves and hear seagulls, but the
buildings are not wheelchair accessible and smell and taste of the salt water and
that is an issue for accessibility. Teachers feeling of the wind is absent from this
need to provide field trips so every child can experience. Another experience lost is
participate, not just the majority. With the feeling you get when you are at the
virtual field trips, the accessibility is open to location. When you are standing before
most children. Every child that can operate a the ocean, you have this overwhelming
computer has access to these lessons. For a feeling of how real, deep, and large the
teacher to increase the accessibility to ocean is. Videos and pictures cannot
children who are blind and cannot see the provide this feeling, it is something not
virtual experiences, they can bring in rocks, completely understood until you are
plants, food, or any objects that can be physically there. The only thing a
found in the place being studied. teacher can provide to make up for the
lack of senses unsatisfied in a virtual
As found in the examples above, there are experience is to provide examples of
advantages and disadvantages to every what they are learning about. With the
situation, but virtual field trip’s advantages example of the ocean, a teacher can
outweigh those of field trips. A teacher’s bring in sand for students to feel and
main responsibility is to provide education walk in and sea shells to touch. This
to every student and ensure their safety. may provide additional teaching aids to
help bridge the gap between the virtual
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will never be the same as physically
being in the location. (WC 1023)

References: Field trips of the future? (2017, October
19). Retrieved from
Schaffhauser03/12/19, D. (n.d.). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
Arizona State Virtual Field Trips 2017/10/171019164220.htm
Deliver Interactive Exploration.
Retrieved from
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2
019/03/12/arizona-state-virtual-field-
trips-deliver-interactive-
exploration.aspx?s=ct_nu_280319

Virtual Field Trips – Articles & Ideas to
Inform and Inspire You. (n.d.).
Retrieved from
https://www.virtualfieldtrips.org/about_
/articles/

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Q & A: Virtual Field Trips

Because of the varying opinions on Linda Reushel, 4th grade teacher at
virtual field trips, I have asked 5 people 5 Wilmington Elementary School, in
different questions to see if it is an Wilmington OH: “I believe technology
effective teaching method. is quite useful in the classroom. It
What do you think are advantages to connects students to resources and
having technology in the classroom? people around the world.”
Gavin Wrye, ninth grader at Spring Mills
High School, Martinsburg WV: “It helps Jamie Wrye, mother of student at
us research, write essays, check grades, Spring Mills High School, Martinsburg
and learn a lot.” WV: “I think it helps kids know how to
Landon David, tenth grader at use computers so they can use them in
Martinsburg High School, Martinsburg jobs later in life. It’s helpful because
WV: “Technology can help students learn they take what they learn in school and
more than what the teacher has time or show it to me.”
the resources to teach us.”
Michael B. Thoerig, former teacher at What are disadvantages to using
Williamsport Middle School, technology in the classroom?
Williamsport MD: “Technology opens
accessibility to a wider range of venues.” Gavin: “I know sometimes when my
teacher gives us things to do on
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and not do what they are asked.”

Landon: “Technology is relied on too
much by everyone, maybe I’d learn
more if my teacher taught from the
book.”

Michael: “I think if you are too reliant
on technology to teach a class, it takes
your credibility away as a teacher. You
are allowing the PowerPoint slides to
teaching your students more than you
are.”

Linda: “Sometimes I’ll be teaching my Linda: “I love to use virtual field trips
class and my laptop dies, or a video with my 4th graders. They get to see
doesn’t load, and it disrupts my lesson.” parts of the world that would be
Jamie: “I know my kids are attached to impossible to see without
their phones all day and it sounds like technology.”
school is allowing them to use
technology during class time for Jamie: “I personally have not used it,
“research reasons”. but I know my kids do. They rave
What is your experience with virtual about them.”
field trips in the classroom?
Gavin: “I love virtual field trips! I have In what instances would virtual
only done them in my science class, but field trips be beneficial to use over
Fridays are my favorite because those field trips?
are field trip days.”
Landon: “My science teacher does Gavin: “I think it would be helpful
virtual field trips every time a new unit when the school is far away from
is introduced in the class. I like it.” places you want to see. If we didn’t
Michael: “I did not have my students live so close to Washington, D.C., it
use virtual field trips when I taught would be hard to go to the museums
middle school. I did research on it but so I guess it would be helpful to use
individual computers or tablets were not virtual field trips.”
available at the time.”
Landon: “I have friends that can’t
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virtual field trips in the classroom
helps them not feel like outcasts or
loners.”

Michael: “My daughter has spina
bifida, meaning she is restricted to a
wheelchair, and wasn’t able to attend
a lot of field trips her classes went on.
Virtual field trips would have helped
her hike the mountains and visit
Europe when the rest of her class
did.”

Linda: “I think a lot of what limits us Michael: “Field trips provide
to planning field trips is the cost. We tangible examples for students to
can’t expect parents to empty their touch and hear that virtual field
pockets for field trips when we could trips cannot provide. If I am
just have the virtual field trips for the teaching my students about the
class to use instead. It is fun to go on water cycle, my students learn
these trips, but we need to think of better by feeling the water in a
every child.” stream, seeing the clouds above
their heads, and feeling the water
Jamie: “I worry about the safety of my rain down on them. Watching a
children when they go on field trip. My video can get the point across, but
son has type 1 diabetes and it was it isn’t as efficient as seeing and
always a scary thought when he told feeling it in person.”
me his class was going on a field trip.
Who would make sure he took his Linda: “Field trips are valuable
insulin or monitored his blood sugar days for students to learn more
levels? So yes, I think for health than what their classroom
reasons, virtual field trips would be provides. I’d choose a field trip
better than field trips.” over teaching out of the book any
day.”
What are instances where field trips
would be preferred over virtual field Jamie: “I know a lot of learning
trips? happens on field trip days so
maybe because the kids are
Gavin: “I think being in the moment exposed to more things, it will
and seeing everything in person is a help them learn what a computer
better experience than seeing can’t teach them?”
something on a computer screen.”

Landon: “Seeing memorial sites
online, which are supposed to have a
reverent spirit to them, are passed over
with no reaction because there is a
disconnect with the technology.”

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Inspirational Quote for
the month:

Stay tuned for next month’s Modern Classroom article!

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