VFTs have many benefits for students
of all ages. First, the medium itself
enchants and engages. To be able to
view, hear, and interact with people
who are far away is powerful, especially if those people are articulate and
experts on the topic the students are
studying.
Second, there is no better way, short
of traveling long distances with your
students, to share the wonders of the
world while connecting them to their
studies. When studying coral reefs,
visit the Great Barrier Reef. When
teaching averages, visit the Baseball
Hall of Fame. When covering the Mesozoic period, plan a VFT to the Royal
Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. But
don’t feel limited to content providers
in obvious subject areas. For example,
your class can study simple machines
by tapping into the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection of armor and
crossbows via interactive VFT.
Janet Adams, a technology and curriculum specialist for Kings County
Award-Winning VFT Content Providers
The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) asks teachers to evaluate
interactive virtual field trip content providers each year to determine the CILC Pinnacle
Award Winners. The 2008–09 winners are:
Adventures in Medicine & Science
(AIMS) Program of Saint Louis University | http://aims.slu.edu
Center for Puppetry Arts | www.puppet.org
Cleveland Institute of Music | www.cim.edu/dl/index.php
Cleveland Museum of Natural History | www.cmnh.org
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate | www.mountvernon.org/learn/index.cfm
Hank Fincken: A National Theatre Company of One | www.hankfincken.com
HealthSpace (now part of Cleveland Museum of Natural History)
www.cmnh.org/site/classesandprograms/schoolprograms/healthed.aspx
To be able to view, hear, and interact with people who are far away is
powerful, especially if those people are articulate and experts on the
topic the students are studying.
Schools in California, states that since
their schools have started participating
in interactive VFTs, she has seen a lot
of changes in teaching and learning.
“Virtual field trips empower teach-
ers, librarians, administrators, and IT
staff to create significant opportunities
for their school to focus on a world
beyond the chain link fence,” she says.
“And I have witnessed over and over
students asking questions of museum
curators, wildlife naturalists, NASA
instructors, historians, and peers
located beyond our state borders.”
VFTs do remove the barriers
between your classroom and those
far-away people and resources. It
may seem a little strange at first to
be talking to a TV, but once students
get engaged in lively discussion with
those on the far end, the technology
becomes invisible, and the classroom
walls disappear.
Getting Started
The first thing you should do is check
around your school system to locate a
videoconferencing unit. Your district
technology coordinator should be able
to help. If you find a system, make
sure to ask if it is h.323 compatible
and capable of IP-based connections.
If you strike out there, contact
some videoconferencing equipment
vendors and ask if they can do interactive VFT demos for your school.
Don’t forget to find out if they offer
grants and assistance programs. Some
videoconferencing equipment companies such as Polycom and Tandberg,
for instance, match schools to potential funding sources and provide
grant-writing assistance.
Once the equipment is in place, you’ll
need access to quality content. The
best place to start is at the Center for
Interactive Learning and Collaboration
