Chapter 6
Fostering Online Learning with Educational Websites and Apps
1.) Virtual Field Trips
2.) Interactive Video Conferencing
3.) Online Learning and Virtual Schools
Virtual Field Trips
Virtual field trips are a great way to enhance a lesson without even leaving your classroom. These field trips can change the entire mood of a subject. They allow the students to not only learn about the subject to actually see the subject. For instance when teaching children about different states you could add a virtual field trip of the state into the lesson. I found a great virtual field trip about Washington D.C.
Interactive Video Conferencing
Video conferencing is a great tool to use within your classroom. By using it you can have guest speakers from all around the world speak to your students in a matter of seconds. With video conferences your students are able to see the speaker as well as interact with them. Your students will be able to ask questions and get answers from a real live person.
Online Learning and Virtual Schools
Online virtual schools are a new way of teaching students without them leaving their household. This is a great way for students that move around a lot to stay in the same school. Online schooling is also a way to help students that are picked on or tormented stay in school. Online schooling is not just about the students, its also about the teachers. Online school creates many new jobs for teachers and also allows teachers with children to work at home. I found a great article about online schooling and how it affects both teachers and students.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc
Pandolfo, N. (2012, June 13). The Teacher You've Never Met: Inside an Online High School Class. Retrieved November 7, 2014, from http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2117085,00.html
Scuderi, M. (2014, November 7). Video Con. by myro333 - ToonDoo - World's fastest way to create cartoons! Retrieved November 7, 2014, from http://www.toondoo.com/View.toon?param=8105530
Zook, K. (2012, July 25). A Virtual Field Trip to DC. Retrieved November 7, 2014, from http://youtu.be/aEnfCvp90G8
Great article about online teaching - I believe it will continue to grow as an option for both students and teachers. As it mentions, though, there needs to be considerable more thought and action about setting up the environment to be an effective one and to do so, there is considerable training needed. The support is not often there and many times teachers have to work through preconceptions of the work (i.e., sometimes considered 'easy' - just like students misunderstand it!).
ReplyDeleteI hope you will be able to take advantage of both the virtual field trips and video conferencing opportunities in your own classroom. It is amazing how prevalent they are now and what great learning can occur.