Friday, February 12, 2010

Week 6 PLE Post

1. Other sensory experiences that might enhance a virtual tour are: Touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste. For example, let's take a virtual field trip to a string instrument shop where violins, violas, cellos, and basses are made.
It would be fun to virtually travel to different places around the globe to see where they are located and how they are set up including a guided tour through one of them. Now let's include some other senses: Touch (raw wood used to make violins could be brought in to be explored). Smell (varnish and wood stains could be brought in to get the smell of what a real violin shop would smell like). Sight (carving tools for the children to look at, and a real violin or other string instruments to see). Sound (a musician to play live music on a violin, viola, cello, and bass....a string quartet...now that would really enhance the listening experience). Taste (not a lot that needs to be tasted for this experience).


2. Virtual field trips that I downloaded and watched were: The 7 wonders of the World- I liked that it was the natural wonders and I learned about a few I did not know existed. James and the Giant Peach- I loved this idea. Children's books are one of my favorite past times and I would not of thought to use one for the idea of a virtual field trip. I had fun. Pearl Harbor WWII- I have been to Pearl Harbor and it is quite the experience to be there in person. This tour did a nice job touching on some of the main events that happened. It can't replace the actual experience going, but very thought out.


3. The plus side of a virtual tour in the classroom is..... money is no object! As a teacher you would have the opportunity at your fingertips to show and teach students about almost anywhere in the world. The downside to a virtual tour would be the simple fact that nothing can replace the real deal. Seeing a cow pasture with cows in it is a completely different experience then being in the cow pasture with the smell, touch, and sounds of what it is really like. So, as a teacher every lesson would not be replaced with a virtual field trip, but it would enhance the learning of places you know you could never take your students to.

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