High Quality
Open the downloaded document, and select print from the file menu (PDF reader required).
034
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
feature
034
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
WHERE WILL WE GO TODAY?
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
035
feature
School e xcursions are taking on a whole new dimension with the ad vent o f videocon ferencing. You can now take your class to many places around the world without lea ving the classroom!
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
035
Videoconerencing provides many opportunitiesor teaching and learning, but one o the mostinteresting is the virtual excursion. There is a wealtho content in ar away art galleries, museums,zoos and science centres, and now studentscan take advantage o these resources through avideoconerencing visit.Imagine taking your class to meet the roboticTriceratops and Tyrannosaurusrex dinosaursat Adventure Science Center in Nashville; on aMission to Mars Challenge with NASA; or divingon the ree with Ree HQ in Townsville? You can doall o this or less than it would cost you to take theclass to the local aquarium! A virtual excursion allows you to link live viavideoconerence to a place o interest and interactwith local experts. You can take students to placesthey would never be able to visit in person and haveexperiences that may not be possible in person. Your students will be able to participate in livedemonstrations and ask questions o the presenters.The presenters are very skilled at involving studentsand this will certainly not be a case o ‘sit and listen’.There are hundreds o virtual excursions you canexperience via videoconerence. Below are just aew examples.
Adventure Science Center
The Adventure Science Center in Nashville, USAoers a range o programs on subjects rom bonesto dinosaurs to magnets. They range in price rom$95USD to $150USD – that is or the whole programnot per student.One example is Dinosaur Discoveries, which isoered or a range o year levels. Students learnthe acts about dinosaurs through ossil replicasand animal artiacts and nd out how scientistsdraw conclusions about the structure and behavioro dinosaurs based on observations o animalsliving today. They also meet the Center’s roboticTriceratops and Tyrannosaurusrex dinosaurs. Theee or a 45-minute program is $150USD.
NASA Digital Learning Network
NASA oers some antastic programs and they areall ree o charge. One example is Planet Hopping:Exploring the solar system with mathematics.Questions addressed in this session are: Howis each planet in our solar system unique? Howhigh can you jump on Mars? How high can youjump on Mercury? In this highly interactive sessionstudents use mathematics to explore and learncharacteristics o planets in our solar system andthey get to tour the universe with NASA.NASA provides a set o materials that you candownload rom the web and they encouragestudent participation rom the planning stageonwards. They engage in advanced emailcorrespondence to tailor the session to t the
By
Carol Daunt Skyring
036
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
feature
school's curriculum and suggest that questions orthe presenter should be sent in advance to ocusthe presentation on the group's specic needs.
Introduction to Australia's GreatBarrier Reef
Wherever you are in the world, you can experiencethe Great Barrier Ree with Ree Videoconerencing.Thousands o students around the world participatein this program each year. During this underwateract-nding mission, your class is transported tothe Coral Ree and Predator exhibits at Ree HQ.This 60-minute program costs $295. Your Ree Videoconerencing experience issupported by comprehensive teaching materialsdesigned to educate students about a range omarine issues. The virtual excursion begins witha ‘Dry Presenter’ who introduces participants toRee HQ Aquarium and the Great Barrier Ree. Ascuba diver then takes students on a virtual divein the Coral Ree and nishes in the Predator Tankwith sharks and other ree predators. During thesession, your students can see and hear the diverand ask questions that will be answered immediatelyrom underwater.
New York Institute of TechnologyCulinary Arts Center
This Center is a leader in culinary education andoers its lessons to learners worldwide throughvideoconerencing. Students can explore oods,nutrition, and cultural cuisine without ever leavingthe classroom. They oer a variety o lessonsor learners rom the elementary level to higherlearning and proessional enrichment. A avouriteis the chocolate trufe making class – where youget to eat the results!
Organizing a Virtual Excursion
A videoconerence virtual excursion is easy toorganize through one o the online databaseslisting available content. Simply go to thedatabase, enter the topic, subject and/or theplace you want to visit and you will be given arange o options to choose rom. Each one hasan overview o the program, the cost, optionsor connection speed and inormation on howto book. Booking is usually through an onlineorm or email directly to the content provider.There are two great online databases or ndingvirtual excursions:
Polycom Videoconference ProgramDatabase
This searchable content database oers accessto more than 1,500 programs rom over 230content providers. Updated daily, the databasecontains content opportunities rom suchorganizations as Global Nomads Group, theCleveland Institute o Music and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, to name a ew. See:http://moourl.com/polycomdb
They offer a variety of lessons forlearners from the elementary levelto higher learning and professionalenrichment.
Add a Comment