Virtual Field Trips Incorporating Blogging

Blogs can be used in so many different ways to help expand a students learning. One thing I found that is a good use of blogging is through virtual field trips. A virtual field trip is a guided exploration through the world wide web that organizes pre-screened, thematically based web pages into an online learning experience. 

These field trips can be posted on a blog which allows the student to view them from anywhere. Students would be able to access the virtual field trips and then discuss or answer questions with their classmates.

These field trips allow students who may not get to travel or have the same experiences as other students in real life get to see different places first hand through the computer. Students could go on any vacation they wanted through a virtual field trip. 

For a teacher to prepare these virtual field trips it can take as much time as going on a regular field trip. The teacher must have a purpose for the trip as well as a way to guide the students through the trip. To set the purpose for the virtual field trip the teacher needs to give the students a question that they will then be answering onto the blog. When these trips are done correctly it is a great experience for the students and to combine it with blogging makes it even better.

Blogging in the Classroom

There are many ways that I can incorporate blogging into my classroom. Since I teach first grade it is sometimes very difficult to integrate technology in a way that is appropriate for my students. I have realized that blogging is great for my students as well as their parents. Homework assignments could even be completed on a blog where parents can help their child to complete it. Parent involvement is something that I find very important to any students education. This is why creating some sort of discussion board or homework assignment through a blog would allow parents to assist their children. For parents I could post my important information and dates that they need to remember as well as newsletters or other papers that may be sent home that would allow them to access them online. For other teachers to benefit from my blog I could post ideas, pictures of activities or lessons that they could then adapt to their own classroom.

Here is a link to some good information about using blogs in the classroom:

http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/05/blogging-in-and-out-of-the-classroom/

Pinterest

While I consider myself to be very tech savvy I must say setting up parts of this blog were very challenging for me. I spent most of my time trying to get the RSS feeds set up in order to link my group members but once I figured that out I went back to doing what I normally do, searching Pinterest.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it you can find many different categories on it with ideas. The Education category is very beneficial. I usually am looking on it daily to look for new ideas or ideas that I could change to meet the needs of my own students and classroom. The "Pins" or pictures of the ideas can be clicked on and it will take you to a website or blog that someone has created. You can even find printables or templates that can be opened and printed for use. If you have never even looked at Pinterest I recommend giving it a try! Even if you don't "pin" ideas yourself it is still nice to see different ideas and thoughts out there to use with your students.

Welcome To My Blog

Welcome to my blog. I am very excited to begin blogging! I have followed many other teaching blogs to get ideas as well as some friends that moved away and now I can't wait to have my own!