Virtual Field Trips

Laurel Rosenhall's article for sacbee.com details the use of virtual field trips (via video screens, etc) as a replacement for the lack of real field trips due to funding. While I agree that "virtual visits are...better than no visits at all," I don't think virtual field trips are the answer. The emphasis on standardized testing and budget cuts has all but eliminated the elements that made school great and interesting (music class, art, drama, after school activities, electives, field trips). Instead of giving in to this decline and finding substitutes, we should be fighting for their return.

However, this doesn't mean that I don't see any good in virtual field trips. The JASON Project is a good use of this technology. In these field trips, students were able to "visit" places that would be completely out of reach for the average person, such as the depths of the sea, the Amazon, or outer space. The video conferencing field trips allowed students to ask scientists questions, see areas that most people would never experience on their own, and delve deep into scientific issues. This type of field trip adds to their curriculum and experience--it does not replace the other types of field trips. But the field trips featured in Rosenhall's article deprive students of the multi-sensory experience and sense of fun that local field trips provide.