Things a teacher should know about organizing virtual tours

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Organizing a virtual tour for your students can be an enriching and engaging educational experience. It is cost-effective, safe, flexible practice that inspires curiosity and empowers students to become informed global citizens.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you plan and execute a successful virtual tour:

1. Choose a Destination: Select a destination or site that aligns with your curriculum objectives and the interests of your students. Consider historical landmarks, museums, cultural sites, or natural wonders that offer virtual tours or immersive experiences online.

2. Research Tour Options: Explore available virtual tour options for your chosen destination. Look for interactive 360-degree tours, guided video tours, or virtual reality experiences that provide an immersive and informative exploration of the site.

3. Preparation and Pre-Tour Activities:

• Provide students with background information about the destination, its significance, historical context, or key features. This can include readings, videos, or multimedia resources.
• Introduce students to the tour platform or technology they'll be using and ensure they have access to any necessary devices or software.

4. Schedule the Tour: Set a date and time for the virtual tour that accommodates your class schedule. Coordinate with the tour provider if necessary to ensure availability and access to the tour platform.

5. Create Engagement Activities:
   • Develop activities or discussion prompts to engage students before, during, and after the virtual tour. These can include pre-tour questions, observation tasks during the tour, and post-tour reflections or assignments.
   • Encourage students to take notes, ask questions, and interact with the tour guide or content during the virtual tour experience.

6. Conduct the Virtual Tour:
   • Start the tour on time and ensure all students have access to the tour platform or link.
   • Facilitate engagement during the tour by encouraging students to participate, ask questions, and share their observations.
   • Provide guidance and support as needed, especially for technical issues or navigation challenges.

7. Post-Tour Activities:
   • Debrief with students after the tour to discuss their impressions, insights, and any questions or observations they had during the experience.
   • Assign follow-up activities such as reflective writing assignments, research projects, or creative presentations inspired by the virtual tour.
   • Encourage students to share their experiences and learning outcomes with their peers or through presentations.

8. Reflection and Integration:
   • Reflect on the effectiveness of the virtual tour in achieving your learning objectives and consider how you can integrate similar experiences into future lessons.
   • Explore ways to extend learning beyond the virtual tour by connecting the experience to ongoing curriculum themes or future learning activities.

The list of free virtual field trip resources is diverse. You can find suitable resources to teach about cultures, historical events, and natural phenomena in a form of a virtual field trip.

Here under this post I suggest to share virtual field trip resources and tools you know, you have already used or you would like to try.

Or tell us about your practice of organizing a virtual field trip (where, why, how).

Here is an idea how to organize your virtual tour with Google maps Treks https://www.google.com/intl/en/maps/about/treks/#/grid - a collection of images from the Galapagos Islands, to the Eiffel Tower, to Mt. Everest, the Amazon or the Great Barrier Reef.

These ‘treks’ are composed of a series of modules that help tell the story of each location. Interactive elements such as 360 views, or Street View audio tours have been included to enhance the immersive aspect.
The website has tons of learning potential. Google Maps can be useful for teaching subjects such as
• Geography
• History
• World Languages
• 🧮 Mathematics
• Arts
• Technology

For instance, The Great Barrier Reef image collection https://www.google.com/intl/en/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/oceans/ can be perfectly integrated in the lesson about biodiversity, role of the global oceans in Sustaining the Planet and global warming.

Do you have any more ideas how and where the Google maps Treks can be used?

Organizing virtual tours requires meticulous planning and attention to detail. Teachers should be well-versed in the technical aspects of the platforms they'll be using, ensuring they can troubleshoot any issues that may arise during the tour. It's crucial to create engaging content that keeps students focused and interested throughout the experience. Additionally, teachers should have a thorough understanding of the subject matter being presented, as well as the ability to adapt the tour based on students' questions and interests. Clear communication with students beforehand regarding expectations and guidelines for participation is also essential for a smooth and successful virtual tour.

@Bousl2336873cb4
"Empowering students through engaging education, fostering environmental consciousness, and advancing scientific literacy. Committed to shaping future leaders in Life and Earth Sciences." this mission

@Ana_moderator

I thin in Environmental Science could be an amazing tool. If we use the Galapagos Islands or the Amazon Rainforest treks to study ecosystems, conservation efforts, and the impact of human activity on biodiversity we can have positive results for being interesting. These treks can help students visualize and understand ecological concepts and environmental issues that could be applied in our Puerto Rico island.

If you are a teacher of history, you might find it interesting to explore the story of Anna Frank and her house in relation to the World War II and the Holocaust.

The meseum of Anna Frank has it's website https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/web-and-digital/ and provides a virtual tour https://www.annefrank.org/en/anne-frank/secret-annex/

@Ana_moderator engaging students with virtual tours could be a great idea specially in terms of inco operating Ai related teaching strategies. Here I would like to add Accommodations. Ensure the virtual tour is accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Provide subtitles, transcripts, or alternative formats if needed..also we need to look for free virtual tour resources and platforms to minimize costs.

@Ana_moderator

Hi Ana,

Hope everything os going well. When you mentioned virtual tours, I just thought about the potential to revolutionize the way that individuals with autism explore and interact with the world around them. In my project I used virtual tours to offer a safe and controlled environment that can be tailored to meet the needs of my students, providing opportunities for exploration, learning, and engagement.

Anticipation is so important for students with autism to avoid anxiety. This involve preparing for future events to reduce uncertainty and stress. Leveraging tools such as visual schedules, social stories, virtual tours and countdown timers, provide a clear and predictable structure for them. Tantrums are very difficult to handle sometimes. By implementing these strategies, my students with autism can experience reduced anxiety and a greater sense of control and stability. Which is good to promote a better learning environment.
 
Here is a link to access a guide to create a virtual field trip for our students, Enjoy! Is very interesting

https://www.thinglink.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-creating-your-first-virtual-field-trip/

Best,
Mr. Bryan

@Bousl2336873cb4

That is so true Bousl,

A thorough understanding of the subject matter is crucial for us as teachers, as it enables us to provide accurate and comprehensive information for our students. Moreover, the ability to adapt based on students' questions and interests is equally important. Thir voice is so important in the resources we present for them. In my classroom that is fundamental to create predictability and structure to calm anxiety in my students with special needs.

This flexibility and democracy not only keep students engaged but also ensures that their curiosity is nurtured, making the learning experience more personalized and meaningful. Adapting the tour to cater to students' interests can transform a standard lesson into a dynamic and interactive exploration, fostering a deeper connection to the subject matter.

I would like to make a virtual tour of the Bioluminescent Mosquito Bay in Vieques, a municipality island of Puerto Rico. We have so many places to visit with this kind of immersive technology.

Best,
Mr. Bryan