If you’ve been looking for a silver lining against the pandemic, consider this: access to virtual field trips for kids has skyrocketed since the beginning of 2020, making it easier than ever to send your class on a learning adventure across the state or around the world from the comfort of your classroom.
Not only are remote field trips less stressful – no more worrying about a student getting lost – but there’s less lost learning time overall and you don’t have to worry about getting 30 parental permission slips in time. In addition, digital field trips are usually also more cost-effective and accessible for students who live in poverty and are unable to go on an expensive overnight field trip. Some countries do charge teachers an “entry fee” for a digital field trip, but these are usually a small fraction of the cost of bus fare, meals, etc. that are included in a physical trip.
Is this your first attempt at taking your class on a digital field trip? Welcome to the fun! Like many teachers who have had to – sorry, we’re going to say it – make changes due to the pandemic, you’re in good company. Here’s what you need to know to get started!
Start with your budget
While many virtual tours are free, some have entrance fees that vary greatly. On Amazon, you can visit the wild animals of Costa Rica for less than $28, while a virtual trip to the Pacific Science Center will cost $200 for 50 participants.
Focus on your lesson plans
This may seem a bit obvious… or maybe not. The pandemic has changed a lot of things in education, and we’re still adjusting, so you may not have had time to sit down to explore all the new opportunities for teachers to explore places around the world with students that are directly tied to lessons. But even if you’re just going to take a digital trip with your students because it’s snowing outside and the kids are stuck inside during what should be your prep period, there’s probably an adventure out there that will sync up exactly with the topic you’ve been talking about!
Ask your students
Do they want to go to Disneyland? How about a visit to a volcano? The beauty of virtual field trips is that you can really go anywhere your students’ imaginations take them!