Virtual Field Trip Reflection

For this project I created a "virtual field trip" of Spain consisting of three parts. The first part has the students researching basic information about Spain to become acquainted with the area and its characteristics. The second section lets the students explore Spain in a more up-close and personal way by using Google Earth to explore the streets of Spanish cities while looking for specific landmarks. Lastly, the students will form groups and give a presentation on the differences that they noticed while virtually traveling through Spain. In this presentation the students will also research an assigned region of Spain and share their findings with the class.

This project relates well to standard 2.a. of the NETS-T standards "Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity." This project puts digital tools to use to help students learn relevant and current information about Spain. Links and tutorial videos are provided to guide the students through the project, and the amazing capabilities of the Google Earth are taken advantage of to give the students a new and exciting experience.

In developing this virtual field trip I have learned more about the Google Sites program; how to format my website, and how to include links & videos. I also learned about the capabilities in Google Earth and got an idea of how I might be able to realistically incorporate it into a classroom.

In the future I would like to learn about more interactive programs available on-line, and I would like to learn more about web design.