Virtual Tours as a teaching tool!
We want to make our lessons exciting and authentic, but often cost doesn't allow us to take our learners on outings every time we begin learning something new.
In the modern classroom, we have a wonderful resource at our disposal that can assist us by making our teaching and learning experiences authentic and enticing to the children.
Most often these resources are free - these resources are virtual tours.
There are so many options on the Internet, when you begin looking you will be surprised. In most instances you would need Adobe flash, java and / or quicktime to run the virtual tours.
Teaching ideas:
- Create a lesson "tour route" which your learners could follow, as you show them what you want them to learn. On a 'word document' hyperlink the various virtual tours, with some instructions.
- Convert it into a PDF
- Post the PDF on the schools website, learning management system (such as Moodle) or email it to the learners.
- Learners can begin exploring and learning!
Flip your classroom, by encouraging the students to investigate and explore the information on their own before doing the topic within the classroom.
Have a look at the lesson idea:
View some of virtual tours - begin the journey:
History & Geography
Ancient Italy - This website shows all the paces in Italy that contain virtual links. Click on the tours you want to observe:
http://www.italia.it/en/media/virtual-tours.html
Ancient Greece - The Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens
http://www.worldtour360.com/360.php?country=Greece&swf=Parthenon20110118&lang=en
The Roman Baths, in Bath, England
http://www.britishtours.com/360/the-roman-baths
Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England
http://www.britishtours.com/360/stonehenge-at-dawn
The Eiffel Tower (very cool - 360 degree aerial panorama)
http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Eiffel-Tower-Paris-France
Iguasa Falls, Argentina - Brazil
http://www.airpano.ru/files/Brasil-Argentina-Iguazu-Falls-2012/2-2
Taj Mahal, India
http://www.airpano.com/files/Taj-Mahal-India/2-2
Languages, for example - English
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
http://www.britishtours.com/360/anne-hathaways-cottage
The Arts
The Louvre http://musee.louvre.fr/visite-louvre/index.html?defaultView=rdc.s46.p01&lang=ENG
Science and technology
Cape Town Medical museum http://www.virtualsouthafrica.com/capetown/tours/capemedicalmuseum/index.htm
The Smithsonian http://www.mnh.si.edu/vtp/1-desktop/
There are so many more virtual tours to use in the class!
Enjoy exploring and making your lessons authentic and realistic!