#3 Virtual Field Trip

The other day Anna was talking about how she has never been to Vulcan before, so we decided to take a little trip. Unfortunately, we did not realize you would have to pay to get into the statue. The nice man at the ticket booth said that I could get in for free, but Anna would have to pay. The good news is with the new technology available we could go on a field trip from the comfort of Anna's room. We did a little bit of research and found that the best way to get all of the information was to look on the internet. With just a few clicks of a button we had found tons of information. The two sites that we decided to focus on were http://www.visitvulcan.com/about-vulcan.html and http://www.alabama360.com/vulcanpark/tw_vulcanpark.html. The first link is the more of the information than anything else. There is even a documentary that tells some great information about Vulcan. There are also many links like fun facts and a Vulcan timeline. I think that this might have even given me more information than a tour could have! My favorite thing that I learned about Vulcan from this website was how Vulcan was actually made. There is a link that takes you to another page on the site that tells you how Vulcan was constructed! It was really an interesting process.

The second link provided is an actual visual virtual tour. There are five different pictures that you can move around in to discover many things about Vulcan. These pictures range from the entrance to the different rooms in the Vulcan center. The only problem with this site is that you do not really get any up close pictures of the actual statue.  It seem like it gives good pictures of what it does show.

I would use this virtual field trip in the classroom two ways. The first would be to get the children ready for what they would be seeing at Vulcan. These websites give great information that can help the children get excited and already know some facts about where they are going. The second way I would use this in the classroom would be if we could not go on an actual field trip. These sites make you feel like you are actually there. There is so much information and vivid pictures present that it is almost like you have already went. Another great thing about the first link, is that there are pages specifically for the children. There are some activities that can help the children feel like they have left the classroom. Overall, the virtual field trip is a great idea. It gives the students something to experience without having to leave their seats. I think that this is an educational and fun trip that could be easily enjoyed.

Here are some pictures that we took while outside Vulcan

Hey look I am in a tree

Anna took a picture with me from her car