There are 3 stages in hosting a Virtual Field Trip

1. Preparing for the Virtual Field Trip
2. Conducting the Virtual Field Trip
3. Reflection and review of your Virtual Field Trip
 

Stage 1: Preparing for the Virtual Field Trip

1. Select the location, dates and purpose of the actual field trip.
2. Other optional  events to consider:
• Other adult involvement
• Web publishing
• Creating digital images
• Creating digital video or audio
• Experts online
• Using live chat (Remember to consider your partner's time zone)
3. Send an email advertising you are looking for a remote class as a partner. Include the following information about the field trip. You can do this by sending a general advertisement via an email list or by sending an email directly to a school registered in a schools' directory and inviting them to join you.

(It is advisable to give at least 4 weeks warning, longer is even better)
 
1. Your name and position.
2. Your school
3. Your email address
4. The details of the location you are visiting (this may be in the immediate school vicinity.)
5. The dates you would like to work together. Include a lead up as well as a follow up.
6. The actual dates of your visit if you are going off site.
7. Your purposes in doing this project
4. Places to advertise your Virtual Field Trip
• Email an advertisement for the Virtual Field Trip to various email lists depending on where you would like  to locate a partner. Remember to include a description of what a Virtual Field Trip is. You can copy this from the web page and paste it in your message.
• Register your Virtual Field Trips on the following lists. Click here
• Using Schools Directories to find a partner for a Virtual Field Trip
  Go to one of the schools directories on the Internet. oz-TeacherNet has a collection you could use. Select some schools and send an email asking if they have a teacher who might be interested. You will need to tell them about Virtual Field Trips and tell them the age of the students and the time you want to run your trip. This can be for either hosting or becoming the remote class.

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Stage 2: Conducting the Virtual Field Trip

1. Preparation for the trip
• Before the actual Field Trip departs, your class and your partner class should work together on the topic to be investigated during the tour. This may be an in-depth partnership or a more casual relationship.
 
2. Logistics
• Before departing on the Virtual Field Trip, make sure you test your Internet connection and computer if you are using a laptop while you are away.
• Consider if you will need access to a printer while you are on location.
• You may be relying on the computer and Internet connection available on site at the location for the field trip, so have them send you an email to test their connection. Remember to take the email address for your email and your partner class.
• You may be just collecting information while you are away to post on your return. In this case you will need to make sure you have allocated someone to be responsible for finding out the answers to each of the questions that your partner class has sent.
• Prepare your digital camera, video camera, or tape recorder by making sure you have power cables, charged batteries, and any connection cables to the computer.
 
3. During the visit.
• Find information as requested by your partner class and record this.
• If sending email while on location, send messages and check for additional questions.
• Collect additional information that may be of interest for the partner class based on what you know about their objectives and what captures your interest at the location.
 
4. On your return to class.
• Document the  information as requested by your partner class and send this. You might consider using a variety of genre such as reports, interview transcripts, diagrams and photographs.
• Send email messages and check for additional questions.
• Continue the dialogue with the partner class to meet their needs as well as your own.

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Stage 3: Reflecting and reviewing your Field Trip

1. Share your teaching ideas via the email list vft-teachers@rite.ed.qut.edu.au

 
2. Relax... pat yourself on the back for a job well done, put your feet up and start looking for your next destination.

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Copyright © 1995-. RITE Group, QUT All rights reserved. Last revision: January 2001 Project Support Officer:Deborah Kember URL: http://rite.ed.qut.edu.au/oz-teachernet/projects/virtual-field-trips/