Virtual Tours as a teaching tool!
   
2013-03-20 00:00:00

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.

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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:

Virtual tours - lesson idea Early Humankind small2.pdf


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!