Journal 7 : The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips (NETS I & V)

Zanetis, J. (2010). The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25443&DirectListComboInd=D

The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips
     This whole article is about virtual field trips. The article talks about the two most common ones. The first is asynchronous virtual field trips. This is where they are prerecorded or just videos or auditory online. The second are interactive virtual field trips where it is live feedback on both ends called videoconferencing. There is special technology required that is more extensive than just regular computer webcams and are therefore also more expensive. With these field trips the actually get to watch things live whether it is experiencing a museum or getting to see someone explain something at NASA the ideas are endless. This article also gave a bunch of great sites for both types of the virtual field trips. Another cool thing about these videoconferencing technologies is that the people on the other end can see the students as well and they all can interact. The students can ask questions and even just have discussions with the people on the other side. This technology has been a huge help to schools that do not have money for field trips. Some of these companies give grants for this technology and some schools have just bought it since it is cheaper than the field trips. The students really get engaged and the article said it nicely by "once students get engaged in lively discussion with those on the far end, the technology becomes invisible, and the classroom walls disappear." The point of a field trip is to take a break from the routine of everyday classroom life and this does that for the students.

For what ages would this be best used for?
 I think this was best for 2nd grade and above because of how busy kindergarten and 1st grade are. I also think it might be simulation overload for the young students who have problems sitting for long periods of time. 

What types of things do they have for the subject areas?
They also can use this technology for areas such as math and language arts that have special programs for those subject areas along with the "cool" ones.