I like to call these Virtual Field Trips. Sometimes I conduct a field trip by way of pictures, video, sound, and tactile exploration. This is what John Dewey would call creating an "experience" for the students. To read more about this in more understandable terms read this article by Kevin J. Pugh & Mark Girod.
I will mention also that for ESOL and ASD students visual support and scaffolding around linguistically or conceptually difficult subjects is essential. These virtual field trips offer that scaffolding and support.
There are multiple online resources for exploring challenging and abstract concepts. The digital world is a wondrous place, full of infinitely transecting and branching Yellow Brick Roads....
Check out the links on my Science page. You will find many digital and interactive options for all ages and all science subjects!
Some of these resources are interactive applets that allow students to manipulate geometry for math. Others are virtual labs for science classrooms without lab facilities. Sample this virtual phase change lab from thelearningfederation.edu. Because my area of interest is in science many of the resources I mention will be science-focused. Just do a search for the subject you are interested in and many things will come up!
Take a virtual tour of any landmark, Big Ben, using Google Earth!
And how about these interactive internet learning games. Or these online science learning videos!
I stumbled upon the Virtual Cell today while researching for a different objective (related to a class I am taking with the above Mark Girod in fact). I also found this interactive periodic table that allows me to pick an element and ask for specific properties of that element (such as atomic weight, density, boiling point, and more). Another cool resource is a 3D interactive human anatomy model! It does require a subscription fee but if you are teaching human anatomy or biology it may be worth it (and it is under $40 for a year's subscription as teacher).
An interesting website that I haven't had the time to thoroughly explore is http://nobelprize.org/educational/. There is a scrolling bar of what look like science related video/internet games. I tried the Incredible Megacell game and it reinforces some concepts that students would have to know before hand. But it will increase learning and motivation I think. Try it out!
Teachers are creating inquiry-based lessons using the Internet and the are called WebQuests. They are kind of like an information scavenger hunt online. students explore a pre-set list of websites and then create a final project with the information they found. start here to find out how to build-your-own WebQuest with various hosting sites, or find a pre-made WebQuest that fits your needs.
Has anyone played SPORE? Natural selection, genetic diversity, gene pool, synthetic biology; these are just a few ways this game can support learning. View this explanation of Spore.
(Just so that I don't loose it again, I am linking to a cell anatomy power point online by Molly Golstein for the Community School in Oregon. It has great metaphores and I want to use it in the future. Oh, and this one too.)
PLEASE NOTE! I suggest you review the content within the products I highlighted. It was brought to my attention that the content in the flocabulary science raps have some errors; They are not totally accurate academically. Please check content for accuracy before you use any of the above mentioned materials.
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