Virtual Field Trips For Young Learners

21st January 2022

21st century classroom demands teachers to undergo online pre and primary teacher training course. Not only this pandemic driven virtual option has made things accessible but also these programs include familiarising with virtual platforms of learning that is quite beneficial for online teaching.

At the time online program in pre and primary teaching has dramatically evolved in the shortest span to fit almost all the elements of the curriculum. One of the major aspects that has been covered is the introduction of virtual tours in place of field trips.

Virtual tours used to be one of the sources of entertainment, leisure and education until the pandemic made the entire educational system take the virtual route. With the overnight changes in education and teaching patters, the virtual tours are now a great source of learning.

Earlier it used to be majorly about visiting a museum, castle with an AI enabled guide or a particular event to attend. Now from going to a fire station to any monument, virtual tours are going to cover for the excitement that a field trip or an excursion would create.

Here are things for you to look up that would prove useful for teaching the kindergarteners and finish the school lessons…

1. A trip to the dairy farm or a livestock farm

From the process of understanding the milking procedure to selecting cows and more, this would take you through the entire process and experience that you can give your young learners with a close to real feel. Additionally, understanding the dynamics between the farm animals, how they bond with the owner/keeper, etc. helps in building meaningful relationship later. This definitely caters to develop the overall the emotional intelligence.

2. A trip to the baseball stadium

The crux of the game and the magnitude of a powerful dodge or a dunk would ready these curious minds of the kindergarteners to understand the importance of sports in life. The sense of competition and focus are the 2 important highlights of taking them on this virtual tour.

3. Learn about TV production

The TV industry is a major part of the media and now it is gradually been flipped to the world of social media. Understanding this blend and how the programming of shows and events work are critical for these young learners who are practically born in the era of technology and virtual reality.

4. Culinary skills and healthy eating

These are essential and understanding their significances while in the kindergarten would always prove to feed their independence later. From baking cookie for a snack to a wholesome meal, virtual tours in a bakery, deli, or an industrial kitchen proves beneficial for this kindergarten learners to understand resource management, measurements and compositions. Now, if you look at these aspects, a few subjects and units also get covered!

5. Nurture animals

More about animals, take them through virtual care giver themed tours projected towards animals where the young learners would learn more about how to take care of animals and consider their lives as precious as the human counterparts. Nurture love in them for animals as co-inhabitants on this planet.

6. Head to the virtual tours with the kindergarteners to see the world beyond the school and the local area.

Coral reefs, the Amazon rainforest, the Arctic, walk-in aquarium in Seattle and the African Safari would definitely keep them engaged and become aware that there is a world beyond what they have been seeing around. It grounds them because they learn the magnanimity of the planet and the Universe. In that way they learn to utilise their existential and naturalist intelligences to the best of their capabilities.

7. Community workers are backbone of the society

Get them acquainted with the service providers who are responsible of the safety, security and sanitation of our local areas. Organize virtual events to:
 

• a trip to the recycling centre
• a virtual tour on railroad works and railway safety
• learn the job of a mailman and how mail documents and receive couriers
• a trip to the fire station and develops empathy for the courageous firemen
• a trip to the police station and understands the existence of law and enforcements

8. To feed their scientific appetite, arrange virtual tour periods around various exhibits. For example;
 

• what is better than starting with a field trip to the NASA!
• let the kindergarteners to travel back in time and experience Earth.
• a trip to the Moon!

9. Lastly, make them global learners by learning about hobbies, history, cultures and more beyond their own.
 

• a visit to the zoo to explore the animals from different countries.
• learn how life of young girls and boys like them were different long time ago when they used to live like Pilgrims.
• a sneak peek into the different cultures and their individual traditions like the Inuit breathing song, Hawaiian hula dance, Assamese Bihu dance, etc.

Consider online pre and primary teacher training courses. Dig deeper and virtual field trips would open an entire new dimension of teaching. Project based learnings thrive on task-based assessments and inductive method of teaching. Virtual field trips provide the lasting benefits and help to build a sense of community among these young learners.