How a teacher used live virtual field trips to involve students

March 10, 2021

Rick DeBruhl talked with Candace Greene, 4-8th Grade Art Teacher, Alhambra Elementary School District. With schools turning to virtual learning, many teachers found it difficult to get kids inspired to learn. Many teachers employed virtual field trips enhancing what they were already doing. An art teacher shared what she did to bring learning alive for her students. Greene takes her student to live virtual art field trips. The students write about trips, give feedback, and send thank-you notes to places and/or presenters in their class. The students are more interested in art and history.

Greene talked about how she came up with the idea. She said at the beginning of the school year it was really hard for her to get children to show up to class and to turn in assignments. She said she only had about 40% of students coming to class. Greene said when she was talking in an online class, no one would respond and she would be talking to herself. She said she loves field trips and wanted to do something to get students excited to come into the verbal classroom. We ask how successful it was. She said it was very successful. She decided if she was going to stay out for the second quarter she was going to try these live virtual field trips.

She took her iPad and talked from the mirrors for a couple of days. She now has a 99% attendance. All of her students are participating more by typing in the chat, turn their cameras on, and asking questions. She said she started at the barrio café in Phoenix. After doing a couple of places in Phoenix SeaVenture to Tucson. She went to the art museums and the botanical gardens. After that, she kept going. She has also visited the Grand Canyon, the petrified forest, and the painted desert. She has also visited Sedona and Williams.

She said she tries to go anywhere that she can safely social-distance and be somewhere the kids will love. We talk about some of the places the children connected the most. The children asked her to go there again, so she has gone there twice. We also talk about some of the other teachers that are incorporating Greene‘s ideas and taking their students on virtual field trips.