I really enjoyed reading the article that spoke about using Google Lit Trips to allow children to take a virtual field trip during their literature study of the Orphan Train. Google Lit Trips seems like a really great tool in that it allowed the students in this article to almost literally travel along the same path as the Orphan Train. This seems to be a very powerful and useful tool, as it can simulate the experience of travelling to a place, enabling students to engage in true experiential learning and gain a deeper knowledge of the places they read about in literature.
One of the benefits of having a technology-based field trip, as opposed to a regular field trip is that in using technology students have the option of exploring places, like Europe or Africa, which they may not be able to physically travel to. In addition, based on my own experience it seems that children are so enthralled with technology that integrating in any type of educational media makes learning more engaging students. Since students retain more information when they enjoy what they learn, using technology tools in the classroom, like Google Lit Trips, will help to create memorable experiences for students.
I myself had the opportunity to experience the advantages of Google Earth earlier today when I was travelling to somewhere I had never been before. In using Google Earth I was able to get a detailed view of the route I would be taking, allowing me to become more knowledgeable in the geography of this area and feel more comfortable travelling to there. Reading this article makes me feel intrigued about the exciting possibilities that this technology holds for the classroom. I am looking forward to learning more about tools, like Google Lit Trips, and integrating it into my instruction.
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