Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) have been around for a while but have really gained popularity in recent years. While the pandemic helped fuel some of this interest, there are a number of other reasons why VFTs have become more common. Unlike traditional field trips, VFTs harness the power of technology to transport students to distant locations and immerse them in real-world experiences without leaving the comforts of the classroom. Let’s explore a few of the benefits of utilizing a VFT in your classroom today.
 
Accessibility and Inclusivity
VFTs break down geographical barriers and financial constraints, making educational opportunities accessible to a wider audience. Students who may not have the means or resources to embark on traditional field trips can now explore historical landmarks, ecosystems, and cultural sites from the comfort of their classrooms. This inclusivity promotes equal educational opportunities and ensures that all students, regardless of their background, can participate in enriching experiences.
 
Immersive Learning
VFTs offer a level of immersion that traditional classroom settings often struggle to achieve. Through VFTs, students can explore environments as if they were physically present. This immersive experience engages multiple senses, enhancing the retention of information and fostering a more profound connection with the subject matter. For example, a biology class can virtually explore the Amazon rainforest, bringing the ecosystem to life and allowing students to observe flora and fauna in their natural habitat. Or students can go to the zoo and virtually interact with zookeepers and their animals.
 
Interdisciplinary Learning
VFTs provide a platform for interdisciplinary learning by integrating various subjects into a cohesive educational experience. A historical tour of ancient civilizations, for instance, could seamlessly blend history, geography, and anthropology, offering students a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness of different disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach not only reinforces knowledge but also encourages students to see the world through a multidimensional lens.
 
Real-World Application
The VFT experience extends beyond theoretical knowledge, allowing students to witness the real-world application of concepts learned in the classroom. For instance, a virtual visit to a space agency could provide insights into the practical applications of physics and mathematics in space exploration. This firsthand exposure to real-world scenarios enhances students' ability to connect theoretical concepts to practical situations, preparing them for future challenges and problem-solving.
 
Cultural Awareness and Global Perspective
VFTs enable students to explore diverse cultures and perspectives, fostering cultural awareness and global understanding. By virtually visiting historical landmarks, museums, or interacting with people from different parts of the world, students develop a broader worldview. This exposure helps cultivate empathy, tolerance, and an appreciation for cultural diversity, essential skills in an increasingly interconnected and globalized society.
 
VFTs are a powerful tool in education, providing students with unparalleled opportunities for exploration and learning. As technology continues to advance, the potential for VFTs to revolutionize education and inspire a new generation of learners remains limitless. As educators, embracing these innovative approaches can open doors to a world of knowledge, breaking down barriers and expanding the horizons of students in ways previously unimaginable.
 
CA BOCES Distance Learning Team is prepared to help you find the VFTs that will most benefit your students and classrooms. A great resource to start with is the Center for Interactive Learning & Collaboration (cilc.org). Here you can find hundreds of VFT opportunities! If you need help finding or booking an experience that will most benefit your students, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team! We are happy to help!
 
By:  Justin Shumaker, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Flipgrid has been a favorite of many teachers both virtually and in person. Recently, Flipgrid launched a series of weekly virtual field trips to help bring experts from around the world into classrooms to engage students. Events take place  on Wednesday at 12:00pm CST.
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January field trips are focused around the theme of literacy:

​February field trips are focused around the theme of Black History Month. 

In these sessions, students will get to hear from authors and experts who will inspire them and spark meaningful conversations. Each session also provides teachers with a link to premade activities and Flipgrid conversations to do with students beforehand and spark their thoughts leading into the event!
 
To register for Flipgrid events, go to THIS LINK where you will find all of the upcoming sessions!

By: Chelsea Lobello, CA BOCES Model Schools

​Did you know that as a part of the Distance Learning CoSer, you have access to 200+ K-12 virtual field trips already scheduled and most are recorded? These virtual field trips are from top fee-based providers scheduled out in advance for you to register for using your school email address. How amazing is that? All you need is a computer with internet access, smartboard or projector, and speakers. Set up is easy! 

FieldTrip Zoom Zone is the live event calendar where you “tune into” live educational broadcast with many other classrooms and interact in real time via the chatbox feature in zoom. How do you access Fieldtrip Zoom? Just follow the simple steps below:

Step 1: Register Your Account

1.  Go to www.fieldtripzoom.com and register your account. Click Free Sign-Up.
2.  Click Register, and an email will be sent to your email address where you will click on it to “activate” your account. Please use your school email address.
3.  Next go back to www.fieldtripzoom.com and Log In to your account. Once logged in you will be asked to complete your profile. This is a one-time set up of your profile.

Step 2: Find Your Live Event
Once logged in, you can navigate to your FieldTrip Zoom Zone calendar of subject areas. Also, you can search for programs by grade range and subject area by clicking from the search menu. Click on any subject area to expand to the program details.
**Make sure you are in the Zone calendar (not class) when booking events.**
Zone Calendar
Step 3: Book Your Event

1. Click on the BOOK button to schedule a program. An email will be sent to your email address with the information to connect to the program.
2. Save the email or add the program to your Google Calendar.
3. You do not have to cancel the event if you cannot attend it. You can view the recording at a later date.
4. You can access the recorded sessions under Zone Recordings.

​Check out the upcoming events for March on FieldTrip Zoom:
https://www.smore.com/3pzbf-field-trip-zoom-zone-march-events
For questions or assistance with Fieldtrip zoom zone, please contact Carrie Oliver.

To see a preview of what the FieldTrip zoom events look like, check out this recorded session: ​https://player.vimeo.com/video/393456875

By: Carrie Oliver, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Would you like to connect you students to an expert in your field, have your students experience something specific to your content area, or extend a topic?  What about a really cool review activity that you don't have to create or manage?  Then look no further!  For districts that participate in the Distance and Online Learning CoSer 420, you have the world at your fingertips.  We offer virtual field trips for all grade levels and content areas.  We will even take care of the tech connections for you!  Here are some examples of what is available:
 
The Constitution at Work 
Flagler's Flippers Fins and Fun Facts
Science of Seeking Snacks: Learn About Your Senses Through Mantis Research 
Homestead Act of 1862 
Ship to Shore- EarthEcho Expeditions: PlasticSeas Virtual Field Trip 
America's Signs & Symbols


For more information and other suggestions for virtual field trips, contact:

• Karen Insley: (716)376-8281 or [email protected] 
  
• Carrie Oliver: (716)376-8270 or [email protected]

Have you thought about connecting your class to an expert in the field, but don't know where to start?  There are plenty of FREE and bee-based trips for you to choose from.  Simply follow the easy steps below to open the doors for your class.
 

1. Navigate in your browser to our CA BOCES VFT Search site: http://caboces.org/iss/distance-learning/scheduling-virtual-field-trip-or-collaboration
   
2. Search by following the steps listed on the page.a)Contact Karen Insley at  or (716)376-8281 OR Carrie Oliver at [email protected] or (716)376-8270 to see if your school budgets money for VFTs and for help with the search process.
   
3. When you have found a VFT for your class, register here and Carrie will set up your VFT, including the tech connection.  

 
What are you waiting for?  Imagine your class interacting with a zoologist, a park ranger, or a musician…all from the comfort of your school!  

On August 14th, ELA teachers from the region connected to the Globe Theatre in London to learn and explore the play Macbeth with the guidance of a Shakespearean actor.  The teachers spent approximately three hours with the actor as they explored ideas to help bring Macbeth to students in their classrooms in new or different ways.  Plans are in the works for another connection with the Globe Theatre.  Stay tuned for more details!
 
Constitution Day is September 17th.  Check out these resources for grade level appropriate content.

•  www.constituionday.com
• Interactive Constitution on the website of the National Constitution Center.  You can explore it here: https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution
• National Archives for Constitution Day. https://www.archives.gov/education/distance-learning

How will you celebrate our Constitution?
 
International Dot Day will happen near September 15th.  The day is based on the book, The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.  You can find more information about the international events here:  www.thedotclub.com and follow email blasts from our Distance Learning Team.
How can we connect your students to the world around them?

By:  Karen Insley, CA BOCES Coordinator for Distance Learning

Take your students on a trip...without leaving the classroom.  Virtual field trips are a great way to connect your students with experts from around the world.  Download our May Virtual Field Trip guide.  

Schedule a trip:  
Carrie Oliver, 716-376-8270, [email protected]
Karen Insley, 716-376-8281, [email protected] 

Last week District Superintendent Lynda Quick, Esq. learned that Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES has been awarded a grant for $466,686 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant, known as the Rural Utility Service (RUS) Distance Learning grant, will be implemented by Cattaraugus Allegany BOCES and eleven area school districts to upgrade video conferencing equipment and other technologies.

The equipment upgrades will provide all three Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers, as well as Belfast, Bolivar-Richburg, Cuba-Rushford, Franklinville, Friendship, Genesee Valley, Hinsdale, Olean, Salamanca, Scio, and Wellsville Central School Districts, with new portable, high definition video conference capabilities that schools will use to provide students and teachers with a variety of distance learning opportunities including videoconference courses, virtual field trip experiences, and expanded access to nanotechnology capabilities.

This is not the first USDA RUS Distance Learning grant received by Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES and component school districts. The Distance Learning Team at CA BOCES has been applying for and receiving RUS grants since 1997, resulting in eight previous awards and millions of dollars in equipment for our schools.

“Over the years, USDA funding has built a virtual school in our region," stated Lynda Quick. Over forty virtual classes connect via video conference every single day, allowing schools to share the instructional expertise of their outstanding faculty members. Additionally, hundreds of students to take other online courses because of this funding. These virtual courses are critical in expanding offerings in small rural schools that, over time, have been stripped of the ability to offer many (or any) AP, college credit, or elective courses to their students.
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Lynda Quick also shared, "This award helps put a dent in leveling the playing field. It helps our students build a transcript that can be competitive in the post-secondary arena." Grant implementation will begin immediately.

Cattaraugus and Allegany County classrooms have reached an all-time high traveling virtually across the globe.  Since the start of school 2,592 students have experienced opportunities to gain real world knowledge of various cultures from around the world.  Historically, December Virtual Field Trips average 20 connections, but this year, Santa came to our region and brought our total to 103 trips in 3 weeks!

​CA BOCES sends monthly trip highlights out to your Curriculum Coordinators, Tech Integrators, and Principals, so keep an eye out for these exciting opportunities. Some of these opportunities included National Distance Learning Week that was held November 7-11 in conjunction with the NYS Distance Learning Consortium. National DL Week allowed districts across the region to experience fee-based trips for free so that districts who had never seen a virtual field trip before could take part in this event. We expanded on these meaningful experiences at the NYS Middle School Association by showing districts how easy it was to connect to Ghana, Africa. 

What better way to develop communication skills with students helping them to express their ideas culturally and academically through media sources.  Students have opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions on curriculum topics, contrast cultural differences, and build language and logic to address details in directions. Below are some examples of content based trips:

• Global Connections:  Africa, Alaska, England, Jerusalem
• Themed Classroom Collaborations:  Monster Match, Brown Bear, Turkey Disguises, The Mitten Project
• Zoos, Museums, Aquariums:  Buffalo Zoo, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Aquarium of the Pacific, Cleveland Museum of Natural Science/History
• Curriculum-based Connections:  Discovery Center of Springfield, Center for Puppetry Arts, LearnCo, Football Hall of Fame,
• Authors and Experts in the Field:  Author Brad Tassell, Cleveland Clinic, Career Connections for Nursing, Pilots, Culinary Arts, and more

Let CABOCES help you and your students take your next field trip virtually.  All you need to do is click on the link below to see what’s on the calendar for upcoming trips: 
http://www.caboces.org/iss/distance-learning/virtual-field-trips
Or to search for your own classroom topic, you can do a keyword search and see the hundreds of trips available by clicking on this link:
https://projects.twice.cc/vcpd/searchprogram.php
 
Or, to let us search for a trip for you!  All you have to do is click on this link, and we will take of the rest.  You will just need to fill out the request form and we will arrange to take your students around the world, into space, or even back in time! 
 
http://www.caboces.org/iss/distance-learning/virtual-field-tripcollaboration-request-form
           
If you would like to learn more about virtual learning experiences, please contact Carrie Oliver at 716-376-8270 or Betsy Hardy at 716-376-8281 for more information.  The opportunities are endless.  

By:  Betsy Hardy, CA BOCES Learning Resources

This spring, two classrooms at Cattaraugus-Little Valley have been communicating with two schools in London.  Learning Resources at CA BOCES helped facilitate the connections between the two schools.  The students were all very excited and eager to interact with each other.

Mrs. Christopher’s 3rd grade class connected with Mrs. Begum’s 4th grade class at Red Bridge Primary School on Tuesday, June 2nd and talked about a variety of topics.  Mrs. Christopher’s students walked through slides in a PowerPoint that showcased different classrooms, teachers and activities that they have here at Cattaraugus-Little Valley.  The students from London asked a variety of questions about the number of students, the school mascot and what students here did during the day.  Mrs. Begum’s class in London taught the students at Cattaraugus Little Valley about landmarks in London, what their neighborhood around the school looked like, and shared information about their school.  At Red Bridge Primary School there are 21 classes and a nursery. Each year the grade levels have three classes with about 30 students in each class. 

Later in June Mrs. Urbanski’s 2nd grade class will also make a Polycom connection with another school in London.  The teachers in London reached out and stated that they would like to continue connecting next fall.


By: Mark Carls and Kristen Meiers, CA BOCES

Photos:  NASA and Bolivar-Richburg Central School 

What's out there in space? How do we get there? How do you live in space?  These are some of the questions that were answered for Bolivar-Richburg Elementary students.  Over 300 elementary students and teachers were invited to a Virtual Field Trip Showcase event that took place in their school on Friday, March 28, 2014.  Each grade had the opportunity to have the world brought to their classroom through Distance Learning.  Students sat patiently as Scientists, Firefighters, and Museum experts talked with the students about space, habitats, building communities, and fire safety.