Journal # 5

Journal #5
Making field trips podtastic by Paul McGuinness is a great article for incorporating technology into field trips that could have meaning loss in transition between assignments. The interactive field trip was designed to increase student’s time at exhibits and for them to have a better understanding of the experience. A creative podcast develops a better understanding of each exhibit and allows the students many more options in ways of assessing understanding and knowledge. Ipods aren’t the only thing that can be used, PDA cell phones give students the best opportunity to take pictures, record observations and listen to meaning podcasts that can truly enhance the content of a field trip. The first initiators in the article were from the Technological centers at Harvard. They tried to keep technology withn the range of the average educator. By doing this, it makes it assessable for most to all educators to implement in the class.

Questions:
1. The first question that came to mind, is how can we get these pieces of technology to students who have no income support at home? I again thought of the fund raising of the classroom but thought maybe I could go to the board and ask for money. Maybe not..
2. My next question while reading was, what about those field trips that aren’t exhibit based? What about a field trip that is more kinesthetic? Would they be implemented then? I would think they could be, but more of a buffer before going into it. Maybe have the pod cast during the ride to the field trip or on the way back to school.