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Let's Be Clear on Content Creation vs. Content Curation | Agorapulse

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Let's Be Clear on Content Creation vs. Content Curation | Agorapulse

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Content Creation versus Content Curation ... which is best for your brand? This is the hot debate raging in the marketing world.

Content Creation is the process of creating your own content from scratch and marketing it to your followers or subscribers.

Content Curation is the process of gathering existing information like blogs, social media posts or, ebooks relevant to a particular topic and sharing it with your brand's followers.

Content curation is huge: only 5% of marketers surveyed said they never share third party content. Perhaps it could be said that explosion of content curation stems from time constraints as 64% of content creators struggle daily to produce enough quality content to establish an engaged audience and populate each of their social channels.

However there is still a certain stigma attached to content curation - especially from CEOs and even CMOs who quiver, "But we don't want to lose our customers" or "Isn't that just stealing?" If your brand is still getting into content marketing, there's a good chance that you are grappling too.

So let's take a look at the pros and cons of content creation and content curation.

Why You Should Create Content

1. It Generates Leads- If you are creating content such as an ebook, whitepaper or webcast as bait for your landing page then it needs to be original. A recent MarketingSherpa report found that 75% to 80% of marketers cited lead generation as their number one priority. By creating original content, you can easily insert branded images, logos, links and most importantly CTA (Call to Action) buttons.

2. The Content Belongs To You- If you are working in a strictly regulated industry like finance, then you need to be careful because there's a fine line between curation and copying. Even sharing a link from another organization can leave you open to a fine if you don't cite the source properly. Additionally if the information contained in the link is incorrect you may be held liable!

3. It Drives Traffic- Google loves original content especially if it's useful and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) friendly. In an ideal world, a fresh blog post would be written each day to keep your site ranking highly. Read more on writing content that drives traffic.

4. It's On Brand- If you write the content then it's going to be reflective of your brand and brand voice. 45% of a brand's image can be attributed to what it says and how it says it (Bop Design).

5. Become A Thought Leader- By creating your own content, images, infographics and posts you are becoming a thought leader that others want to follow. This makes your brand aspirational and highly desirable to customers. Iconic thought leaders like Richard Branson (Virgin) Steve Jobs (Apple) or Elon Musk (Tesla) set a high bar through years of consistent effort. It isn't easy to become a thought leader but it certainly starts with your own content and ideas.

1. It Builds Relationships - One of my favorite quotes on content curation comes from industry expert Heidi Cohen who says that "Like sharing a bottle of fine wine with friends, content curation enhances your relationships." She's completely right as content curation breaks the ice, makes the introduction and can build solid online relationships with industry influencers. According to Crowdtap research, 44% of influencers decide to work with a brand because the opportunity is relevant to their own audience.

2. To Save Time- If you're a busy content manager with five social media channels to populate, a blog to write, a brochure to work on and perhaps a few press releases each day then curation really is a saving grace. 76% of B2B marketers say they want to produce more content in 2016 so if you're one of them but don't have the resources then curation could be the answer. If you feel really protective of your brand's voice then curate content only on channels like Twitter and save the original stuff for your blog.

3. To Present A Wide Knowledge- Your brand can't be the expert on everything in its niche but with content curation it can seem like it is. Be careful to select content from reputable sources such as Forbes, Reuters and Bloomberg if you work in a field like finance. Interestingly it may end up being your brand that inadvertently takes the credit because many social users who share a headline, image and link don't actually open the link to read the content or see the original source.

*Intel launched a digital magazine called iQ which curates content from across the web based on hashtags.

1. Get To Know Your Audience- If you are in the early stages of your content initiatives then curation is a must to help you get to know your audience. What do they like? What gets more retweets? Which style gets higher engagement levels? Experimenting with different content types through content creation can really point you in the right direction.

2. Shake It Up- Sometimes the constant sound of your own voice can be a bit ... YAWN right? Use content curation to shake up a stagnant content marketing strategy and wake up your audience. In fact, of marketers embraced sharing a mix of their own and other people's content on their social channels.

Paper.Li- This is a great social media marketing tool which curates your popular tweets and formulates them in a super handy online newspaper.

AgoraPulse- Using AgoraPulse' easy content management calendar you can schedule your evergreen content (or someone elses) throughout the year. it allows you to easily share content from across the web and even schedule content curation for later on. With its easy chrome extension, Buffer is a must have for busy content managers.

So content creation or content curation... which one wins? Try using both but with a clearly defined strategy of what and where is appropriate!

Charli Day is a British writer and social media manager specializing in dynamic branding, campaign strategy and content engagement. Responsible for a number of high profile brands and with 500+ articles published, her success lies within her originality and hands on experience of the digital marketing world. Charli lives by the Mediterranean and loves Starbucks, popcorn flavoured jellybeans and writing poetry.

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Let's Be Clear on Content Creation vs. Content Curation | Agorapulse

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Content Creation versus Content Curation ... which is best for your brand? This is the hot debate raging in the marketing world. Content Creation is the process of creating your own content from scratch and marketing it to your followers or subscribers.

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10 Ways to Use Google Maps in the Classroom | The Thinking Stick

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10 Ways to Use Google Maps in the Classroom | The Thinking Stick

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Google Maps has been out for 10 years now. Digital maps...starting with Mapquest has been out since 1996 (technically 1993 but mapquest was the first main stream map most people remember). For those of you keeping track that puts us almost 20 years into the digital mapping word. 20 years we have been using digital maps and yet for some reason digital maps have not replaced ( there's that word again) mapping in our schools.

In 2007...8 years ago now....Apple put a map in our pocket. Fast forward to 2015 and almost everyone has a digital map in their pocket. Pilots now fly with iPads, ship captains now navigate with GPS and digital maps. Truck drivers now drive via digital maps and GPS location. So basically every professional that needs to use maps is using digital maps. I'm not saying we need to stop teaching how to read a paper map...but really...that should be 10% of the mapping work a student does not 99%.

With that in mind here are 10 ways you could use Google Maps in the classroom.
1. Latitude Longitude Scavenger Hunts
You remember learning about Latitude and Longitude right? Well, in a paper map world it's a place that is "kind of there" where your two fingers meet. In a digital world it's a specific location. This allows us to do some fun stuff and learn about Latitude and Longitude at the same time.

What do these three places have in common?

24.007233, 38.210118

31.204263, 121.281686

46.986944,-123.812859

Then maybe you have students go to the opposite hemisphere from where these places are and see what's there. Is this math looking at x y axis and how we divide our world? Or is this social studies and looking at landmarks? Or is this English and we have the settings of the books we have read? Or is it History and we're comparing and contrasting battle sites. In a digital mapping world Latitude and Longitude mean more than where your fingers meet...it's a very exact location.

Google Sightseeing blog: View some of the great images from around the world
2. Earth Picker
Earth Picker is a fun and addicting game. If you click on the link kiss the next 30 minutes of your life goodbye. The game reminds me a bit of Carmen Sandiego back in the day. Only in this game you need to be able to "read an image" a new skill that we need to be teaching students as more and more of our information becomes visual. What do you see? What clues can you find? A great little game to start teaching digital mapping skills.

Yes...Google does have a whole site dedicated to using maps in education
3. Smarty Pins
Smarty Pins is a great game for educators to use and adapt. I encourage educators to play the game for awhile, yes the questions seem to be American Centric, however what we're after here is the questions that Google is asking and how the game works. Once you get the hang of it an educator could create their own questions around their own content area. Students could put a pin on the map where they think it is...once the true place is revealed they could get driving directions to see how far they were off....now we bring math into the curriculum and have students add and keep track of their own distances. Think settings of books in English class, battles in history class, or create questions in a world language class and the country practicing language skills. Yes the game is fun....even better is how easy it would be to adapt it to fit your curriculum.

Create your own mapping game
4. My Maps
My Maps is simply amazing. So much so that it is used in the next six ways to use Google Maps. My Maps allows you to create maps not just read and use them. All of a sudden we become digital map creators and the possibilities become endless.

5 ways to use My Maps in the classroom
5. Video Tour
Using My Maps students could add markers along a route of say..... Ferdinand Magellan. Students could create videos, or record their voice and actually embed them into a marker for others to learn about what happened at that spot on his travels.

Now....because this is Google.....of course you can share a map just like you can a Google Doc. Now you have 10 students working on 10 different explorers all of them adding their routes and videos to the same map. From there we can start to see patterns of routes, patterns of where explorers were going and what they were trying to do. Now we can start asking questions and as we find answers to them we create videos and add more information back to the world.

Want some training? No problem Google has you covered!
6. Create a map for your community
My Maps isn't new. In fact I've been creating maps for different purposes since about 2007! Here's a map that I created for friends that came to visit while we lived in Shanghai, China from 2005 - 2008. Are you studying your community? Your country? Your state/province? Why not create a map for others based on your favorite places to eat, visit, play, etc.

See how others are using Google Maps to help their communities
7. Create a route
We're talking real skills here! Here's a route I created when my wife and I visited Croatia last year. We had never been to Croatia before and didn't know the roads or how long we should expect to drive between our destinations. Using My Maps we were able to create a route from hotel to hotel and get a really close approximation of the driving time we would have each day. So cool and digital maps has now forever changed the way you travel!

Keep up with what Google is doing with maps
8. Measure Distance and Area
In My Maps you get the ability to draw straight lines to see the distance between two points anywhere in the world. Better yet is the ability to draw out an area. Ever wonder just how big Russia really is? What if you draw an area map around your country and then move that area over Russia. How many of your countries do you think fit in Russia? In China? On the continent of Africa?

Using Google Maps in math class
9. See your World in 3D
My Maps allows you to export your map in KML format. Funny....cause Google Earth allows you to import KML files to give you high resolution images of all your information in a 3D space. Expanding the conversation, expanding knowledge about our world...and beyond.

40+ Ways to Use Google Earth and Maps in the classroom
10. Mobile Maps
Google Maps is downloadable on every mobile device I know of and My Maps is as well ( Android, iOS)! So now you can create maps and use maps on your phone, tablet, watch? No need to have a class set of laptops when every students has a phone in their pocket. Here's the problem.....this is number 10 and now that we have the ability to make and read maps on a mobile device that has GPS on it.....we just opened up a whole new way to engage with information, create information, and teach students the skills they'll need for their future in a digital mapping world!

Ideas of how to use My Maps on mobile devices

Yes.....paper maps days are numbered. Sure they'll be around for awhile yet but really...that's for our generations not theirs. They might never touch a paper map...never have to be frustrated with trying to fold it back up, worry about it ripping or whether or not it's up to date. I know, I know....we loved our paper maps. But it's time to let them go and embrace a new digital mapping world. For the sake of our students and their future.

Happy Birthday Google Maps....may you continue to lead me around our world!

I started blogging in 2005 and found it such a powerful way to reflect and share my thinking about technology, this generation, and how we prepare students for their future not our past.

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10 Ways to Use Google Maps in the Classroom

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Google Maps has been out for 10 years now. Digital maps...starting with Mapquest has been out since 1996 (technically 1993 but mapquest was the first main stream map most people remember). For those of you keeping track that puts us almost 20 years into the digital mapping word.

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5 Ways to Have Fun with Google Maps in Class

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5 Ways to Have Fun with Google Maps in Class

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Overview

Whether you use it to navigate the streets or to transform into a digital tourist, Google Maps has become one of the most essential tools on the web. Starting as a downloadable C++ program designed by two Danish brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen, the tool has continued to add feature after feature, making it one of the most adaptable and practical tools for students to master.

Name: Google Maps - maps.google.com
Pricing: Free
Compatibility: Browser / iOS / Android
Access: No signup required
Privacy: Customizable ( privacy policy)

A Quick Look

In Practice

1. Applying to classroom activities

Maps in both printed and digital forms borrow concepts from many different disciplines, including Math, Art, Language and of course Geography. Harness this and try using Google Maps as part of your regular lesson. Measuring distances and calculating routes. Explore historical sites using Street View for history. Perhaps even take a trip into outer space.

2. Google Sightseeing

Help your students explore some of the most breathtaking places on Google Maps using Google Sightseeing. Google Sightseeing is a blog dedicated to finding the most spectacular places on earth and bringing them to your screen using the magic of Google Maps. From artistic street sculptures to jaw-dropping natural wonders, there are a lifetime of amazing discoveries on Google Maps.

3. Earth Picker

This is a dangerously fun game for students to play as both a general knowledge and geographical challenge. Earth Picker uses Google Maps to place you in random locations around the globe. Based on the Street View imagery you have to try and guess your location on the map. Using well known landmarks, language on signs, architecture and any other clues, students will need to use all their knowledge and research skills in this very addictive game.

4. Smarty Pins

Smarty Pins is a web-based game created by Google to layer engaging quiz questions on top of Google Maps. Students can choose to answer questions on Art & Culture, Science & Geography, Sports & Games, Entertainment and History & Current Events. Similar to Earth Picker, students are scored by how far their answer is from the physical location on the map. A very fun way to put a spin on classroom trivia.

5. Maps Engine

Google Maps Engine is an incredibly powerful feature of Google Maps where students can create their own maps using Google's interface. This can include routes, markers, icons, directions and areas, as well as being able to edit the base map to give a whole new look, feel and purpose to the map. It really can be applied to all sorts of projects and classroom applications, and the final product can be shared and embedded for all sorts of multimedia use.

Links and Next Steps
Feature image adapted from image courtesy of Flickr, MoneyBlogNewz.
Keep Reading and Learning

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5 Ways to Have Fun with Google Maps in Class

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Whether you use it to navigate the streets or to transform into a digital tourist, Google Maps has become one of the most essential tools on the web. Starting as a downloadable C++ program designed by two Danish brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen, the tool has continued to add feature after feature, making it one of the most adaptable and practical tools for students to master.

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Virtual Reality - Hope or Hype? | Getting Smart

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Virtual Reality - Hope or Hype? | Getting Smart

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It's true-if the Getting Smart team could travel back in time, we'd probably revise our predictions for 2016 and bump Virtual Reality (VR) up from the "honorable mention" list to the top 10. And that's because we're only halfway through 2016 and VR is everywhere!

TechCrunch has a pretty active VR tag, where you can discover things like the fact that the Sacramento Kings unveiled their new jerseys in VR, and another Augmented Reality (AR) startup has raised millions to give users the ability to manipulate virtual elements.

But when we say VR is everywhere, we don't just mean tech blogs. Heck, even Huffington Post is covering VR. And have you tried out USA Today's VR Stories news?!

There's no doubt about it; VR and AR are pretty groovy. But what gets us really excited is the potential for VR in education. A recent EducationNext article from our friend Michael Horn does a great job of exploring whether or not we should believe the hype. Pointing to a slew of companies and investments from startups to Facebook and Google, Horn predicts:

"Further disruption appears imminent: Raw materials and designs are for sale to enable users to create their own inexpensive viewers. And affordable copycat cardboard and plastic viewers are also on the market. The higher-end Rift is mainly associated with immersive gaming for now, despite rumors that the company may consider giving Rift viewers to schools for free."

But like so many education innovations that have come before it, just putting the tools in the hands of teachers will not be enough. Training is essential. Horn explains:

"A critical question is whether teachers are ready and able to incorporate virtual-reality lessons into their daily routines. One of Nearpod's founders, Felipe Sommer, recently told EdSurge that he believes that the key steps will be to provide professional development and equip teachers to create their own content. For now, Nearpod is creating model lessons to get teachers started."

And although not everyone believes that VR will automatically inspire empathy, we're optimistic about the possibility. Horn describes how this has potential impact for students and professional learning:

"For empathy and diversity training, teachers could be prepared to better understand the situations from which their students come, and students could experience life as a member of another culture, race, or gender, for example. Students with certain phobias could work on overcoming them through encounters in virtual reality. And with a growing emphasis on workforce training, students could be 'placed' in real situations where they experience what the workplace might be like, from emergency-room settings to rescue situations for firefighters. Sports teams could also use virtual reality to place student-athletes in particular game situations to prepare for uncommon but critical circumstances."

For Michael's full article, check out Virtual Reality Disruption online and in the Fall 2016 issue of EducationNext. We'd also love to hear your thoughts on VR and AR in education, so leave us a comment or tweet us at @getting_smart.

For more from Getting Smart on VR and AR, check out:
Stay in-the-know with all things EdTech and innovations in learning by signing up to receive the weekly Smart Update

Find Carri on Twitter, @CarriSchneider.

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It's true-if the Getting Smart team could travel back in time, we'd probably revise our predictions for 2016 and bump Virtual Reality (VR) up from the "honorable mention" list to the top 10. And that's because we're only halfway through 2016 and VR is everywhere!

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How to Transform Your Classroom With Augmented Reality | EdSurge News

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How to Transform Your Classroom With Augmented Reality | EdSurge News

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Augmented Reality is changing education. What started out as something that was simply "cool" has become a way to engage learners like never before.

In fact, while I was first introduced to Augmented Reality through the Aurasma App, I never imagined that while walking through a trendy neighborhood in Washington D.C. this past summer, I would come across the first public interactive augmented reality mural dedicated to the life of the actor Paul Robeson. Designed by artist Corey L. Stowers, this mural allows viewers to scan and thus trigger images of his artwork with their mobile devices, accessing historical videos and original content that depict the life of the great athlete, performer, and civil rights activist.

It was at this moment that I realized that Augmented Reality was a way to bring a new dimension to learning. By unlocking the everyday world, one can dig deeper and engage learners in a new and interesting way.

What is "Augmented Reality"?

Augmented Reality (AR) content can be accessed by scanning or viewing a trigger image with a mobile device that creates a subsequent action. This action can be a video, another image, 3D Animations, Games, QR code, or whatever you want it to be. For example, take a look at this GIF below to see real AR in action.

How can I start using AR in my classroom?

Using the Aurasma App and Aurasma Studio, you can create your own "Auras" (or AR experiences), and use them to engage students in creative ways. For example, jazz up your school's art show, or make math come alive through videos of students solving math problems--perhaps students can trigger an Aura by pointing their smartphone at a particular equation. You could even attach a trigger image to a Google Form to request time with the school counselor, or make a class picture image on your teacher website trigger a virtual tour of a classroom.

And why exactly should I start doing this? It sounds like a lot of work.

Augmented reality apps connected to content can create mind-blowing learning experiences and endless learning possibilities. These type of learning experiences really speak to the needs of visual learners.

The beauty of Augmented Reality is that the learning experiences can be as easy or as complex as you want. You can create your own, or download the numerous already-made apps connected to various content. But what's even more enticing is that students can easily create these experiences on their own in a matter of minutes.

What are the best AR apps and resources out there?

The options for using AR are endless, and so here a few awesome Augmented Reality apps and resources being used in classrooms to provide engaging content and interactions for students:

Popar Toys: This catalog of AR resources changes the way children read books, look at posters, or complete puzzles. (Basically, everything is an animated picture!) Enjoy their interactive books on Planets, Bugs, Dinosaurs, Safari, and Sea Life, or perhaps the interactive charts on Human Anatomy, Periodic Tables, World Maps, The Solar System and US Presidents.

Daqri: One of the leading augmented reality developers, Daqri is the creator of Daqri Studio--a truly creative tool for designing your own Augmented Reality projects. Science teachers, check out Anatomy 4D (which allows you to view 3-D images of the human body, and heart) and Elements 4D (which enhances a chemistry classroom by bringing the periodic table to life).

Quiver (formerly Colar) App: Quiver has different coloring pages from every subject area. When partnered with the app, the coloring pages come to life and have animated actions. For instance, students can create their own flag, and tie it to science and weather by controlling the wind. Or, check out a world map that shows day and night views of the world when activated with the app.

Chromville: Chromville's science-based coloring pages ignite creativity in children through art, technology, and the eight multiple intelligences. The Chromville Visual App uses its characters to promote storytelling and features a classroom component that has coloring pages explaining the likes of the human body and parts of plant.

Fetch Lunch Rush: This fun PBS kids game app uses printable cards as augmented reality game pieces. In the game, kids help Ruff the Dog feed sushi to a movie crew by solving the math problems. Each game piece is a trigger image that comes to life when scanned.

STAR Augmented Reality Worksheets: With these interactive materials, the worksheet comes alive and transposes 3-dimensional models and video resources to reinforce content.

AugThat: Developed by a former teacher, AugThat creates augmented reality content for classrooms, specifically targeting students that fall through the cracks and aren't engaged. They create animated lessons in a variety of formats, including 360-degree virtual environments and 3-dimensional experiences.

Two Guys and Some iPads: These sought-after keynote speakers and Augmented Reality gurus share various ways to incorporate Augmented Reality into the classroom and give practical examples of simple ways that teachers around the world are using AR.

Augmented Reality is an example of a technology that can make classroom learning more transformational and engaging. What in the past had seemed like fantasy is now a part of our reality. There are practical examples for Augmented Reality being used in classrooms around the world, as the ability to overlay digital content and information onto the real world--using triggers like images and locations--opens up a whole new world of learning opportunities.

Do you want to allow students to interact with 3D models? Bring learning to life? Break down the walls of the classroom? Experiment with an AR app--and see the magic happen.

What other ideas do you have about incorporating Augmented Reality in your classroom?

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How to Transform Your Classroom With Augmented Reality - EdSurge News

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Augmented Reality is changing education. What started out as something that was simply "cool" has become a way to engage learners like never before. ...

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5+ Best 360 Degree Camera" Apps for Android | Android App Topic

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5+ Best 360 Degree Camera" Apps for Android | Android App Topic

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5 BEST Virtual Field Trips - Teachingcom

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5 BEST Virtual Field Trips - Teachingcom

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Become a Teacher >> Browse Articles >> Online Learning

Mrs. Kelly Tenkely

Field trips can be amazing learning experiences. They provide students with the opportunity to actively participate in education, offering learning possibilities that aren't readily available in the classroom. Unfortunately, it isn't always practical or possible to take students on field trips. Tight budgets, location, transportation, time, and resource restrictions can keep your students school-bound. Virtual field trips can fill this void. Virtual field trips have come a long way from the page of links they used to be. Now students can explore the world with simulations that are so realistic, they will believe they have left the classroom. Below are five of the best virtual field trips on the web:

Not all cities have access to an incredible natural history museum like the Smithsonian. This virtual tour is the next best thing to taking an actual field trip to the Smithsonian.

The Smithsonian Virtual Museum is truly remarkable. Students can 'step' into the exhibits and take a tour through the entire museum in a 360 degree environment. The virtual museum is made up of panoramic pictures of the actual exhibits inside the Smithsonian. Using their mouse, students "walk" through the museum room by room. They can zoom in, look left and right, look up and down, and walk forward or backward. Camera icons throughout the museum show students hot spots where they can get close to an exhibit panel. As students explore the museum, they will see: the ocean hall, ancient seas, dinosaurs, early life, fossils, plants, mammals, African cultures, the Ice Age, Western cultures, reptiles, insects, butterflies, bones, geology, gems, and minerals.

Students can explore the various exhibits on individual computers in a computer lab setting or life size with an interactive whiteboard or a projector. Split your students into groups and assign them an exhibit to explore and take notes on. After students have explored and become the 'expert' on their exhibit, project the Virtual Smithsonian Museum on an interactive whiteboard/screen. Explore the museum as a class. As you enter an exhibit, invite the group who explored the exhibit to act as tour guides.

Even if you have access to a natural history museum for field trips, the Smithsonian Virtual Museum is still incredibly useful. Prepare for a field trip to your local history museum by visiting the virtual museum. After the field trip, students can compare and contrast what they saw at the local museum with the Smithsonian.

A field trip to a forest is a wonderful way to learn about tree species, ecosystems, habitats, and animals. The UPM Forest Life virtual field trip will have your students believing that they are actually in a forest smelling pine trees.

UPM Forest Life aims to teach about forest sustainability. It does this by inviting students to take a virtual hike through a forest. The forest is made up of panoramic pictures of an actual forest. Students can zoom in, look up and down, left and right, and 'walk' through the forest with their mouse. Students start their field trip with a virtual tour guide. As students 'hike' through the forest, they will click on hot spots that reveal videos of forest life, pictures with information, and sounds. Throughout the forest are opportunities for learning about forest planning, harvesting, regeneration, re-spacing, thinning, transport, recreation, training, berry picking, bird watching, hunting, fishing, natural forests, valuable habitats, deadwood, forest structure, water, native tree species, and the various animals that call a forest home. This virtual field trip is impressive on individual computers and amazing when viewed as a whole class on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Allow students to take turns acting as forest rangers. They can click on various videos, pictures, and information embedded in the forest. Students can record their observations of the forest, trees, animals, and sounds they experience in an observation journal.

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5 best virtual field trips online learning education articles

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Field trips can be amazing learning experiences. They provide students with the opportunity to actively participate in education, offering learning possibilities that aren't readily available in the classroom. Unfortunately, it isn't always practical or possible to take students on field trips. Tight budgets, location, transportation, time, and resource restrictions can keep your students school-bound.

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To help educators save time, we've chosen these 10 virtual field trips based on their relevancy, depth and quality of resources, and potential for student excitement.

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Virtual Field Trips Every Teacher Ought to Know About

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Virtual Field Trips Every Teacher Ought to Know About

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Virtual field trips are becoming more and more popular. Due to budget cuts, many teachers lack the essentials like pens and paper. We are going to show you how to make lemonade out of those lemons. Here are THE BEST free online virtual field trips.

1. Google Art Projects
A collection of 1000+ works from 17 highly acclaimed art museums in the world. You can virtually walk the aisles of these museums and view high resolution images of paintings like Van Gough's "The Bedroom" and even share your whole collection. http://www.googleartproject.com/

2. Google Sky
Travel the stars with Google Sky. You can explore constellations, and even watch the birth of distant galaxies. You can even change the view of Google sky to see what the sky would look like if we had the ability to view the universe in x-rays or infrared.//www.google.com/sky/

3. Smithsonian
This is a complete virtual tour where all you have to do is follow the blue arrow around the museum to journey on a great tour of the museum that makes you're feel like you're actually walking the halls of the Smithsonian. http://www.mnh.si.edu/panoramas/

4. Panoramas.dk
Bring the 7 wonders of the world to your classroom with breathtaking panoramic which includes the Colosseum in Rome, The Great Wall in China, The Taj Mahal in India, and Machu Picchu in Peru.
http://www.panoramas.dk/7-wonders/colosseum.html

5. The Oxford University Museum of Natural History
This virtual tour is of The Oxford University Museum of Natural History. This museum is home to an extensive world-wide collections of zoology, entomology, geology, and mineralogy, including the local dinosaur finds, a 40ft Tyrannosaurus rex, the observation beehive and Alice's Dodo. Also a part of the tour is the building itself; one of the finest examples of the Victorian Gothic style of architecture.
http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/universitymuseum/#

6. Inside the White House
Travel floor-by-floor as you take an interactive tour of the White House and browse through history. Learn the significance each room has in the day-to-day workings of the White House.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/interactive-tour

Do you know of any virtual field trips that aren't on this list? These are our requirements..

They're free.

They don't take a lot of time to set up.

No applications or paperwork to fill out.

Every student in the class can go.

Students love them because they're fun.

Teachers love them because they get students involved and engaged.

Did I mention they're FREE?

We're always looking for more...

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Virtual Field Trips Every Teacher Ought to Know About

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Virtual field trips are becoming more and more popular. Due to budget cuts, many teachers lack the essentials like pens and paper. We are going to show you how to make lemonade out of those lemons. Here are THE BEST free online virtual field trips. 1.

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Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips | Digital textbooks and standards-aligned educational resources

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Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips | Digital textbooks and standards-aligned educational resources

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What kinds of virtual field trips are available online? What trips can I explore with my students? How can I integrate virtual field trips into my classroom?