Tech Tips for Teaching with Virtual Field Trips

If you are new to virtual field trips or are looking to see if these interactive digital activities are a good fit for your students, this post is for you. Below you will find frequently asked questions and answers to common tech issues.

What are virtual field trips?

Virtual field trips are an interactive way for students to learn and explore places and geographic features of the world. These structured digital lessons provide an opportunity for students to take ownership of their learning. They include cross-curricular subjects such as reading, writing, and critical thinking. A virtual field trip is more than just an online website or video cam. Students are provided an opportunity to dig deeper into the content. You can download a free virtual field trip HERE and see if it's a good fit for your class.

How do I access my virtual field trip?

Virtual field trips are self-paced and set up in Google Slides. When you download your virtual field trip, you will receive a PDF that contains a link to open the virtual field trip file in Google Slides. You will need a Google account to access. When clicking the link, you will be prompted to "make a copy." Before clicking this link, make sure you are signed into the correct Google account where you want the file to be saved. Be sure you are only signed into one Google account before you begin. When you click the link, a copy will be saved to your drive. From here, you can then make a copy for your students and assign it in Google Classroom. For directions on how to assign this activity in Google Classroom or a different learning system, see the steps below.

When I click the virtual field trip link, I get an error message. How do I resolve this?

Google made a recent update that has been impacting school networks. If you click the virtual field trip link and get an error message, it's likely a syncing issue. Here's what you need to do to resolve this:

1. Make sure you are only signed into one Google account (this is very important!)

2. Go into the settings, which are located in the upper corner by your profile image.

3. Click "turn on sync."

4. Then, go back to the virtual field trip link and try clicking it again. This should hopefully resolve this issue.

5. If you are still having issues, copy and paste the entire link into a new browser.

   
   

My school doesn't use Google Classroom. Can I still use these virtual field trips?

Yes, there are several tutorials for assigning this activity within different school learning management systems.

• Click here for a Canvas tutorial

• Click here for a Schoology tutorial

• Click here for a Seesaw tutorial

• Click here for a Blackboard tutorial

• Click here for a Padlet tutorial

• Click here for a Nearpod tutorial

How do I assign this activity in Google Classroom?

To assign this virtual field trip, you need to create a copy for each of your students. Simply sharing the virtual field trip link will not work. Here are the steps to creating an assignment in Google Classroom:

1. Open Google Classroom and click on the "Classwork Tab."

2. Click "Create" and then "Assignment." Name your virtual field trip.

3. Click "Add, and then "Google Drive."

4. From here, you will need to find and select the virtual field trip within your Google Drive.

5. Next, change the settings to make a copy for each student. This step is really important. You need to make a copy for each student.

My school doesn't use Google Slides. How do I open this in PowerPoint?

If you want to use this activity in PowerPoint, you can download the Google Slides into a PowerPoint version. Here are the steps to create a PowerPoint:

1. Open up your Google Slides version of the virtual field trip.

2. Click File, then Download, and choose Microsoft PowerPoint as the option. 

3. Save the PowerPoint version to your desktop.

4. Open the PowerPoint file. All of the links and text will remain in place.

I am a homeschool parent. Can I use these virtual field trips?

Yes! You do not need to use a special learning program to have your child complete this virtual field trip. You can duplicate the file if you have more than one child or if you are sharing this with your homeschool co-op. Here are the steps:

1. Click the Google Slides access link. Sign in to your Google account, if prompted.

2. You will see the prompt to "Make a Copy." Click this button to save the activity to your Google Drive.

3. Open the file. Click "File" and then "Make a Copy." Rename the file. This will duplicate the file so that your child has their own copy of the virtual field trip.

4. Repeat the same "Make a Copy" process so that each child has their own copy of the virtual field trip

   
   

Why can't my students complete the drag & drop activities?

To complete the drag & drop sections and fill in the response questions, your students will need to open the activity in Edit Mode rather than Full Screen/Presentation mode. Google Slides is designed to be completed in edit mode. Using this activity in presentation mode will not allow for the movable pieces of the drag & drop activity to work. To answer the response questions, your students will also need to complete this portion in edit mode. This is just how Google Slides works.

Google Earth is no longer working on student devices. What happened?

If Google Earth suddenly stopped working on student devices, you’re not imagining things. A recent Google Workspace for Education update has been rolled out. Here’s what different: Google Earth is now classified as an “Additional Service” in Google Workspace for Education. Schools must reconfirm that they have permission for students to use additional services. Many schools lost access because admins did not know they needed to reconfirm consent. Talk to your school's IT department if you suddenly lose access to Google Earth.

Does this virtual field trip contain YouTube links?

Yes, there are video clips on YouTube within the virtual field trips. If your school has blocked this site, you can use a workaround such as SafeShare. To do this, you will need to copy the YouTube link from the activity into this platform. This will then create a new link. Copy and paste this new link into the virtual field trip before sharing with your students. I have done my best to include YouTube videos that incorporate closed captioning as an option.

Can I use Google Maps instead of Google Earth?

No, this virtual field trip is designed to work with Google Earth. There may be some satellite images that are available on Google Maps, but many of the links to specific 360-degree views will not be available on Google Maps. You may need to discuss with your school tech the need for Google Earth if this site is blocked at your school.

Can I edit the virtual field trips?

All of the response questions are editable. The questions are set up as short-answers, but you can change these to meet the needs of your students or tailor to fit your unit of study. Be sure to change the questions before assigning the activity to your students. The content itself is not editable.

Are answer keys included?

A grading rubric is included in every virtual field trip. If the virtual field trip includes map skills activities, there are answer keys for these slides. Since the response questions are more observation-focused and answers will vary, answer keys are not provided. Instead, a grading rubric is included which assesses accuracy, thoroughness, and validity.

Do my students have to use Chrome as their browser?

Google Earth is designed to work with Chrome. If your students attempt to open the links to Google Earth with another browser such as Internet Explorer, they will get a message that this browser is not compatible.

Can my students complete this on an iPad, tablet or smartphone?

Yes, to use on an iPad, tablet, or smartphone, your students will need to download the Google Slides app as well as the Google Earth app onto a compatible device. All of the Google Earth links will redirect within the app and will allow students to "travel" to the next location.

Does the virtual field trip include audio narration?

At this time, audio narration is not included in the student virtual field trip versions. Conducting this lesson whole group as a teacher-led activity, or in small groups, is one simple option. Narration is included in my virtual field trip series for Older Adults. However, the response questions and content differ from the student versions.

I am looking for a specific virtual field trip but I can't find it. Can you help?

You can find my entire collection of virtual field trips HERE. You can also use the custom categories on the sidebar to narrow your search. If you don't see something that you need, I am happy to take custom requests. Feel free to email me directly at michellemcdonald9515@gmail.com