1. Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners Through Virtual Experiences Plunge In! Presented by: Debra Mozingo July 27, 2009

2. Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners: 1. Issues: individualized learning/special needs 2. Solutions using virtual experiences: Virtual Field Trips Simulations

3. Challenges: Individualized Learning/Special Needs Children come to school with a variety of: backgrounds interests and ability levels learning styles special needs

4. Solutions for students with diverse needs: Adjust level of difficulty of materials Engage various multiple intelligences Be sensitive to culture, language, and gender Incorporate student interests Use multiple types of assessment

5. More solutions for students with diverse needs: Include cooperative learning experiences Provide multi-sensory experiences: Ear Eye Taste Touch Smell

6. How can virtual experiences help these challenges?

7. Virtual Experiences cross the barriers of: Time & Space Distance Economics Danger & Inaccessibility

8. Virtual experiences provide solutions for individualized needs:  Authentic & inquiry-based learning  Highly motivating & appeals to multiple senses  Varied learning modalities & formats  Adaptable for special needs

9. Virtual experiences help students with special needs: Student-centered interface: easy to navigate Students with hearing impairments: captions and/or written transcripts Students with visual impairments: audio descriptions  Adjust the level of difficulty

10. Types of Virtual Experiences: Virtual Field Trips/ professionally produced: National Geographic Expeditions Online 4-H Virtual Farm Tour Monterey Bay Aquarium

11. More on Virtual Field Trips: Meet Me at the Corner Meet Me at the Corner : Educational “You Tube” for kids! Homework Spot Directory of Field Trips Create your own virtual field trip

12. Virtual Simulations: Frog dissection - solution for fine motor problems Frog dissection P ottery class – also for fine motor issuesP ottery class Great Barrier Reef Virtual Dive – accessibilityGreat Barrier Reef Virtual Dive

13. Works Cited Devlin-Scherer, R. (2008). Cost-free Travel with Virtual Field Trips. http://www.techlearning.com/article/1338 Johnson, L. & A. Lamb. (2007). Digital and Virtual Field Trips. http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic35.htm Klemm, B. & G. Tuthill. (2003). Virtual field trips: best practices. International Journal of Instructional Media 30 (2), p.177. Retrieved July 25, 2009 from Academic OneFile. Gale. Eastern Michigan University. http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.emich.edu/ http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.emich.edu/ Lamb, A. (2002). Bringing Learning Alive From All: A Dozen Different Ways. http://emuonline.edu/re/DotNextLaunch.asp?courseid=3487388 http://emuonline.edu/re/DotNextLaunch.asp?courseid=3487388

14. Works Cited Continued Websites: http://eduscapes.com/tap/ http://www.field-guides.com/index.htm http://www.froguts.com/flash_content/index.html http://www.gifanimations.com/ http://www.handsoncrafts.org/000-a.htm http://www.homeworkspot.com/fieldtrip/ http://www.meetmeatthecorner.org http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/

15. Works Cited Continued http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/00/earthpulse/re ef/reef1_flash.html http://www.nationalgeographic.com/siteindex/adventure.html http://office.microsoft.com/en-s/clipart/default.aspx http://sites.ext.vt.edu/virtualfarm/main.html