Field trips no longer have to be just a memory from someone's lackadaisical, elementary-school past. Students from across the country can visit the new National Museum of the American Indian from the convenience of their own classroom or home.
The 90-minute, live and interactive electronic field trip will take place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. via local cable channels, the PBS television station and the Internet. The Internet broadcast can be reached through the Web site (www.bsu.edu/eft). The Web site, which was launched a month before the field trip, contains many teacher resources such as lesson plans and previews of the exhibits.
"The Web site gives preparation to the broadcast," Mark Kornmann, director of Teachers College outreach services, said.
The broadcast will be the first distance-learning event from Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
"The field trip will illustrate what it means to be native and what a native place is," Kornmann said. "We'll be looking at different cultures from all over the hemisphere as examples."
The hosts of the show, representing a variety of Native American tribes, will each share stories from their own communities using objects, dance and music traditions.
Throughout the live broadcast, viewers may call a 1-800 number with questions or submit them online in a live discussion forum. Videotaped questions can also be submitted via the Web site and will be aired during the show.
Although the actual program is geared toward fifth through seventh graders, education majors at universities might find it to be a useful learning tool for themselves.
"The broadcast will give education majors experience with the use of museum resources in the classroom," Kornmann said. "The Web site also has some valuable teacher resources on it."
Students, teachers and students studying to be teachers alike can gain something from this unique learning opportunity.
"Electronic field trips are a wonderful way for students to be in the classroom and transported to another place for the purpose of learning," Kornmann said.
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