Unqua Takes Virtual Field Trips

Through videoconferencing technology, Unqua Elementary School students are reinforcing lessons taught in the classroom by taking virtual field trips to places around the globe. The interactive experience enables students to converse with experts in their fields while virtually touring different destinations.

Facilitated by librarian, Melinda Alford, first graders “traveled” to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio to learn about penguins from the cold regions of the Antarctic to the warm beaches of South America, and fourth graders visited the zoo to discover why animals become endangered and what they can do to help. Connecting with the Buffalo Zoo in upstate New York, fifth graders took a journey “around the world” to uncover how animals adapt to survive in extreme environments.

These opportunities are part of 25 videoconferences conducted at Unqua each year, and 250 conducted district-wide, where students are exposed to a host of cultural and educational experiences that enhance their instruction. Librarians facilitate videoconferences in the district’s nine buildings and work with classroom teachers to bring the most curriculum-appropriate videoconferences to as many classes as possible.

To enhance their music education, third graders learned about the history of the recorder and its importance to music today through an informative, interactive presentation with the Cleveland Institute of Music. And, sixth-graders studying ancient civilizations traveled back in time to learn about mummies in Ancient Egypt by visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art. This May, second graders will explore the world of butterflies through videoconferencing.

“The students enjoy them very much,” Alford said. “They are a great way to learn information interactively with a very knowledgeable presenter.”

In addition to field trips, the technology is used for school-to-school connections as a way for students to converse with and gain valuable insights from their peers. For example, after Superstorm

Sandy, Unqua students connected with students from Milton Terrace South Elementary School in upstate Ballston Spa which, through numerous fundraising efforts, donated more than $1,500 to Massapequa’s Sandy victims. The videoconference provided an opportunity for students to thank their upstate neighbors and show them the impact they have made on their recovery and, at the same time, give Milton Terrace South students a better understanding of how Superstorm Sandy impacted the Massapequa community.

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