by Richard Kool
I've always felt that what computers do best is crunch numbers. Not being a `game' kind of guy, I've had little interest in computer games other than simulations that allow me to ask 'what if?' questions about a particular situation. But lately I have become aware of another good use for computers: to take us on journeys. Using the web, students and teachers can now accompany researchers and adventurers on electronic field trips around the world. And while I'd hate to give the message that this is the only way to travel, the fact is that many of us cannot get to the Amazon or the Arctic.
Most electronic expeditions are well-suited for social studies and science classes and, at their best, offer a variety of possibilities for students and teachers. In general, they allow students to come to know strange lands, new cultures and exotic organisms. There are almost always photographs of the places being visited, which can be saved and used for other projects. Remember, however, that these are just regular folks doing the travelling, so the images may look an awful lot like what you'd take yourself!
Most often, there are on-line maps of the area being explored, and these can be the spur to take a look at a range of images of the area, including satellite photos, space imaging, and topographic maps. The Nile Expedition site even has a temperature map of Africa, updated daily.
There is almost always a form of diary or travel journal. Journal writing seems to be having a bit of a resurgence these days, and having your students look at what others write as they travel may be a good model for their own writing. On the other hand, some of what you can find on the net may need some comments from you. Consider the following:
"We kept asking the same questions of the men who could only tell us how to take the trail to the next village downstream. They in fact were incredulous that we would think about going into the jungle at any time of year. They said a person could become lost in there. The way they acted you would think that they had never seen a compass before we showed them ours. This apparently was the case, however, since they spent the next half hour outside with it, grown men spinning in circles so fast it made them dizzy trying to confuse the physics of magnetism. With a glance at each other we decided the GPS [Geographic Positioning System] would be too much for them."
The more sophisticated sites are now adding lesson plans and educational aids for teachers. As you might guess, the range of quality here is pretty wide. Some of the lessons are put together by teachers who know what they are doing, others by folks who don't.
E-mail communications between students and the explorers is also possible in many of the sites. Using a web browser like Netscape makes this form of communication very easy. Another novel feature of some of the sites is the posting of data collected by the team as they travelled through their area. This may include meteorological and geological data, as well as information on water quality and biodiversity. Such data give students a better idea of the nature of the place being visited, and provide opportunities to use their mathematical, analytical and presentational skills to display and understand what the data is saying.
While there is no substitute for the real thing,
electronic travel offers an exciting glimpse into worlds many of
us will never get to on our own. It may even act as a spur to hit
the road!