The tool that I was most interested in using for my classroom was the National Geographic Explorer Classroom tool. This tool allows students to be fully immersed in the environments that these explorers are in by using live video. Classes can register for on-camera spots of these explorers in the field whether they are in the ocean, at the pyramids, or in Everglades questions can be submitted to these explorers live via the chat feature. This is a great and engaging way for the students to learn more about what they are seeing and the about the research the explorer is doing out in the field. The students get instant answers to questions such as the animals that inhabit a certain environment, the benefits of the explorers research in an area, and other places where they can learn more about the environment they are studying with the explorer.

My assessment

I found this tool to be useful for many reasons, I like how this tool is not just a video and it actually allows the students to be taught by an expert explorer on topics such as wildlife, the environment, and historical places throughout the world. I as the teacher and my students can talk with the explorers live and ask them questions about their research in the field. Any questions that my students have can be answered immediately by the explorer. Along with the explorer providing great resources that can educate us further on the topic or things the students can do in class to learn more or do their part to help further educate others on the topic. This website can also educate you further on the research the explore is doing, as well as what they have done in the past for the National Geographic Explorers. I would use this tool to further talk about topics that are being discussed in my History class. An example would be teaching students about the pyramids and then later in the lesson doing the virtual field trip with an explorer so the students can learn more about topic of the pyramids. Additionally if we were learning about the oceans of the world further into the lesson I would do the virtual trip with an explorer who’s research is about the oceans or with an explorer who is currently traveling on one of these oceans. Having my students see where the explorer currently is and what they are doing in the field is a great way to engage them and have them wanting to learn more about the topic.