Art + Technology = Field Trip?

Budget cuts?  How about a field trip to Paris?  This, I thought, was very cool.  The website http://paris.arounder.com, allows you the sensation of standing in a museum or landmark in Paris, France.  Tools along the bottom of the screen allow you to navigate/turn within the selected room(s) and also zoom in on art work.  As a matter of fact http://arounder.com will take you to a site where you can choose numerous destinations around the world to view in this manner.

I used the paris.arounder site to take my third grade students on a virtual field trip.  We talked about where France and more specifically where Paris was located by finding it on the classroom map.  We headed to the computer lab and logged onto the computer and then to this site.  We chose Musee d’Orsay as our destination of choice.  I gave the students time to peruse the gallery rooms and ultimately chose a “favorite” art work.  I also gave them a sheet to complete about the art work they selected.  They had to find information regarding the artist, subject matter, elements, message/meaning/mood, and how they rated the work.  Click here for the worksheet. 

Students had a wonderful time using the site.  As a teacher, you will just need to go in ahead of time to check if there is anything inappropriate for the grade level you set this experience for.  You can limit which rooms they look through in the gallery if there is any objectionable art in some of the rooms.  Talk about a budget stretcher!  It’s not quite the same as being there but perhaps it is the next best thing.

-Thom Knab