Virtual Field Trips, Making Banners, and IFTTT Recipes... in Education Today

Some interesting ideas I discovered recently about virtual field trips, making banners, and IFTTT recipes...

School Bus / Marobl (Pixabay) / CC0 1.0

Ten of the Best Virtual Field Trips
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/04/07/ten-of-the-best-virtual-field-trips/
by Meris Stansbury
http://www.eschoolnews.com/author/mstansbury/
April 7, 2013

These virtual field trips cover a variety of topics.

• Learn about the Arctic.
• Maintain a travel journal as you choose which of a list of countries to visit.
• Use Google Earth to travel with literary characters.
• Learn how Hershey's makes their delicious chocolates.
• Explore the Louvre... including some rooms closed to the public.
• Climb Mt. Everest.
• Tour the Museum of Natural History.
• View panoramas around the world.
• Visit the moon or Mars or the White House.

Virtual field trips save time and money.
Add the fact that they are interesting, fun, and engage our students.
If you have not used virtual field trips recently, you may want to check this article for some very good ideas.

YouTube Banner / Jo Schiffbauer / CC BY 2.0

How to Make a Banner
http://www.picmonkey.com/blog/make-a-banner/
by PicMonkey Staff

I use PicMonkey to edit my photos.
I also create collages and simple cover pages with it.
This article shares ideas for using PicMonkey to make banners.
When might you want to create a banner?
How about...

• Facebook cover?
• YouTube banner?
• Twitter header?
• Instructions for student projects?

The instructions include:

• backgrounds (plain or patterned)
• overlaps for graphics text design and tips, and
• suggestions for "standing out from the crowd."

Check out their examples... then try making your own banner!

IF... THEN... / Jo Schiffbauer / CC BY 2.0

11 Great IFTTT Recipes for Tracking NASA News, Photos and Space Exploration
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2982819/web-apps/11-great-ifttt-recipes-for-tracking-nasa-news-photos-and-space-exploration.html#tk.nl_pcwbest
and
5 Handy IFTTT Recipes for Gmail Users
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2955339/web-apps/5-handy-ifttt-recipes-for-gmail-users.html
both by Liane Cassavoy
http://www.pcworld.com/author/Liane-Cassavoy/

Have you have tried IFTTT yet? IFTTT automatically makes connections between apps that would take you several steps to accomplish manually.

You may want to check these IFTTT recipes:

• Track the International Space Station.
• Have NASA's image of the day sent to you automatically.
• Find the cell phone you misplaced in your home.
• Save Gmail attachments automatically.
• And more...

Have some fun with IFTTT. :)