This page contains online experiential learning opportunities for students that support the Ontario Curriculum. Many of these are no cost. Each states the division it is recommended for with the labels P/J/ I and /or S. "FL" has been used to signify if French Language content is available.
"Experiential learning is an excellent avenue through which to deliver community building activities, and community building naturally develops the skill set (listening skills, collaboration, teamwork, problem solving, risk taking) that nurtures effective experiential learning activities. " Community Building Through Experiential Learning at A Distance This section contains activity suggestions to support educators in building community through experiential learning.
Take your students to places you did not think were possible! From the Globe Theatre in London England to Fort Conger in the Canadian High Arctic, these organizations offer a variety of virtual field trip opportunities for educators to explore with their students.
Virtual Field trips are a great way to engage learners in the 21st century. This document will help educators develop a rich and authentic virtual field trip connected to curriculum expectations, global competencies, assessment, and evaluation, with student well-being in mind.
At a bend in the Sydenham River near the town of Dresden stands Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site. The museum – built on the site of the Black settlement that Rev. Josiah Henson helped found in 1841 – preserves the settlement where Henson and his wife Nancy lived. Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site takes its name from Harriet Beecher Stowe's successful 1852 anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, featuring a character named Tom (loosely based on Josiah Henson). (I, S) FL
Allow your students to have live up-close encounters with wildlife around the world through Explore.org, which is the world's leading philanthropic live nature cam network. (P, J, I, S)
The Fulfillment Center (FC) Tours program offers virtual tours globally, allowing visitors to see what it’s like to work in an FC as well as get a glimpse of the great technology and people that make Amazon what it is today. Offered live or recorded with in-person tours also available as permitted. Amazon also offers Future Engineer Tours. (J, I, S) FL
These organizations connect classrooms with experts working in various fields virtually at set times in groups or at arranged times individually with single classes.
When offering the option for students to choose an authentic, hands-on activity that is not on a computer, consider board policies for safety and risk. Each board will have a unique policy for assessing risk in authentic learn-at-home experiences.
The OSBIE Blog also has 5 important considerations for educators to reflect on before offering this type of choice to students.
There are many apps out there that encourage students to step outside, participate in citizen science, or use technology to learn about the world around them. Like any Experiential Learning resource that requires technology, these apps are meant to be an experiential option/extension for students/families to explore.
These games can be played by students to allow for the exploration of different topics.