The following guest post was written by Rebekah Stathakis, author of

Watching the winter storm warnings on tonight’s evening news reminds me of how much I would love to go on a vacation. My students seem to feel the same way and I know they would learn so much from traveling abroad. I wish we could all pack our bags and head off to Costa Rica or Peru, but I know it isn’t feasible. However, using the Internet, I can take my Spanish students on a virtual vacation any time we want!

There are a variety of ways to incorporate virtual travel into your instruction and these virtual excursions can be both educational and enjoyable. Consider some of the following options:

Map Tours: Using GoogleMaps, create a personalized map. For example, I created a "My Map" of Madrid to show my Spanish students where I grew up. I took them to my elementary school, the apartment where I lived, the mall I usually shopped at, and other important destinations. The students could see pictures of each destination and by switching to street view, students could "walk" around the city with me. Students can create walking tours and share them with their peers. Also this can be a great tool to map important locations from a novel you are reading. To learn more about using “My Map” watch this video.

Virtual Tours: Many museums or important destinations have virtual tours on their websites. For example, students can visit el Palacio Real de Madrid or explore the ruins of Machu Picchu. You might want to create a webquest or interactive worksheet to help guide your students’ explorations of these different sites. 

Plan Your Own Vacation: Give your students the opportunity to plan their own vacations to a relevant destination. For example, I tell my students they can travel to any country where Spanish is an official language. Students can write journals, make scrapbooks, or create postcards to document their travels (using the target language, of course). This project can include a variety of components; some options are listed below.

• Your destination. Where would you like to travel? Some useful websites include the CIA Factbook, Fodor’s Guides, Frommer’s Travel Guides, Lonely Planet Travel Guides, and Trip Advisor.
• Transportation. Can you take a boat, plane or train to this destination? Students can consult Trip Advisor, Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity.
• Accommodations. Where will you sleep while on your vacation? Research a variety of options such as hostels, hotels, resorts, and camping grounds. See the websites listed under "Your destination" and "Transportation" for details.
• Activites. What will you do while on your vacation? In addition to the websites listed above, visit the official websites for specific places you might visit.
• Food. What will you eat while on vacation? What are some typical dishes or famous restaurants?
• Budget. How much will everything cost? What is the local currency? For information about exchange rates and currency conversions use this calculator. 

Travel Role Plays: After researching countries and destinations, have students act as tour guides or travel agents. Assign half of your students to be tourists and the other half to be travel agents. Then, assign partners for a role play or simulation. The travel agent can use the websites listed above to help the tourist decide on travel plans. Tailor this assignment to meet your curriculum as well as their needs and interests.

Have you taken your students on virtual trips? Do you have any other great online resources to share? Please let us know in the comments section.

If you are looking for some additional online tools, you might also be interested in Top 10 Internet Resources I am Thankful For.