By: Tara Giandomenico
Virtual Reality can be beneficial in all kinds of classrooms. I am studying to become an elementary school teacher, so my blog post will include research on how to use VR for younger children. Google Cardboard is a great tool to have in the classroom to assist with using Virtual Reality in a non-expensive way. These start out at about $9.00 for one cardboard. Teacher’s can have a few of these in the classroom for students to use. These are made to insert a smartphone that can access apps for Virtual Reality purposes. Since I am discussing the use of this in an elementary classroom, students won’t have cell phones to use in the cardboard. Teachers can use their phone in the cardboard for this purpose. Students would be advised to take turns to use the Virtual Reality for educational purposes.
One online tool that I would like to discuss is YouTube 360 degree videos. This can be accessed by searching YouTube Virtual Reality and it will bring you to a YouTube page titles Virtual Reality. Click this link HERE to view the YouTube page. There are so many different videos featured on this page. There are 360-degree videos of bands, nature views, and so much more! These videos can be incorporated into so many different lessons in the classroom.
So how can this be used in an elementary classroom? There are so many different Virtual Reality videos that YouTube offers. Teachers can search and find videos that may be appropriate for what they are teaching. A great example that I found from this website is a 360-degree video that Explores the solar system. The video explains many different facts about each planet, and students will have fun learning about it.
Teachers can use YouTube 360 in so many different useful ways. After researching this topic, I found some interesting ways of using Virtual Reality in the classroom. There are historic videos that YouTube 360 offers and, students can take virtual field trips. Teachers can see students understanding by prompting them to write on Kidblog about their findings. Using these 360 videos to view fascinating historic sites can allow students to learn about different cultures, environments, and social changes. Students can have a fun time doing this while acquiring information in the process. The video shown above is a great example that can be used in the classroom. This video can teach students about Vikings and their travels. Students will get a sense of action from this video and, they will be doing it from the classroom. This will bring history to life for the students so that they can enjoy learning. Students can learn in an immersive environment using YouTube 360 and, they can share their thoughts and comments with the teacher. Student feedback on these videos can help the teacher understand what videos help the students learn and which videos confuse them. In conclusion, VR in the classroom can support students learning entertainingly.
Resources:
Bonner, E., & Lege, R. (2018, September). 360° videos in the Classroom: A how-to guide. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://jalt-publications.org/articles/24842-360%C2%B0-videos-classroom-how-guide
Thank you for reading my blog post! 🙂