In the world of education, case studies are stories shared as a teaching tool to show the application of real situations to get students around the world collaborating. In the textbook I have been reading, The Global Educator, there are numerous amount of online global collaboration case study examples. Each one is an example of online global interactive, collaborations, and projects. Teaching about these projects and doing them, gives students the ability to work with others outside of their classroom. Out of the collection of case studies in the book, one really stood out to me and I believe they can be helpful and fun for all students.
The case study that caught my eye was 3.7-Pernille Ripp: Global Read Aloud. Pernille Ripp is the creator of GRA and the winner of the inaugural ISTE Global Collaboration PLN award. This is a global reading project that has linked together over 500,000 students in six continents since she started GRA in September of 2010. This project is such a good way for not only students to stay connected but teachers too. Teachers can share books they’ve read aloud with other teachers all over the world. This gives schools the opportunity to expand the range of books they read aloud in the classroom. Pernille Ripp still has ambitions to further develop the Global Read Aloud project.
Like you would like to connect with Pernille Ripp click here for the Global Read Aloud website. You can also sign up for the 2020 Read Aloud. Her Twitter handle is @pernilleripp.
Teachers are always on the lookout to find new ways to teach their students. They want to make sure the students are learning but they also want them to be having fun while learning. With the technology we have in this day in age, there are so many different ways out there that teachers can get their students to not be so bored during a lesson, project, field trip, etc. It also seems as though, every child age five and up knows how to work a technology device. With the skills that these youngsters have, teachers can now incorporate technology into the classroom.
Something that has become very popular for kids is Virtual and Augmented Reality. VR and AR are great tools/devices that can really bring some fun into the classroom and relieve some stress off the teacher. Virtual Reality headsets go over your head/eyes and take over your vision. This headset gives you the sense that you’re somewhere else. Augmented Reality is slightly different from VR but at the same time adds to it. AR devices are see-through glasses (you can see everything around you) & while looking around the Augmented Reality projects a picture over whatever it may be that you’re looking at. This article goes into more depth about the differences between VR and AR.
Now let’s get into how VR and AR can be used for education. Google has an app out there called Google Expeditions. It is an immersive app that gives teachers and students the ability to explore the world through Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. When using Google Expeditions, teachers can have their students take VR and AR tours. As a future teacher, it excites me that these ways of teaching are out. I am no longer limited by classroom space. Now, I do not know how comfortable I am with using Virtual Reality sets in my classroom of first or second graders because it can be difficult to use and can be scary. When using VR, your vision is taken over and you cannot see anything else around you. But, using Augmented Reality is definitely more my speed since you can still see the room around you. I would use the AR devices for lots of different lessons in my classroom. Having my students take tours of different places is just one way I want to use VR and AR for education. Tours include museums, outer space, the ocean, and different places or countries around the world. Having them use AR to explore places across the globe turns them into global learners, which they then can use later on to teach others, making them a global educator. I believe that children learn better when they have visuals to look at during a lesson so using AR will be very helpful in that aspect.
Google Expedition Logo
Using these technologies keeps students interactive and interested during lessons. Many children, teachers, and schools can benefit from using either Virtual Reality and/or Augmented Reality for education. So, what you use in your classroom or school?
**Also, be sure to check out the videos on the Google Expedition link I provided to see VR and AR being used.
