Virtual Reality using Google Cardboard in the classroom!
Have you heard of Google Cardboard? or are you familiar with the various features it offers? If not your in luck because today I will be covering its awesome features and how teachers can use it in their classrooms!
and price of each.
So what exactly is it? Well according to Google it is, “…an inexpensive handheld device that powers a virtual reality (VR) experience using almost any smartphone running Cardboard-enabled apps”.
To use Google Cardboard you will need, a Cardboard viewer : hardware that is used to view VR content with a smartphone. A smartphone: typically supplied by the consumer and an Android app: created by third-party developers.
You can also make your own using the instructions provided by Google:
The features of the Cardboard viewer include:
- Holder/enclosure for smartphones with screens up to 6 inches that assembles (and disassembles) in just 3 steps
- A button for performing actions with Cardboard-enabled apps, designed to work with most smartphone
- High-quality lenses made of durable material
Click HERE to read where I got this information.
Apps you can use through VR include but not limited to are Google expeditions, Veative, Nearpod, Youtube 360 videos, Google Earth Tours, Google Lit Trips etc.
In this blog post I will be focusing on Google Expedition and it’s great effects in the classroom. (Now discontinued, read article HERE)
Watch how VR has and can potentially change how teachers teach and how students learn!
Resources for teachers to know when learning about Google VR
I have included lesson plans using Google VR/ Google Cardboard below:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:google%20cardboard
VR will contribute to successful global collaborations through teaching students to have cultural understandings, global awareness, and a historical perspective. Tools like Google Cardboard give students the opportunity to transport to other countries and immerse them in historical civilizations based on what the teacher has assigned or has included in the lesson plans.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow me on Twitter @smirnah1 for updates!
What I explored on my Out of Eden Walk
According to the National Geographic, Out of Eden Walk is a 24,000-mile odyssey, decade-long experiment conducted by Paul Salopek. We as readers learn that, “[He] is walking the pathways of the first humans who migrated out of Africa in the Stone Age and made the Earth… [and] is covering the major stories of our time—from climate change to technological innovation, from mass migration to cultural survival” Click HERE to find out more. Paul documents and uploads photographs, videos, audio, etc. and records,” human life at the start of a new millennium as told by villagers, nomads, traders, farmers, soldiers, and artists who rarely make the news.” Click HERE to read more.
I explored the “Children’s Crusade” article focused on the Shilo Settlement in West Bank. In this article, we learn about Paul’s encounter with an Israeli settler named Marc Prowisor who takes him to a Palestinian farmer named Khaled Daraghmeh. Below are two images of the men.
The article states that the “American-born Jew, Prowisor is the security director for the One Israel Fund, an organization that provides logistical assistance to Israeli settlements occupying the West Bank. I have paused the walk at Shilo because I wished to visit these controversial outposts, to meet an Israeli settler. Prowisor’s community, and others, is trying to evict Daraghmeh from the land he farms, claiming he is a squatter. Daraghmeh says the hay-colored fields have been in his family for a century. This dispute is years old. The two men are categorical enemies”. (Salopek, National Geographic Society, 2014)
As reader we learn that there is a lot of conflict more than ever before between the Israeli and Palestinian youth.
I explored the Jeddah, Saudi Arabia walk, a total distance of 63 miles (101 KM). Click HERE to find out more.
During the walk they stubble upon a gardener:
Image by: PAUL SALOPEK
Click HERE to read more.
I also explored Tbilisi, Georgia in the Walking Tbilisi article. It is said that Tbilisi has kaleidoscope history of invasion and reconquest.
They are having a meal in Jerusalem. I found this image interesting because of the star of David and the Jewish words.
Here is an image of the inside of the Sioni Church
“The cross of St. Nino is locked behind glass. Her cross is made of two grapevines, lashed with her own hair”
Click HERE to view more images of Tbilisi, Georgia.
Thanks for reading! Good Luck to Paul Salopek on this journey! His global walk resumes in Yunnan, China after being halted by the global pandemic. Click HERE to read about where he is walking now.
‘WE” teachers – a module on bullying
When navigating through We.org , I came across a module on bullying. While looking through the PDF document this page caught my attention because it gave an overall view on the topic of bullying within the classroom:
As a future educator this topic is something I think about the most. It is extremely important for me to build not only a safe CLASSROOM environment but a safe SCHOOL environment as well. It should be our goal to create bullying prevention strategies.
*NOTE: there are many types of bullying*
Policies/ early intervention include:
Here are some tips to know when dealing with a bullying situation in class:
The following page discusses what teachers can do to prevent bullying:
Activities teachers can do as a class:
The module is lengthy but offers great tools, resources, strategies and activities to know and use as a teacher to prevent and intervene bullying situations. I recommend you all check out this module you can find it HERE and scroll down to the “Bullying Module” and click on view module or view course
Here is the course:
HyperDocs for PI (π) Day!
Hyperdocs is a word you are most likely familiar with if you teach or are in the process of becoming a teacher.
So what is/are “HyperDocs”? According to HyperDocs.Co , they are “digital lesson plans that are designed by teachers and given to students. They provide access for students to all content and learning in one organized digital space. HyperDocs shift instruction by giving students the content to explore before direct instruction, and by asking students to apply their learning using the 4 C’s: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.” In other words, a Hyperdoc is an interactive Google Document or Slide Deck (Ex. Google Slides) which replaces the worksheet method and gives the student hands on learning through the use of technology.
Watch this video to further understanding of HyperDocs and how to make one:
I found a HyperDoc for Pi (π) day 03/14. This document includes videos, questions/ activities for students to complete.
Second page of the HyperDoc link
This documents has hyperlinked activities, all students would have to do its click on the underlined words, and it will take them to YouTube videos they can watch as an activity. I will be using this PI Day Hyperdoc as a reference and inspiration when creating my own! The use of color and images the teacher included make this HyperDoc appealing to the eye!
Virtual Tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
I took a virtual field trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History which is located in Washington, D.C., United States. Earlier this year I visited this museum but today I wanted to take the virtual tour online. On the website it gave me the opportunity to view the permanent, current or past exhibits. The virtual tour that I chose had pictures of a past exhibit that were displayed prior to when I had made my visit. This virtual tour gave me a different perspective and I found it more interesting because I was able to zoom in and out of exhibits. Usually in person its crowded and you don’t really look at it for too long but viewing it online its gives you more of a connection because you can look at it for however much time you need.
I like learning about Natural History so as I was scrolling through the different displays I came across the Iceland display so I had to virtually visit it!
I zoomed in on the Northern Lights because they are something I want to see if I ever get the chance to visit Iceland. Iceland is known for its volcanos and glaciers there are also many places to sight see! I am glad this virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History gave me the opportunity to see some images captured of Iceland
If you would like to take a virtual Tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History click HERE.
Thanks for viewing! Follow me on Twitter:// smirnah1
Stockton University is offering a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program that encourages students to take a GIS course “Quilts” so they can visit Iceland during Spring Break in March of 2022.
Just for reference here is the flyer,
“La Niña” show on Netflix
I watched “La Niña” which is a Colombian, Spanish speaking tv show. It is about the life of a former guerrilla fighter. In the beginning of the first episode “Belky Bustamente” gets caught committing a crime and is sent to a human resources specialist. They suspect she is a minor and they later find out she is only 15 years old. She then is forced to join a social reintegration program. In the same episode we learn that she was taken as a child to go on and fight in the guerilla warfare.
Watch the trailer here:
Belky Bustamente alias “Sara” as a guerilla fighter.
The show is based in Bogota, Columbia (the poor suburban part of the city). There are many street vendors on the streets selling fresh vegetables, meats and foods. The actors speak a different Spanish but it is still understandable to the Spanish that I am familiar with. People of the poor class wear regular clothes and the middle and wealthier (rich) class wear nicer business like attire.
The first few episodes are about her life inside the social reintegration facility. It is not a fancy looking facility (there is a lot of graffiti) but they are offered everything they need as people who are socially reintegrating themselves into society. The economic situation outside of the facility is not the best because many people depend on their street vending businesses, growing their crops, etc.
Politically, the guerilla warfare militia rebelled against the Columbian military because benefits were often only given to those that had higher incomes the government didn’t help out the poor as much as they would to people that were already wealthy.
The similarities I found was that they value family. Here in the U.S for the holidays we gather with our families and have a big dinner and chat about life. The big difference I saw was the amount of street vendors selling foods to make an income. Here in the States not just anyone can sell food on the street, they all need to have a permit to sell food. Travel wise the actors would ride in motorcycles, bikes, vans, busses. The weather was often sunny and warm.
Later on, Belky realizes she has a passion for helping out others and falls in love with the medical field. She then joins a school of medicine to become a nurse.
Lastly, I highly recommend you all watch this show on Netflix (it offers subtitles in English) because it is based on a true story. It definitely expands your knowledge on guerilla warfare in Columbia and how many children are taken out of their will to go and commit crimes.
Microsoft Translator for Education
After reading chapter 2 (Communicators) in the Sail the & C’s textbook, I was introduced to a platform that I had no idea existed. This platform is called “Microsoft Translator” for Education.
But what exactly is translator for education?
According to Microsoft, the site provides free resources, tools, and how to guides for live captioning and translation in the classroom.
“Teachers manage many types of learners, including students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) who require assistive technology, and language learners (and their parents) who may not speak or understand the language of the classroom well. Microsoft Translator helps bridge these communication gaps, supporting accessible classroom learning with live captioning, cross-language understanding, and even multilingual casual conversations to help with student integration” (Microsoft)
Teachers can use this platform to translate their presentations, lectures. They can translate real time when having a parent-teacher conference. As well as study groups and a one-to-one conversation with students. This essentially breaks the language barrier that as teacher we may face.
Watch this video to understand the platform
I plan on taking the time to educate myself on using Microsoft Translator because I know that in the future I will be using this site and will encourage my students’ parents to use it , so we can better and further our communication to discuss their child’s needs.
Watch this video on parent-teacher conferences using Microsoft Translator:
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter: @smirnah1
Sustainable Development: Gender Equality Empowering Women/Girls
In September of 2015 United Nations established 17 global goals that are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.
In this blog post I will be talking about goal 5. By 2030 the goal is to achieve gender equality, and to empower women and girls worldwide.
Target 5.1 states – “end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere”
As of 2021, COVID-19 has affected the progress of goal #5. Throughout the pandemic women have played a huge role and have held positions as leaders, providers, caregivers and front line workers but are still being underrepresented. To advance gender equality we have to continue efforts in reshaping systems, laws, policies and institutions. However, there are still many discriminatory laws and legal gaps preventing women from gaining their full rights. (United Nations)
After many years of decline, child marriage is now expected to increase. It had decreased, “by 15 percent, from nearly one in four in 2010 to one in five in 2020” (United Nations). Unfortunately, because of the pandemic about 10 million girls are now at risk for child marriage.
More women now have access to mobile devices, having this tool helps empower social and economic development in women. And finally, to better target resources for gender-responsive recovery, systems like gender-budgeting tools will have to strengthened (United Nations).
Sources: “Goal 5 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs.” United Nations, United Nations, https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal5 and http://E/2021/58 – e – E/2021/58 -Desktop, https://undocs.org/en/E/2021/58 .
Discovery Education – Virtual Field Trips
This blog post will be about a platform called Discovery Education.
Discovery Education offers virtual field trips to teachers and students in the classroom. This tool is for educators to use so students can learn and gain experiences while sitting at their seats.
I researched this tool more in depth because it provides a companion guide, offers hands on learning activities and it is free!
What I found useful about Discover Education is the relevant content it shares and the teaching tools it offers teachers all while being on one platform.
It is:
When logged in you can search and find over 200,000 resources offered of all grade levels and subjects. It makes your search easy and accessible because you can filter out certain categories.
It comes in handy because you can assign and share content directly with your students.
Example:
In the long run this tool helps educators save time, quiz students, allows you to create activities and present them using the studio feature, offers literacy tools and helps teachers grow professionally.
Virtual Field Trip Video: KNOW MORE DO MORE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP
This platform will be used in my classroom as a hands on activity after watching videos and following the companion guide. This will test students’ knowledge on what they watched and have learned. I also plan on using the projects feature to find scientific and engineering project ideas.
What is the Discovery Education Experience like? Click here to find out!
Check out their YouTube channel for information: Click Here
Thanks for reading! Connect with me on twitter: @smirnah
Collaboration in the classroom!
After being away from each other for so long collaboration in the classroom is a must! As a future educator it is important to incorporate collaboration into your classroom culture. Students must be able to discuss and share ideas with one another to increase student engagement. As a teacher you will have to create an inclusive and supportive classroom. This way students can feel comfortable and included in classroom activities. Students can work together to complete a variety of tasks, not only inside the classroom but outside the classroom as well.
There are many platforms that have become popular amongst young students. Educational tools like Minecraft Education Edition is an excellent example. Some teachers aren’t tech savvy so they can find ways to reverse the roles and have students teach them how to use it. Essentially, this becomes collaboration not just with the students but with the teacher too.
Learning is social – click here
A collaborative classroom is key article – click here
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