Tiffany Imparato

Keeping students excited and engaged in the classroom can be hard at times so why not put fun technology in with your lessons? The idea of virtual reality tools combined with lessons is enough to get any student excited to explore. I selected to check out the new Google Cardboard and explore how utilizing it could take teaching to the next level.

This is an extremely low-cost way to add great value to your classroom and introduce virtual reality to any lessons plans as students get drawn into their augmented reality. You can purchase low cost pre made cardboards through Goggle at very low prices starting around $8.00 or I found print out templates free after a quick online search. So, you can grab any cardboard lying around home or school and recycle it into good use. Remember teaching about recycling and using is highlighting one of our SDGs.

After completing the construction, it is time to head to the APP store and download the supporting tool to bring our experience to life. Beside the official app there are various platforms that also work such as You Tube so you can enjoy videos in 360-degree mode.

Wow just a phone, an app, and a phone gives students access to virtual experiences that can take them anywhere. Students can easily explore places beyond their imaginations such as other countries, space, national parks, the options are endless. The best part is that this is simple technology and can be applied in classrooms of basically any age or skill level with guidance.

Highschool students can use it to explore ancient ruins, middle school students can explore the solar system, elementary students can go virtually on safari. These can be used individually or all together on a type of virtual class field trip where students feel as though they are really there.

Here is an example when using it with Google Earth

The truth is this technology can be used to teach science, history, climate preservation, and in aid to encouraging students to become global citizens. The fact is this tech tool breaks the boundaries of the classroom and placing students virtually anywhere in the world.