Author: Chase Iaconelli

Date: 07/22/2024

If someone were to travel in time to 1985 and show the picture above to a group of students, they justifiably would assume that it must be a photo taken from an unreleased science fiction movie. The reality of education is one that is continually marked with progress and innovation. Teachers have always clamored for new ways to engage with their students, whether it be the use of physical aids like toys or the deployment of early technology like projectors and film. The thread of technology throughout the course of education started with humble intentions, which is how can educators best invigorate their teaching and inspire their students to learn in new and exciting ways. As we look forward to today, schools all across the world have not only harnessed the capabilities of computers and the internet, but the entrance of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence into the classrooms has radically changed how students engage with content. In terms of global collaboration, students in K-12 classrooms across the globe are being enabled with so much potential because of this new, yet powerful technology. Despite this, there is still the concern that the access to VR/AR resources remains a challenge, and the equitable funding and distribution of this technology still remains a pervasive issue.

But for this blog, we are going to focus on Virtual Passports and how Nearpod VR is revolutionizing the way that technology is being used as a tool to facilitate global collaboration.

Defining Global Collaboration in the K-12 Context

The first thing that everyone should be aware of is that Nearpod VR allows students to quite literally transport themselves to new environments and landscapes around the world. The software of the virtual passport enables students to become interconnected to the international community by allowing them to virtually travel to places like France, Italy, Britian, and Germany, as they walk the streets of famous cities and experience settings that they would otherwise not be capable of. Sure, anyone can Google pictures of these places or read a book about their cultural or international significance, but to actually step into these landscapes and have educational content as its backbone truly enables a broader, more diverse learning experience. This increases the student’s capacity to learn about societies and lives that are different than their own, while also fostering a sense of empathy, reverence and respect for realities of different communities around the globe. Also, the Virtual Passport gives students the ability challenges their beliefs and perspectives, as the virtual experience brings lessons of their eyes that break down stereotypes, pre-conceived notions, and prejudices that keep us divided and at odds with each other. As the students gaze upon historical sites and relate their virtual trip to class content, there is a subtle, yet imperative phase of critical thinking that happens that emphasizes critical thinking and encourages communication skills. When a student is able to appreciate different cultures and societies, they not only deepen their understanding of diversity, but they also learn to articulate that appreciation due to their referenceable digital experiences.

Interactive Lessons & A Gateway to Global Learning

When a person thinks about what it means to have an interactive lesson, there are a plethora of examples that are suitable for the definition of the term. Some teachers use physical, literary, dictation, and digital aids to enhance the learning experience and yes, entertainment of their students. Educators who choose to deploy the services of Nearpod’s interactive lessons are dealing with an entirely different resource, as the platform’s immersive field trip allows students to walk the grounds of historical sites and dive deep into the nuances of global topics. If Nearpod is used in a social studies class, students can walk the Great Wall of China after sitting through a lecture on China’s rich history and truly appreciate the scope and scale of the one of the worlds historical marvels. If a science teacher uses its virtual features, then their students can walk through the Rainforest in the Amazon and understand the impacts of climate change, specifically, what is at risk as it relates to the dangers of forest fires and corporate pollution. But sticking with the topic of climate change for a moment, this VR experience allows students fundamentally grasp and investigate global challenges by placing them in the places that are in the most danger to the devastating effects of climate change. From the issues of poverty, famine, droughts, and war to the social conventions of government corruption, fossil fuel proliferation, and the displacement of citizens due to inaction, students can sincerely understand a topic by gaining visceral, real experience through the dealing with Nearpod’s services.

The Impact of Nearpod VR on Global Education

There are many positive effects that this technology has on the consciousness and development of a student’s capacity for learning. The first is that it increases cultural awareness through enabling students to see the landscapes, culture, social practices, and feel of different societies. This not only entertains the students, but it gives them a perspective that we, as a global community, are not that different from each other. The second positive effect is that hopefully, if appreciated, students will deepen their capacity for empathy through collaborative projects that engage them with different languages and customs of societies that are radically different from their own. This generates a feeling that we are interconnected and dismantles the assumption that just because someone comes from a different nation that there is nothing in common. When we reach across the oceans and stand on the grounds of our ancestors, it opens our mind to the realities of humanity and allows us to transcend our rigid, low-resolution differences. VR is new, and many suggest that we are just seeing the infancy stages of what this technology is capable of. But if we look at the resounding results that students and teachers are seeing, then there is literally no limit of where and how this technology can be integrated to serve the needs and empowerment of all students across the world.