Powered With Technology: Ways To Open The Doors Of Your Classroom To The World

Virtual reality is taking over the educational world! With Google Cardboard oculus viewers so accessible, it has made it very easy for teachers to tap into using 4D resources that swing the doors of the classroom wide open to the world. Imagine studying:

• the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza
• the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef
• how long it would take to walk the Great Wall of China

...and you actually get to explore the site you’re discussing...that day...with your classmates. These devices are the 21st-century school bus!

The great thing about the resources emerging for this is many don't even require the viewer. YouTube has launched their 360º Video Channel and many of these videos can be simply viewed with no additional devices needed. 

New apps capitalizing on ocular devices are emerging daily for both iOS and Android devices. Because our district is an Apple district, I created a Symbaloo that includes apps for iOS devices as well as some notable videos on the YouTube 360º video channel that I have placed on the bottom two rows.

Live WebCams are another cool option to swing the doors of your classroom wide open. There are lots of live webcams around the world that allow you to get a glimpse of different people, places, and things. Some ways these webcams could be used in the classroom:

• Student Research Projects
• Class study and analysis of data
• Collaborative Google Sites to track data
• Open discussions of observations and effects
• As an added element to a web quest

Click on the graphic below to access some great webcams to check out:

Check back for updates as we continue to grow our list of Virtual Reality/Google Cardboard resources as well as our list of live webcams. It's time to take our students out into the world and bring learning to life.