Educators introduce AR/VR as a teaching tool.

COVID-19 Shifting Society’s Norms, Including Education Plans

With announcement of a worldwide pandemic and huge shudders going through our stock markets, there is some good news in the matter of continuing education. At least in some aspects and on some levels of schooling.

According to story in eschoolnews.com, VR and AR will change how we live, work, learn, and interact with each other. Companies as The Glimpse Group, a diversified VR and AR platform company with nine unique software and services subsidiaries, are advancing the idea now.

For those who consider buying a VR headset for home use, it’s good to realize that humans are spatial learners who learn best by doing. While it’s not always feasible for students to go to a physical location, a VR headset can transport them to any time period and any location, immersing them in the environments.

Some  school districts are purchasing VR headsets for early elementary students that are specifically labeled for ages 13 and up—think: using the Oculus Go with a kindergarten classroom. However the size of the headsets are causing a bit of a problem for younger children and the size of their heads.

disruptED

disruptED is one of the most curriculum-rich AR/VR resources for early elementary students, these augmented and virtual reality books bring students on a literacy journey as they explore and interact with letters, shapes and opposites. The learner can select either augmented or virtual reality to engage with the books, which include visual and auditory prompts in the directions. Not only are students able to explore and interact with activities, the worksheets and expansive curriculum provide more resources to help the educator meet content requirements. One of the lessons connects letter recognition with sign language.

The company offers free sample sheets and a full lesson plan to test out the experience with students.

Here are a few more resources to consider when searching for more immersive technology resources:

Moatboat (pictured at top)
Catchy Words AR
Dr. Seuss ABC
Rox’s Secret Code

It’s likely many schools will close for an unknown amount of time. Now is a good time for them to adopt VR/AR tech for education and healthcare. Here are links about education programs: edsurge.com; also eschoolnews.com