VR Tools in a Classroom
Aries Catalogna
The Using of VR Tools in a Classroom
As we dive into the week of education through the use of Virtual Reality, we come across information that shows us how virtual reality can truly impact the educational world. As I was growing up, we had nothing like a VR and I spent my days searching through books in our school's library to get information on the world around me; especially the planets. However, with an app called Titans of Space Plus, launched into your VR, you are able to get a full spectrum of the planets and solar system in a third-dimensional view. As two of my nieces and nephews are homeschooled, I took my time learning from my sister about how she teaches her children. She introduced me to this VR app and I was impressed almost instantly. Not only do you get to view the whole solar system in the third dimension, but you also take on the journey of an astronaut who encounters seeing planets, the milky Way, all the moons, and viewing as the orbit cycles.
The app can be used by any age group however, I do believe that students who are entering 5th grade would find this experience incredible. During 5th grade, students typically learn about the planets and how the plants orbit. This would allow the students some entertainment as well as a close-up way for each student to fully understand how our solar system works and what else is out there. Other than 5th graders, I think that even students who grow up to want to become astronauts and study astrology could find this type of thing extremely useful to see and get a better idea of the solar system.
This tool would help children learn by diagram about what is in the sky. They get to experience a first-person view of being in outer space and how the world works. This also allows the children to get to better understand why and how we have night and day because of the way things orbit in space!
I really like how you begin your post with a personal connection to your educational experience without access to the VR tools that are available now, as well as sharing your experience with your sister and her children. This draws readers in and makes your subclaims seem more applicable to all learners. Of course, I had not previously heard about your selected app- Titans of Space Plus- so this was something that I learned from your post. If you were to integrate this into your classroom, would you let students explore on their own or would you present it in a whole-class viewing format? I feel like either of those contexts could be very beneficial, so I would be interested to see your perspective on that.
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