November 13: VR/AR, Podcasts, Peardeck, BreakOut EDU

Virtual Reality: Lenovo Mirage Solo w/ Google Daydream

To those of you who had a chance to play around in VR this morning, thank you for being willing to try something new! If you didn’t to use the Lenovo Mirage devices or would like to experiment some more, feel free to pop into my office at any point to experiment. Here are a few other pieces of information to consider as you plan to use these in your classrooms:

  • Google Expeditions is an exceptionally easy-to-use app that is loaded 1000 scenes from around the world. Check out the list of available tours here. All of these come with leveled questions and the ability to control exactly what appears on the student VR headsets.

  • Youtube has a curated channel highlighting 360/3D content that is VR-ready, but there are countless other videos that are easy to find in a basic YouTube search by using their new 360 or 3D filters.

  • Using Google’s Tour Creator, you can create your own 360 VR-ready content and point it directly at what your kids are studying. Check out a video overview of this tool. I have a 360 camera in my office that I am happy to loan out to help you get started quickly.

  • If you don’t see something that is an obvious fit within Google Expeditions, remember that this is essentially a Google Daydream-based computer, and there is an entire library of Daydream-compatible apps available for download in the Google Play store. I got to speak with several different content-providers and app developers at the HECC conference last week. If you have a big idea, share it with me and I’ll research what is out there to help make that happen in VR.

VR is an exciting new medium to engage kids with, but it can also streamline exposure to abstract concepts and create learning opportunities that are not otherwise possible. When you are brainstorming how to use this in your room, consider the role the technology will play in the knowledge construction process for your kids. How can you use it in a transformational way?

Augmented Reality: Merge Cube


BreakOut Boxes

Available here is the Break Out lesson Kerri Wood created. She is happy to brainstorm a few ways to modify this set-up for your classroom/content.


Kerri's boxes I created will be available for building use, so feel free to see me if you have questions or want to try one out!!

Percents Break Out

PearDeck


Podcasts