Malibu Elementary

VR for Social Emotional Learning- Dana Hand

Last January, this team began thinking about all of the incredible ways students in their building could use VR goggles. Early on, they were excited about having all students, across grade levels, and disciplines experience situations they may never have the opportunity to experience. They knew it could help level the playing field for economically disadvantaged students as well as students with multi- modal learning styles and disabilities by making these learning experiences more accessible. Additionally, students would be able to collaborate within and across grade levels creating their own interactive, virtual realities.

They also know that highly engaged students will explore, encounter, investigate, share, and revisit topics across all disciplines. They planned to have teachers and students create virtual reality products and be available to all students and staff in a virtual learning library. This library could be used for student-led investigations, review, remediation for struggling students and as inspiration for future virtual reality projects.

Then, Covid-19 happened. With the multitude of changes and challenges, their ideas for the use of VR goggles in their school also shifted and transformed. Students and teachers, now more than ever, are feeling uncertainty, stress and anxiety. They began to ponder the question, "How can VR googles also help our students and staff experience social and emotional well-being?"

They imagine, providing students and teachers a comfortable space to put on a pair of VR goggles and take a few minutes to decompress or deescalate.

Graduate Profile

Students will demonstrate literacy skills necessary for success in school and life. Possess and exhibit understanding across a variety of disciplines. Able to transfer and apply knowledge across contexts. Having students journal about their VR experience afterwards will allow them to reflect on what they saw, heard, how they felt.

Students will have an opportunity to be cross-culturally competent as they understand and respect one's own culture and other cultures. become problem solvers and creators as they apply creative thinking skills to develop solutions that effectively address problems, challenges, or unmet needs. For example, visiting a location such as Australia's wildfires, Hawaii's volcanoes, Puerto Rico's earthquakes, plastic in the oceans, the effects of global warming around the world, and the impact of climate change on populations globally,particularly indigenous cultures.

Students will be able to own their learning as they craft their own explorations while gathering, analyzing, and evaluating information and ideas. The VR experiences will also enable students to understand the importance of balancing different aspects of their lives (academic, physical, emotional) to achieve well-being as they strive to lead a healthy lifestyle.

They hope for students to use these goggles to tap into calming environments that ease stress and anxiety throughout the school day. It is a goal to provide students with opportunities to pursue a variety of curricular options and to develop a well-rounded educational experience.