Google Expeditions
Virtual and augmented reality are changing up the classroom. Now students are able to see things virtually that they wouldn't have been able to see without these technological advancements. Many school districts have gone Google, and now Google has their own platform for virtual and augmented reality.
In order to bring Google Expeditions to your classroom, you will need mobile phones or tablets with the Expeditions app. Google offers 3 different options for creating your Google Expeditions kit.
Option 1: Buy a Kit
Kits can be purchased through numerous suppliers. Best Buy Education offers 3 different options ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
Option 2: Build your own kit
You will need to following to build your own kit.
- Tablet (for the teacher)
- Mobile devices (for students)
- VR viewers such as Google Cardboard
- Expeditions App downloaded to each device
Option 3: Try it for yourself
Want to try it before you buy it? Test out Google Expeditions for yourself. You will need the following:
- An Android, Chrome OS, or iOS mobile device
- The Expeditions app
- [Optional] A Cardboard or Daydream VR viewer.
View the following videos for a short tutorial on how to use Google Expeditions.
Google Expeditions allows teachers to expose their students to tons of historical landmarks, locations around the world, and many other options. There are over 900 VR tours and over 100 AR tours! Imagine your students' reactions when they are able to virtually walk through the solar system!
I looked thorough the list of various field trips you could take with Google Expeditions. Really amazing. I was thinking how much this would make 6th grade Ancient Civilizations come alive for our students. The cost though!
ReplyDeleteIt seems pretty pricey for this technology but if purchased for the school as a part of a library makerspace, I could see this being used a ton! I loved traveling as a kid and my family went EVERYWHERE together. We have seen the entire United States, coast to coast, and several countries as a family through our family vacations. I've continued to travel as an adult and the lessons I have learned will stay with me for my entire life. It made me so sad to talk to some of my students about how little they have traveled and how little of this world they have seen. Technology like this can change that for many students and while they may never go there in person, they can learn so much from a virtual experience of the world around them.
ReplyDelete