In educational terminology, virtual reality engages students with learning, increases retention, builds emotional intelligence, fosters creative thinking, and challenges and motivates students. In kids’ terminology, virtual reality is fun.
Jackson Academy introduced the new ClassVR headsets in a lively virtual reality experience. Third graders enjoyed a VR Dinosaur Day led by Director of Apple Education Technology and Apple Certified Learning Coach Lori Snider. The event not only entertained the students but also served as a testament to the potential of VR in education. By ensuring students are engaged, motivated, and challenged, VR tools can significantly enhance the learning experience, unlocking students’ potential and providing new ways to experience learning.
Using virtual reality, a student might visit a planet or hold a human heart, says the website of CLASSVR, which supplies the virtual reality headsets JA uses. In Snider’s session with third graders, students got a close-up look at dinosaurs, experiencing what humans from another age might have seen, felt, or understood about the creatures.
“They really are a wonderful tool to spark imagination and curiosity,” said Snider.
Experiencing virtual reality now gives JA students a taste of this new frontier of development in a controlled environment with educators trained in the use of technology. Snider sees this as one way JA is helping prepare students for the high-tech and changing climate they will enter in a few years.
