A Bright Spot

Several years ago I started teaching first grade at Cambridge Elementary School. December break came and went and January marked the start of our interdisciplinary unit on penguins. To kick off the unit our math program recommended that we “take a trip to Antarctica”. The authors suggested that teachers should describe the environment and maybe even show a short video to reinforce concepts covered in the text about the topography and climate of the continent. I followed along with the program, even taking it a step further and simulating a plane ride - which I thought first graders might enjoy. I was wrong. The experience felt lame and inauthentic and to be quite frank, I wondered how this experience would pique students’ excitement enough to maintain motivation and excitement around future learning opportunities. 

Flash forward a year and I wanted to communicate to students why the experience had to be somewhat inauthentic to avoid later disappointment. We looked up the cost to travel to Antarctica and even learned that scientists can’t get there by plane. Instead they have to fly to the southern tip of South America and then board a ship that takes six days to get to Antarctica. The reality set in for students that taking the trip via SmartBoard was better than paying thousands of dollars per person and missing their families for at least several weeks in attempts to take a closer look at the penguins. While the students curiosity and inquiry around the technicalities of getting to Antarctica (and the challenges of sustaining life once there) were impressive, I still felt as though the students would be better served if the experience could somehow be more authentic.

Shortly after the second flop of a so-called virtual field trip to Antarctica, we had a professional day centered around innovation. Teachers spent the morning exploring new tech tools, the Maker’s Space and several tech stations and challenges set up by both students and teachers. In the afternoon teachers spent time collaborating and brainstorming ways to innovate the current curriculum. After exploring a VR app and walking around with the dinosaurs, I had the solution to my students’ lack of interest and engagement with the virtual experience. I met with one of our technology integration specialists and worked out a plan to include a VR opportunity into the onset of our unit. 

In January, I got to witness students squeal with laughter and excitement as they planted their feet on the ice in Antarctica and walked around with the penguins. Students even got to witness a large ship transporting scientists docking on the icy shores. The students’ enthusiasm was contagious and everything you wish to accomplish as an educator each and every day. The experience for the students was unforgettable and they often reference it as we discuss the penguins’ habitat, what they look like, sound like and how they move (all of which could be observed via the video). While this is only a small glimpse into the possibilities of VR in promoting engagement, deeper learning and motivation - it is a bright spot for the impact of thoughtful reflective practices and technology as a way to innovate the students’ experience in the classroom and promote learning of far away places.