From Ecuador's GalápagosbrIslands and Smoo Cave in Scotland, to the Great Barrier Reef at Heron Island, studentsbrat Westlake Academy (WA) got the virtual tour of a lifetime.
Thanks to Google Expeditions Pioneer Program, 18 sessions were held at Westlake Academy sobrstudents could experience the world in a new way through virtual reality fieldbrtrips. The Expeditions are designed specifically for the classroom by a band ofbrtechnological innovators and professional educators.
“Technology takesbrstudents to places they wouldn't normally be able to go to during school,” saidbrRay Workman, IT Coordinator, in a press release.
A team from the PioneerbrProgram helps teachers understand the process and provides them with materials,brwhich include smartphones that fit into a Google Cardboard headset and a tabletbrto guide the experience via a router that is configured by the Google Pioneerbrteam.
No matter the age, soundsbrfrom the classroom were much the same as students got a 360-degree view ofbrdestination environments all over the world. “Wow!” “Cool!” “Whoa, dude, checkbrthat out!” “They have a Burger King there?”
John Alfone, Googlebrrepresentative, said the virtual tours open doorways to places students mightbrhave misconceptions of, or might not ever visit. “They get to see things theybrdidn't even realize existed.”
Maru Busico-Flight,brtechnology integration specialist, said Westlake Academy staff is grateful tobrbe chosen as part of this pilot program. As an International Baccalaureate World School, this type of activitybrfits in perfectly with Westlake Academy's international mindedness focus.brBusico-Flight said she applied for the program as part of the Academy's GlobalbrCollaboration initiatives, in hopes that WA would be selected from the onesbraround the world including U.S., Brazil, Australia, U.K., Canada, Singapore andbrDenmark.
“When I learned aboutbrGoogle Expedition I fell in love with the idea immediately!” Busico-Flight saidbrin a press release. “I am thrilled that we are able to integrate technology tobrenhance our students' learning experiences and bring lessons to life.”
Click here to learn morebrabout the Google Expeditions Pioneer Program.