Virtually Exploring the World Without Leaving the Classroom
My students need a set of two iPod touch devices to work with our new Google Cardboard Goggles, so they can virtually travel inside a cell, explore biomes across the world, and travel inside the body!
Our middle school family is a school community of nearly 1400 students making it one of the largest middle schools in the county. The teachers delight in creating a progressive, rigorous and innovative learning experience for the students. Our population is quite diverse and with almost 1400 students, we cater to a variety of learning levels and experiences. Existing in a working community and having limited money per student, funding our projects often becomes difficult. Partners in education are vital in helping to provide an enriching learning environment. We are starting a STEAM program this year in the hopes of creating a workforce that will be able to compete globally in the 21st century workforce. As a beginning program, we are trying to engage students with hands-on experiences encouraging the imagination.
We are looking forward to establishing a learning environment that will instill a love of science and technology and promote innovative and productive thinkers.
My Project
Receiving a gift of 5 iPod Touch devices would allow more students access to immerse themselves in places they may never be able to see otherwise. Not all students are blessed with the ability to take vacations and see the differing landscapes they've studied in our unit on biomes. Many may never visit an ocean or scuba dive to explore the life beneath the waves.
With the help of our newly purchased Google Cardboard Goggles and free virtual reality apps like Expeditions, all students will be able to swim with sharks, climb Mount Everest, walk amidst the Aztec Mayan Ruins, or hang out with gorillas in The Congo.
We were able to purchase a small set of Google Cardboard Goggles for students to use in a small group setting within the classroom, but as for right now, only students with their own Wi-Fi enabled device are able to experience the virtual reality world. Recently, a few students virtually traveled into a cell to witness the organelles in action rather than just memorizing their notes on each organelle's function. The excitement in their voices and the look of amazement on their faces gave me goosebumps. As 7th grade teachers, we want to bring that amazing opportunity to more students each class period, and we can only do so with help from donors like you.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Scoville and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
