I can think of
two ways to redefine my classroom technology, virtual reality and video
calls. Virtual Reality redefines class
field trips. As I said in our group
presentation, many schools do have not the budget for even a local field trip to
a historical landmark. However, with
virtual reality, this gives students the ability to take a field trip anywhere
in the world. Learning about the Roman
Republic? Pop on a virtual reality
helmet and walk around the Curia Julia.
Learning about the American Civil War, take a trip around Gettysburg
without leaving your chair. Video calls
are another way to redefine classroom guests.
When I was a sophomore in high school, my history teacher brought in a
surviving member of a holocaust concentration camp. This is one of the few times I was emotionally
moved in high school. Unfortunately,
depending on your location, these guest speakers could be hard to come by. Fortunately, technology allows us to connect
with anyone, anywhere. With the use of
social media, I can arrange video chats with historians, survivors, soldiers,
journalists, and so on.
I wish that I had an experience like that when I was in high school. I took a Holocaust literature class at Whitworth when I was an undergrad. A soldiers daughter came and it was one of the most real conversations that I have ever had. It was full of substantial information and developed a deeper understanding of Holocaust life. Now that you mention that, I think that teaching a holocaust unit and supplementing it with a video call could be so very meaningful to my students. You can find people that want to share, but finding them nearby is difficult. I really want to do this for my classroom! Good use of social media.
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