Arlington School & Family Magazine April 2017 | Page 22

Moore Elementary Virtual Reality Field Trips By Kenneth Perkins Who knew when a group of Moore Elementary fifth graders arrived at school recently that by 9 a.m. they would tour Independence Hall, some 1,500 miles away in Philadelphia. But that’s exactly what they did. Sort of. Sitting at their desks with virtual reality goggles plastered to their faces, the students saw firsthand the room where the U.S. Constitution took shape, a statue of George Washington and the original draft of the U.S. Constitution. It felt so close and so real, it’s as though they could reach out and touch it, which explained why many of the students were trying to do just that. Moore, along with Berry, Hill and Peach elementaries, were awarded VR goggles and software as part of the new Google Expeditions equipment won from a Technology Through Innovation grant last fall. Goggle viewers can be led on an expedition into fascinating places by their teacher – in this case, Cindy Upchurch – who controls what they see via a tablet. Upchurch guides the students, asking them questions and tossing out intriguing facts along the way. These are 360-degree images so real it really does feel like you are there. Students can explore museums, take trips back in time to learn about fossils, dive underwater in the deepest of oceans and even go into space. Each trip can be peppered with factoids while concentrating on science and social studies curriculums. The Moore fifth graders, for instance, talked about how the Liberty Bell got its crack, and how Independence Hall is, for the most part, the birthplace of the United States. Patrick Elementary Literary Multitasking By Kenneth Perkins Talk about multitasking. Those who attended an evening of literary games at Patrick Elementary figured they were merely doing that. Then they caught a rousing performance from the newly-formed Patrick Step Team. Then everyone made their way into classrooms down the hall and up the stairs where they began activities dealing with literacy. Teachers and/or parents read stories and then discussed them with students, who were asked to pinpoint the who, what, where and even how of the stories. “This is the season of celebrating Black history, so we decided to have our reading night compliment our Black History Program,” said Patrick Assistant Principal Tonna Brooks. Each student at Patrick had the opportunity to write about a famous African-American or do a poster. “This has been a wonderful extension to our science curriculum,” Upchurch said. “What it does is allow the students to take a closer look at things they only read about; landforms in Yosemite National Park and see the landforms we have studied in a virtual setting, for instance.” “The main thing we were doing was teaching a strategy to kids based on what they are doing in their classrooms,” Principal Matt Brown said. “It’s really a fun, relaxed way of learning that’s different from a standard curriculum that might be used during the day.” For students, it’s simply a blast. On this day, excited fifth graders wait outside Upchurch’s classroom for one group to exit so they could start their own excursion. Brooks said most of the activities are designed for parents to actually emulate at home. “We are very much enjoying the new opportunity this technology is providing for the students’ increased engagement and understanding,” Upchurch said. “It really is a good learning opportunity for the parents as well,” Brooks said. “They can take the activities home and engage their kids right there. It’s all about the love of learning.” Up next? A trip to the Great Barrier Reef to learn more about the aquatic ecosystems, its convoluted foo