I’m not so sure about VR. I think (reading the Kinect article) a program like that may be valuable in some ways, but the actual VR world could be a scary thing. Some former students of mine like to use MEEZ. I didn’t understand it fully, and still don’t, except that I banned it from our classroom because I saw swearing on the chat they can send each other. I don’t think there are parameters or filters on those kinds of things, and therefore could cause major issues in the schools.
However, if you can take a field trip to a museum or to the moon or somewhere impossible for you to take your students physically, doing so by way of VR or 3D web would be the way to go. Imagine the students being able to see King Tut’s tomb in the Pyramids, or exploring the New World with Chris Columbus (see what it was like to be on the boat!)
When I played SIMS several years ago, I found myself dreaming (nightmare!?) about it and it consumed my thoughts… it was impossible to sleep. I started to get that feeling again as I watched that Second Life video. Scared me!
I’m still on the fence… I can see arguments both ways. One thing that does bother me is the lack of human interaction with video games. More and more people are communicating electronically (I admit, I’m guilty or texting and emailing more than making phone calls) but children need this more. We see many problems in schools with children not getting along… perhaps it’s because they spend more time in cyber/second space than dealing with real-world issues.
On the other hand, as mentioned before, some of this virtual reality stuff can enhance (not supplement) lesson plans. In teacher-led small doses, VR could be a useful tool in the classroom.
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