It's All About the Optics
AR...VR... Immersive Learning...360 Video...Interactive Video... Mixed Reality... Expanded Reality...Whatever you call it, it is pretty awesome!
And awesome for our L2 learners (and classmates) it is!
My new favorite idea is from Fernando Valenzuela. (Hey baseball fans, not the MLB pitcher.) Paraphrasing this "edupreneur" from an interview at a TESOL, Columbia meeting: Teachers of the future are curators of magical experiences.
All I can say is Wow!
But don't fret, feel pressured or overwhelmed. Embracing emerging tech, such as VR, is one lovely way to make this happen. Listen to this 2017 SXSWedu interview to see what has been in development for this year from Pearson:
We just missed an xR Edu conference described by EdTech Times as "the first ever experiential forum on extended reality in education" at Boston U on October 22, but no worries, you can check out some details here. Oh, xR?? EdTech Times explains, "xR is shorthand for 'Extended Reality,' a term that refers to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR)."
While you're at it, join the EdTech Times xR in EDU community here and be sure to listen and subscribe to their amazing xR in EDU podcast series downloadable for Apple or Android or streaming here.
The podcast on Oct. 3 has Dan Ayoub of Microsoft talking about how VR can produce measurable results in the classroom.
And on the 18th MIT's Dan Roy speaks about the research behind xR in education.
But Why For ELLs?
Immersive reality offers exceptional opportunity in cultural literacy, collaboration and connection. Students interact without a static screen, and feel oriented in a real (or maybe fantasy) world. Topics abound with locations and experiences. The simple fact of feeling located in the same space as others can be a game changer in communication and learning.
AR/VR or mixed reality offers some pretty cool content studies in all subjects, but the forerunners seem to be science and math. Content oriented AR/VR is really useful for L2 students. It can create the authenticity required to relate language to ideas and things that are otherwise rather opaque or inaccessible for the student new to English. For example check out these two:
Pearson's holographic anatomy, and Victory VR, immersive science texts for Grades 5-12.
But my new found favorite is...
VR Math, which is useable TODAY in your classroom with just Google Cardboard and a no to low cost! This is a must see!
I'm sure you already know about Google Expeditions and the benefits of virtual tours like Air Pano's or Full Screen's 360 photos and videos of landmarks around the world. By the way, if you like Google Expeditions, be sure to read this primer, Motivation and Memory: Virtual Reality in ESL on the benefits of Expeditions and how to use it for ELLs.
You can also check out lots of museums and explore VR on a real field trip to the Franklin Institute. Or make your own trips! Use this article, Using Virtual Reality in the ESL Classroom, for help! There is no shortage of virtual explorations that's for sure!
Ray Edgar at The Sydney Morning Herald has just reported that a new Australian VR experience called Virtual Songlines, "allows viewers to walk on pristine land among Aboriginal people, discover their architecture, see the boats the men rowed and hunted from, watch women collect food, view the precise ochre patterns on dancers. Using archaeological, historical research, Leavy and his team recreate the past."
On the subject of virtual field trips make sure you visit Ferlazzo's resources too.
In the news this week,
AR/VR or mixed reality offers some pretty cool content studies in all subjects, but the forerunners seem to be science and math. Content oriented AR/VR is really useful for L2 students. It can create the authenticity required to relate language to ideas and things that are otherwise rather opaque or inaccessible for the student new to English. For example check out these two:
Pearson's holographic anatomy, and Victory VR, immersive science texts for Grades 5-12.
But my new found favorite is...
VR Math, which is useable TODAY in your classroom with just Google Cardboard and a no to low cost! This is a must see!
I'm sure you already know about Google Expeditions and the benefits of virtual tours like Air Pano's or Full Screen's 360 photos and videos of landmarks around the world. By the way, if you like Google Expeditions, be sure to read this primer, Motivation and Memory: Virtual Reality in ESL on the benefits of Expeditions and how to use it for ELLs.
You can also check out lots of museums and explore VR on a real field trip to the Franklin Institute. Or make your own trips! Use this article, Using Virtual Reality in the ESL Classroom, for help! There is no shortage of virtual explorations that's for sure!
Ray Edgar at The Sydney Morning Herald has just reported that a new Australian VR experience called Virtual Songlines, "allows viewers to walk on pristine land among Aboriginal people, discover their architecture, see the boats the men rowed and hunted from, watch women collect food, view the precise ochre patterns on dancers. Using archaeological, historical research, Leavy and his team recreate the past."
On the subject of virtual field trips make sure you visit Ferlazzo's resources too.
Have you thought about virtual chat and CMC using VR?
In the news this week,
FluentWorlds Wins #6 Spot on Utah Valley 50 Start-ups to Watch and Introduces New Application, Perfect Accent
FluentWorlds explains, "Virtual Reality will be the next wave of digital interaction in the modern world! Whether it is mobile apps on a Google Cardboard viewer or through tools like the Samsung Gear VR, virtual reality apps are on the rise. FluentWorlds has released our first virtual reality app, FluentWorlds VR, that takes users into virtual Las Vegas and other engaging levels to practice identifying English words and phrases. Immersive, 3D-based learning has shown powerful ability to increase learning and engagement, retention and memory and speed the acquisition of new knowledge. Try it today!"
Also in the news was a WebWire and Victory VR (yes, the textbook company mentioned above) collaboration "on a new virtual reality product for Mandarin speakers looking to learn English in a real-world setting." This VR experience is domain focused on travel. It is expected in December of this year.
The Daily Illini, discusses how "VR Aids Second Language Acquisition" in its Oct. 8 edition.
I'm really interested in this idea of virtual chat. A platform called VRChat seems pretty amazing and a great place to practice language and make friends. In their own words, "VRChat lets you explore virtual worlds with other people from around the world." This is a great example of having students discuss topics unrelated to the classroom but still practice what they've learned. I'm thinking that somehow having an avatar may be just perfect for the shier L2 student.
And I don't know about you, but my ELLs don't seem to have a lot of opportunity to go to shows and events. So Occulus Venues is a great way to "get out" and practice introductions and topical conversations. Maybe chat someone up! Not to mention it is an awesome way to see shows and sporting events! This one requires a Facebook account though. Facebook says that is to keep folks accountable. On that note, all the VR chats have ways of reporting misbehaved users, and/or "voting someone off the island" so to speak. :-) So no worries!
Let me know what you find in your explorations!
P. S. The Taiwanese government is expected to employ VR among other measures in their major shift to English as the official language, which is huge news in itself really. Also in the news was a WebWire and Victory VR (yes, the textbook company mentioned above) collaboration "on a new virtual reality product for Mandarin speakers looking to learn English in a real-world setting." This VR experience is domain focused on travel. It is expected in December of this year.
The Daily Illini, discusses how "VR Aids Second Language Acquisition" in its Oct. 8 edition.
I'm really interested in this idea of virtual chat. A platform called VRChat seems pretty amazing and a great place to practice language and make friends. In their own words, "VRChat lets you explore virtual worlds with other people from around the world." This is a great example of having students discuss topics unrelated to the classroom but still practice what they've learned. I'm thinking that somehow having an avatar may be just perfect for the shier L2 student.
And I don't know about you, but my ELLs don't seem to have a lot of opportunity to go to shows and events. So Occulus Venues is a great way to "get out" and practice introductions and topical conversations. Maybe chat someone up! Not to mention it is an awesome way to see shows and sporting events! This one requires a Facebook account though. Facebook says that is to keep folks accountable. On that note, all the VR chats have ways of reporting misbehaved users, and/or "voting someone off the island" so to speak. :-) So no worries!
Let me know what you find in your explorations!
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