Oh, the Places They Went!

They toured Buckingham Palace, they visited Roman ruins, they took part in an ocean safari and they scaled the Dolomites…all without leaving the classroom. February 23, 2016, was a busy day for Keith Valley Middle School students who participated in Google Expeditions Pioneer Program, which took students to the exotic locations they were learning about in their studies.

Google Expeditions is a new product that allows teachers to take their classes on virtual field trips to give students a deeper understanding of the world beyond the classroom. “We, as educators, want to give the worldliest experience possible to our students,” said Mindy Rubinlicht who teaches music at the middle school.

The Wildlife Conservation Society, PBS, the American Museum of Natural History, the Planetary Society and the Palace of Versailles contributed to developing the curriculum for students. The trips are collections of virtual reality panoramas that are annotated with details, points of interest and question that can be integrated into the classroom curriculum. Eighth-grader Jamie Erick enjoyed the way in which her teacher related class material to the Google ocean exploration. “It was amazing to see the Great Barrier Reef,” she said.

Teachers received a travel box that included a tablet for the teacher and Cardboard viewers and phones for every students. Google Cardboard is a virtual reality viewer made almost entirely of actual cardboard and allows anyone with a smartphone to experience virtual reality.

What did students think of the experience? “It looked really realistic and it was cool to go places around the world without leaving the area,” said seventh-grader Taylor Wall. Students liked that Google Expeditions provided them with opportunities to visit famous historical sites and landmarks that they may not be able to experience.

“This was a truly unique experience for our students and added a dimension to the learning process that was engaging and thought provoking,” said Keith Valley Middle School Assistant Principal Brea D’Angelo. “We are always looking for ways to enhance learning.”