Yesterday, third grade students at West Hills Elementary School took a field trip to the Statue of Liberty using virtual headsets.
“It’s a new tech that’s coming around. You’ve probably seen it on your shelves in Best Buy and Walmart. Basically, what you do is you put a phone in a headset. When you look in the headset, you can look around and you’ll see whatever is projected onto the phone,” said MCC Phi Theta Kappa President, Aaron Kirby.
Earlier this week, the third graders had read a story about the history of the Statue of Liberty. To help enhance their learning, students of MCC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society brought over the headsets. Third graders got to see up close what the Statue of Liberty actually looks like using the technology.
“They are super excited. This is really a great day for them as far as them being able to relate to the story of the Statue of Liberty. It also goes with our skill of making logical connections, cause and effect relationships, and sequencing events, so this was the perfect activity to end our week,” said Sharon Henry, who teaches the third-grade class.
After exploring the virtual headsets, students travelled to different stations to learn more about the Statue of Liberty.
“They’re making their own crown today. They’re making passports at one station. They have a weighing station over here with pennies. They’re discussing how when the statue of liberty was made, it was brown and made out of copper, but overtime because of the weather, it has turned green,” said Henry.
Kirby explained that the virtual headsets help bring adventure to the classroom.
“With education changing, common core, whatever it may be, kids just don’t have the opportunity
to go out and see the things they’re learning about and become passionate about their education. So, this is a way to bypass the money. You don’t have to have the school bus driver, you bring the headsets into the classroom. Thirty minutes to an hour and you get the same experience as a field trip.”
MCC’s Phi Theta Honor Society hosted fundraisers and received donations from local businesses to purchase five virtual headsets. The honor society plans to donate the headsets to the Meridian Public School District.
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