Grantee: Gina Keenan – Technology Integration Specialist, Fair Oaks Elementary, Osseo Area Schools

Project Title: Let’s Take a Virtual Field Trip!

Grant Amount: $1,807.21

This project will bring students all over the world without ever leaving the classroom.

This wonderful new technology allows them to see far off places like the Great Barrier Reef, the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Wall of China. Using this technology, we will build virtual field trips into our curriculum using Google Cardboard viewers paired with smartphones and free apps for learning. We want to give students culturally relevant instructional technology, and we want to provide digital content to promote learning and close the achievement gap in our school.

Positives: The students love the interaction with the smartphones and viewers. They are engaging and ask questions about the environments and follow directions given by Ms. Keenan to understand what it is they are viewing.

Challenges: Sometimes the devices do not connect to the program and students pair off on one device. Connection to the Wi-Fi can be problematic at times.