PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Valley elementary school is taking classroom lessons into the virtual world.
Don Neville’s classroom at Villa De Paz Elementary is unlike any other. “I wish I had this when I was a kid,” Neville said. He uses virtual-reality technology to teach lessons.
One example he showed Arizona’s Family was a lesson that complements a science class. “This basically replaces wet labs,” Neville said. “Students still do the research in the classroom, but when they come here they kind of play a game that’s a science experiment.”
The Prendergast Elementary School District is using the virtual-reality technology with the help of Arizona State University and its partner Dreamscape.
“Do you think you’ve learned more about animals since you joined this class?” reporter Steven Sarabia asked a student. “Yeah,” the student replied.
“Do you prefer this headset and controller to a notebook and pencil?” Sarabia asked. “Yeah, I learn visually,” another student said.
The technology isn’t limited to lab experiments. Neville said it can also be used to take students on field trips to destinations their school buses can’t reach. “We can take them to Rome. We can take them to the moon,” he said.
Neville has noticed how excited the kids are to attend school since they began using the technology. “Teachers are seeing their students change. They want to be at school on days they have VR. They want to be at school, and they are willing to go into the classroom and do their work,” he said.
The district started using the technology at Villa De Paz, and because it proved so popular, it is now using it in all 12 of its schools.
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