It’s often difficult for teachers and students to get back in the mood for classes after the Christmas break but K-8 grades in District 205 will have something to look forward to…experiencing pioneering technology from Google.
District Technology Coordinator Matt Jacobson says Google’s Expedition Augmented Reality has only been tested by schools since the fall of 2017.
But Galesburg schools will get to experience the program that allows teachers to place virtual objects in the classroom through which students can view through what Jacobson describes as a “phone or tablet on a “selfie stick”, providing a stunning visual aid.
Teachers will get to teach 25-30 minutes with the program, from a set of prepared lessons. Jacobson says teachers can “say ‘we want to do the volcano lesson, or the di Vinci’s inventions lesson’ There are dozen’s of options they can select from. With the administrators I develop a schedule.”
Jacobson gives the example of a class learning about volcanoes and a teacher placing an animated volcano virtually inside the space of the classroom.
Teachers would do something like make the animated volcano erupt, teaching the students while they get this strong visual.
Jacobson says initially Google was only planning on coming to one school but he was able to talk them to visiting all the elementary and middle schools in the district.
Google will bring the program for dates on Jan. 4- 9 and he’s trying to negotiate them to come back and visit GHS.
