Virtual Reality: Fun for Some...Not So Much for Me

Oh no. I cannot...wrap my head around 'MUVE' and virtual reality worlds let alone contemplate whether it possesses a place in the field. My reasoning lies within my own qualms about VR, I guess. During undergrad, a Social Psychology class required me to read an article regarding a study that utilized VR to create an environment testing Right Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation through creating a situation that demanded managing the world for 40 years...blah blah blah...and the findings indicated that VR adequately provided researchers with an environment to examine effects that could not be obtained in real life studies. The studies were replicated four years apart with different participants to test for validity--and conclusively resulted in the premise that VR holds a significant potential in the field of education, especially when testing concepts that are incapable of real life examination. The study intrigued me then but I remain skeptical that VR possesses a role in the education of learners at the primary level and at a broader level, all learners under the higher education threshold. From this perspective, and since I hope to teach at the K2 level, I foresee that I will never resort to integrating VR in my own classroom. I could foresee if I gain K12 certification, as I have discussed with Phil in order to broaden my potential employment prospects, using it as a semester or year long study at the HIGH SCHOOL but not even the Middle level. A single course, with a singular purpose like a semester long Economics course may fit well with the target of VR. Beyond a dedicated course and at the Secondary level, I cannot endorse the use of VR in education due to difficulty and time limitations. It simply lacks practicality. For obvious reasons, I am not even commenting on safety--the MUVE tech is not even, in my opinion, of the same caliber of threat as the internet with adequate filters. SL and MUVE apps are open...and unless there are exact focus MUVE apps, there is not a reason why I should invite that kind of exposure to learners. 

I married a Dungeons and Dragons nerd. I love my husband a ridiculous amount and recall that on our first date years ago after tea at Sparrows and a walk around East Hills, we ended with drinking some fine PBRs at The Meanwhile while he attempted to explain the entire D&D concept to me. The keyword is ATTEMPTED. Before he could finish the spiel, I confessed that I simply could not wrap my head around creating an entire character through which you play a lengthy, involved game. I am hopelessly lacking creativity. For being a self-confessed nerd, I am fairly incapable of jumping on board with the Role Playing and pretty much everything that requires 'alternative reality' concepts. Second Life and all of the MUVE inspired projects. Ugh. I really wish that I could embrace stuff like this--because witnessing the enthusiasm of my husband and friends kind of makes me feel like I am missing out. I think in the classroom I will stick to ed-games or more practical applications of tech. I have limitations! 

On a side note, THANK YOU, for not requiring us to sign up for an SL account. 

CIP Rambling Thoughts

Years ago, during my work at CA Frost Environmental Science Academy, I spent many of my days in Fall, Winter, and Spring camping with students through various grade-level trips. I guess you could say that at that time, I was the token outdoorsy ASD support staff that did not have any attachments besides a very independent cat and a second job as a server at Kent Country Club. I spent weeks of the year roaming the forests and paddling the rivers of Michigan. For someone who is perpetually near-poor, the opportunities afforded me time doing what I love most in the world for the mere cost of transporting students in my car and my personal time. Spending time outside is pretty much the one thing that I want to do in life but I also know life does not function that way (or on rare occasions, perhaps for whatever reasons, life allows a person the remarkable opportunity to mash everything they love into one position.) I have spent ten years, since 18, working in various support, substitute, and early childhood positions when I was not exploring other "work" so that I could be certain education was the proper path for me. With the exception of Mount Rainier National Park, nothing in my work life ever resembled the overwhelmingly awesome satisfaction I felt, regardless of crazy or good work day, during my time in the field.

On one trip in particular to PJ Hoffmaster State Park with 6th graders during late October, I wrote a 5E lesson examining the Dune Ecosystem that utilized GPS units. Although I daydreamed about several potential projects, my mind returned to the idea of extending the Dune Ecosystem lesson into a Unit for the CIP. I love Science and if it weren't for my million other credits in Social Studies, I might have returned to GVSU for certification in Integrated Sciences. Secretly, I hope to earn a cert in that content area someday, along with a PhD in the field, but I digress... And yes, they let me write lessons at Frost occasionally when it was pertaining to trips. Sigh. The good ol' days.

For the CIP, I aim to expand on my original lesson as mentioned above through the creation of a tech-infused collection of lessons. Tomorrow hopefully I will identify each benchmark that will be included in the Unit based on the GLCEs--obviously organism interactions, ecosystems, and physical changes of the Earth are primarily the easiest to group together in such a project. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/6-Science_COMPLETE_12-10-07_218321_7.pdf After reading through the GLCEs to refresh my memory on the Science content, I really am quite excited to continue work on this previous idea since I now have loads of technologically awesome ways to make it even better for instructor and learner alike. Below is a brief list of materials that I plan to include in the CIP but of course is not binding:

• GPS
• Laptops (1:1)
• Smartboard
• Microscopes
• Software: Excel (Google Spreadsheets), MS Word (Google Docs), MS Powerpoint (or Google equivalent)
• Moodle: Classroom website, with Science subject area link that contains all lessons and information pertaining to Unit
• Digital Camera
• Audacity--record Podcasts of lessons for small groups assigned to certain ecosystems in Michigan
• Other Miscellaneous Technologies not known at this time of development in Unit writing

In the spirit of Outdoor Ed, I would love this project to center around paper-free and uphold the Leave No Trace principles for community based learning, whether it is community as in Nature Center or State Park. For this reason, everything relating to documents will be shared through either Google or another host. I am somewhat of a treehugger. Ultimately, I would love a placement that allows me to be outside most of the time. For one, I am incredibly socially awkward and although I teach with ease because my love of sharing knowledge transcends my awkwardness, I prefer my "element." Although outdoor based education usually means a lot of time spent outside, I now see how the concept of technology integration can forge with the focus of outdoor ed. Actually, if I were to take it a step farther, I could state that the combination of these two principles--environmental education and technology--likely prepares our learners for life in the 21st century. Both of these topics are incredibly relevant in society these days as many colleges are rapidly creating majors and minors in areas pertaining to these two things, whether separate or together! If it is our aim, according to the ISTE NETS-T to prepare our learners to be global citizens, for me, I find that a better method does not exist than through outdoor education and technology integration.

That's me in the bandana, confirming the final elevation reading via the GPS unit. (Photo from parent, 2006)