Think back to your own childhood. What’s the most memorable field trip you took? Odds are, you didn’t go boating down the Amazon or walking through the ruins of Rome.
But, it is what some 600 students at Horizon Community Learning Center were able to do today after Google representatives chose their school to take part in the company’s Expedition Program.
The student were given smartphones encased in cardboard boxes as viewfinders, then taken on a 3D virtual field trip to five international destinations.
Teacher Sarah Vallejos heard about the program at a conference and signed up online. She says she was initially worried that students who were raised playing virtual reality video games wouldn’t be impressed with the opportunity.
“They already have this experience. You and I, we put on the glasses and we’re like ‘Oh, this is so amazing’, but these kids are living this every day.”
As soon as the students started using the viewfinder, her worries were gone.
“They’re still amazed by this technology and what they’re seeing.”
