I have a belief, and please do not judge. But I believe that virtual reality (VR) holds the biggest promise for education. Why? Because it will advocate so much involvement with the students. Imagine this! You are teaching a lesson in middle school about the universe. You are talking about the different planets, moons, starts, and the galaxies. To captivate the interest of your students, you use VR to let them have a tour of space. Instead of watching a video, they get to feel like an astronaut with the entire galaxy within hand’s reach. VR allows students to travel the world without leaving the classroom. I think this would be very beneficial to students who may be low economic statues and do not have the means necessary to travel. With VR they could see museums, zoos, galleries, and so much more. Currently VR is becoming more assessable to the modern person and I feel that five or ten years from now, it will be another everyday important tool in the classroom.
Digital divide is the term that describes the gap between students who have access/ knowledge of/to technology and students who do not. This affects students in several ways. Many students do not have access to computers at home due to low economic status or parent’s inability to comprehend computer technology. This may affect students’ ability to complete assignments. This may also cause their assignments done by computer to be poorly done due to the fact they are not confident in computer skills. This may leave these students at a disadvantage in education and later on in the work force. As a teacher it is important to address this issue. One thing a teacher shouldn’t do is assume that all students have access or the skills necessary to complete at home assignments that need computer access. If an assignment does require computer access, allow class time for the students to complete it. It may be helpful to book a day in school computer lab if possible. Always be sure to assist students who appear to be having issues. It may be helpful to hold a basic computer skill session before the assignment.
The most interesting topic on the blog post to me is the discussion of digital natives and digital immigrants. The lesson we can take from this discussion, is to not stereotype people based on their technological abilities. We cannot categorize people with the simple term of digital native or immigrant. Many factors contribute to a person’s ability to navigate technology. Some factors include, socioeconomic status, access to technology, parental influence, and personal preference. Of course there are many more factors. It is important as a teacher to not let our opinions get in the way of effective teaching when it comes to incorporating technology into the lesson plans. If we can, we should provide access to technology if it is needed for an assignment. We should also provide technological support for our students and provide the proper guidance when they need it.
Julie_Student2018 
Hey Julie,
I really loved your paragraph about the digital divide. I think you have a great understanding of the term and have a solid plan on how you would combat this issue in the classroom. You most likely couldn’t tell whether or not a student had access to these type of resources by just looking at them. It is important to allow all your students the ability to have access to these resources to try and ensure that they all have equal opportunity for success throughout their academic career. Great post!
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Hi Julie, I enjoyed reading your post. I like how to broke down the different factors that contributes to a person’s ability to navigate technology. All of these factors effect how technology is taught and learned in the classroom. It is important for teachers to take all these factors into consideration while in the classroom and I applaud them for the work that they do on a daily basis. Looks easy but it takes a lot of hard work.
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Hey Julie, I completely agree with your view on VR. I am a very hands-on and visual learning, and I know if I was the student I would love the VR experience way more than watching a video that is most likely going to have some monotone voice-over.
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I believe in the possibilities for VR as well. When I went on the tour in the FSU Education building, i was able to use their VR technology to learn about dinosaurs, and visit different countries. I thought it was incredible. The only issue that I feel could arise from it is how expensive the technology can be so it would be difficult for it to be available to all students.
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