#Whatisschool February 2, 2017 6PM EST
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| Aaron Walsh, founder of IEd |
Few would deny that the revolution in technology has effected
the way that we educate, many in fact would argue that it is driving the future
of education as well as the skill-sets our students will need to compete and
create in a quickly changing global economy flush with products and services
that were unheard of and maybe only dreamed of by authors of science fiction a
few short years ago.
Aaron Walsh, an educator and the founder of Boston based iEdacademy, is credited with coining the term “immersive education.” A driving
force in a global initiative to provide resources to teachers including
immersive education materials, standards and measuring tools, his projects
include IED and the Immersive Education Initiative Summit, his efforts have
been backed by the Federation of American Scientists, content providers like
NBC and even the United States Government.
"As educators, we
know that people learn best by doing," he says. "When students are
doing something rather than reading or learning about it, they learn better.
Immersive environments help students retain more information and speed up their
learning. There's an enhancement in the way they learn."
Immersive learning focuses on the use of technology to
enhance the learning process, a popular trend in futurist education. At last year's IMMERSIVE COLORADO, the summit created by Walsh and co-sponsored by the
U.S. Government, speakers addressed the personal, cultural and
educational impact of immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR),
Augmented Reality (AR), 360° VR video, spherical panoramic photography, 3D
printing, telepresence, virtual worlds, simulations, game-based learning and
training systems, immersive teaching and immersive
learning systems, and fully immersive environments such as
caves, domes and planetariums. Sessions on MineCraft, scavenger hunts,
planetariums, cultural arts performances, Pokémon Go, 3D printing, gaming, and
VRE are just an example of some of the sessions attendees participated in
with the ambition of taking away ideas they can employ in the classroom that
will capture the attention of students.
Immersive scenarios are defined as those that involve
"authentic activities" that simulate the real world but that also
engage students in real-life problems and events using technology and
environment to bridge the conceptual with the concrete-- giving students a
virtual laboratory in which to work out real-world problems. And while
immersive technology may seem out of reach with content providers,
scientists and educators jumping on board providing content and tools, immersive
learning is an aspect of the future of education that cannot be ignored.
So how can educators,
whether employing rich educational technology or making creative, collaborative
environments in the classroom use the concept of immersive education to enhance
learning?
Join me @candylandcaper and @mrkempnz for #whatisschool this Thursday,
February 2 6PM EST as we explore the possibilities of immersive education and
the impact it will have on the future of education.
1) How have you created immersive environments using teaching methods like field trips, role-play, collaboration, PBL, shared
experiences?
2) How could you use technology to enhance your
favorite lesson and provide a richer learning experience for students?
3) How can you use authentic audiences, either
local or global, to create an immersive learning experience?
4 )Imagine a “dream” environment for immersive
learning, what is it like? What
technology or teaching methods would you use?
5) Where do you see the greatest opportunity to use
immersive learning strategies in your class, how would you accomplish this?
6) If any technology or methodology were available what real-world problem would you have students solve?
6) If any technology or methodology were available what real-world problem would you have students solve?
Join Us!
#Whatisschool February 2, 2017 6PM EST
