Immersive Technology🎥

With less than a month to go until my National Geographic Lindblad expedition to Patagonia, expedition prep is fully underway. During my time at National Geographic Headquarters, I was able to participate in a breakout session with the extremely talented National Geographic Storytelling Team where I explored their 360 cameras along with VR headsets and learned how to utilize them for immersive experiences. I was instantly inspired! I headed back to school buzzing with excitement for the possibility of creating an immersive Patagonia experience. I spoke with my principal and superintendent who thankfully supported my zealous ideas and the next thing I knew I had a 360 camera and VR headset being delivered to my classroom.

Flash forward a few months and in my inbox is an email for National Geographic with their exciting news of an Immersive Technology Pilot Program. Seriously, just when you start thinking this can't get any more amazing, it gets more amazing. All the Grosvenor Teacher Fellows were invited to apply but there were only 10 spots plus a quick turnaround given many were heading out on expeditions. Well, I'm in France and not by a computer anytime soon so that night while on the top of the Arc de Triomphe waiting for the Eiffel Tower to sparkle, I typed my essay answers for the application on my notes app. When I got back to my hotel room and finally had wifi, I submitted my application and did a little prayer that even with that tiny phone font my spelling and formatting looked okay.

From left to right 1: Practing with my Insta360 x3 camera 2. Immersive technology gear on loan from National Geographic 3. Exploring the VR headset

A few weeks later, I finally got the news that I was lucky enough to gain one of the coveted spots and be a part of this pilot program. I still can't believe I got to put "Meeting with Nat Geo and Disney Immersive Team" on my calendar. Or that I currently have equipment on loan for National Geographic Headquarters which required me to sign some paperwork addressed to me as a National Geographic Explorer.  I'm telling you just when you think it can't get any better.

Behind the scenes of 360 shooting 

Since the summer I've been watching Insta360 video tutorials, participating in live trainings with the National Geographic and Disney Team, and spending countless hours practicing with my Insta360 x3 camera and VR headset. I’m ready (or as ready as I’ll be) to capture 360 videos on my National Geographic Lindblad expedition to this remote and seldom-touched land to create immersive resources for my students.

Check out your first 360 glimpse and take a look around my 4th grade classroom (a feat that took me a VERY long time to figure out how to code and post here). Stay tuned for much more to come...

Explorer Mindset

With a new group of 4th graders, it was time to start building their explorer mindset so they were prepared to be my expedition crew from home. We dove right in using the National Geographic Explorer Mindset Framework. We began by brainstorming the explorer mindset attitudes of wonder, empathy, & empowerment.

Students were given posters to answer the questions: What are you CURIOUS about? What are you EMPATHETIC about? How do you feel EMPOWERED?

Afterward, students choose a location in the world they are curious to explore. Locations ranged from London to Paris to Ha Long Bay to even a backyard. It's crucial to remember exploration can happen near or far.

Students then applied geographic practice (an explorer mindset skill) by finding the longitude & latitude of the place they are curious to explore using Google Earth and the grid lines 🗺️ 

Meet the official 2023 Explorers!

Explorers wonder about the 🌍 Explorers care about the 🌎 Explorers enact change in the 🌏 

Patagonia Expedition Guide

In collaborating with our JDO partner class in Dublin, Ireland my 4th graders and Mr. Daly's 5th Class created a Patagonia Expedition Guide. We coined our project, "Connecting the Continents".  

Given the overwhelming amount of students (and adults) who ask, "Where is Patagonia?", we began our research with a Padlet for students to share what they already knew about Patagonia and what they were curious about for the region. As one of my students said, "Patagonia is somewhere in the far south of South America, and to be honest, not a lot of people know about it."

Click here to add your thoughts to our Padlet

Next up was meeting over Zoom to begin researching and planning our book together. First, we looked at a map to see just how far Patagonia (or more specifically Ushuaia-the Southern most city in the world) is from Massachusettes and Dublin. I really wished I had videotaped students shocked faces as I had to keep going further south, south, and even more south until we found it on the map. 

Like our previous international collaborative projects, students were split into groups and assigned specific locations from my expedition. Students brainstormed, researched, edited, and revised to create very informative guides for my expedition to share far and wide. We even created two editions so younger students could also learn about Patagonia. Check out the guide below and learn about Patagonia too!

Click here 🔗 to view our Expedition Guide to Patagonia

 

Start Spreading the News

Now that my Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship news was public it was time to start spreading the news. On our annual field trip to the Massachusetts State House, I received a very big surprise. During our tour, Representative Jones took all the Howe-Manning 4th graders into the House Chambers (something we don't typically get to do) and allowed them all to sit in the chamber seats. The next thing I knew, Representative Jones and Representative Kerans were calling me up to the floor where I received a citation from The Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives in recognition of my Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. It was a true honor to receive such recognition and made even more special by having all our Howe-Manning 4th graders there with me. 

Right 📸: Receiving a citation on the chamber floor from Representative Jones and Representative Kerans. Left 📸: Offical citation from the MA House of Representatives 

Next up was presenting at the Middleton School Committee meeting to update them regarding the particulars of my expedition. I was able to share the news of my citation from the State House and provide further details regarding what exactly the fellowship entails. 

Check out my full school committee presentation here (head to 25:56)

I provided a little geography lesson on where Patagonia is located along with where specifically I will be heading on my expedition. I also filled the committee in on some of the curriculum connections I've made so far and how this expedition has seamlessly been integrated into my classroom curriculum. Check out the full slide deck below: