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Virtual Reality Makes Classroom Debut

The new technology enhances teachers’ lessons and student learning
The Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (SHS) technology department is always on the lookout for the newest tools teachers can use in their classrooms. SHS Academic Technology Coordinator Cristina Paredes-Murrell spent the last nine months learning how to use virtual reality and debuted its use last week in the high school Spanish classrooms.
 
“Virtual reality will be used to enhance teachers' lessons and provide a new set of skills to students,” said Paredes-Murrell. “One of the best virtual reality apps is Gravity Sketch. This app is being used by big companies in designing cars, clothes, shoes, and more. But we are using it to design a scene in Mexico in our Spanish classrooms.” 
 
In Spanish 4 at Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP), the students along with their teachers Jesus Ramos and Rolando Victoria, used virtual reality to create a café in downtown Mexico City. In groups of three, the students assumed the persona via an avatar of one of three well-known Mexican creatives—artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and journalist, author, and Sacred Heart alumna Elena Poniatowska.
 
The three meet up in the virtual café to talk about the challenges they face within their communities, and the strengths and gifts they each contribute as they strive to improve their respective communities. The conversations, all in Spanish, are recorded so their virtual reality “worlds” can be shared out from the small groups with the wider class.
 
“In my 30-plus years as an educator, this collaborative effort with my Spanish-teaching colleagues and Cristina has been one of few truly inspirational, aspirational, creative, communicative, and most definitely ‘messy’—in a good way—opportunities to partner and learn with our students,” said Jesus Ramos. “It’s been incredible working together to identify effective, efficient, joyful, and fun ways to integrate virtual reality into the teaching and learning of a world language.”
 
“Speaking for our department, we are all so grateful to Cristina for her exceptional technology and virtual reality expertise, collaboration, patience, creativity, and constant positive and constructive feedback and encouragement,” said Ramos.
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Sacred Heart Schools Atherton

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton

150 Valparaiso Ave
Atherton, CA 94027
650 322 1866
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12