Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Tuesday Tech Tip: Google Cardboard and VR Apps that ROCK!


Virtual reality engages students in learning experiences that have never been possible until now! It is the "first step in a grand adventure into the landscape of imagination" (Biocca). Take your students on a virtual field trip to visit college campuses, tour museums, travel to ancient ruins, explore the solar system and truly walk in someone else's shoes all within the four walls of your classroom.  

Google Cardboard has the potential to transform learning by providing opportunities for students to participate, see, hear, discover and engage in the world around them.  Cardboard makes it possible to interact in a global society, explore artifacts, historical landmarks, experience a new dimension of journalistic storytelling and so much more!  



APPS:  Below are some of the apps that are compatible with Google Cardboard. Please keep in mind that this is a growing technology and available apps are increasing rapidly.



This is the main Google Cardboard app.  It is a tutorial on how to use Cardboard and provides learning opportunities like:
  • urban hike (including Paris, Tokyo,
  • museum gallery (Endeavor Space Shuttle & Mars Rover)
  • Gallery Exhibit
Street view allows users to “travel” anywhere around the world to by taking virtual field trips.  Users are also able to contribute images or save to a personal library.  Students can go to places of geographic interests, visit ancient ruins or places of historical interest.
With Expeditions, teachers can take their classes on immersive virtual journeys to bring their lessons to life.  Made specifically for education.  Teachers will be able to guide and point out content.  The app allows for synchronized experiences.   This will include over 100 journeys such as:
  • Frontiers of Flight
  • Ancient American Ruins: Machu Picchu
  • Video here
Discovery VR takes learning to new worlds like never before, immersing you in time, space and story with topics such as:
  • Mythbusters (Sharks and shipwrecks)
  • Racing Extinction (Ecotourism, Elephants, Rhinos)
  • Survival (Swamps, Clean Water)
  • Space
ThingLink has an app to view content as well as a VR editor web version.  The 360 Editor will allow users to add contextual layers of information like text, photos, maps, video and additional tags to 360 images and video, making it possible for schools to create an interactive learning environment.
You Visit has a gallery of options to visit including:
  • Check out college campuses
  • Explore cities and landmarks
  • Investigate business and industry
  • Participate in  live events
  • Check out our BLOG post!
The New York Times is changing the method of journalistic storytelling through the use of VR. An example includes:
  • The Displaced:
    • NYT Article on Hana (Syrian refugee in Lebanon)
    • NYT VR Video (Syrian and Sudanese refugees included)
Mission is to inform, entertain and activate using next-generation storytelling.  RYOT includes short films in collaboration with organization such as:
YouTube has a 360 collection of videos from many of the apps listed & more:
This is an awesome site to check out for all grade levels!  The VR lessons range from being FREE to costing up to $3.99. Examples include:
EON Reality has paired Augmented and Virtual Reality with subject matter experts to provide the world’s largest library for Virtual learning and immersive applications for Industry, Education, and Edutainment. Content Includes:
Using a public gallery or your own panoramic images, create and share 360 experience with hot spots by embedding, linking or using the Round Me app.  To view with Cardboard, tilt your phone sideways and click on the cardboard icon.
“Storytelling for Virtual Reality” - Vrse has a collection of stories connected to NYT and other partners including works like:
Become a virtual reality traveler with Ascape. Teleport yourself to a new location accompanied with music to help feel totally immersed in locations such as:
  • Walking with Elephants in Botswana
  • Game Drive in Uganda
  • Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong
Travel through space in this short guided tour of our planets and a few stars in virtual reality.  As you explore the Solar System, informational text will be displayed at tour stops. There are sometimes additional pages of information with extra detail.
InMind allows the player to experience the journey into the patient's brains in search of the neurons that cause mental disorder. Submerge into the microworld and experience the miracles of the human mind.
Take a tour of Italy visiting ancient ruins, exploring the Coliseum and more. Sites include:
  • San Pietro
  • Coliseum
  • Piazza Navona
Explain VR:
Virtual Zoo
Currently only available in the Apple Store. The virtual zoo features ten animals in virtual reality. Some of the animals featured in the app include giraffes, elephants, tigers, and bears. Each animal appears individually and students can see them move in virtual reality. Audio in the app provides students with some basic information about each animal.
Google Spotlight Stories
Immerse yourself in a world of 360° storytelling made uniquely for mobile. Engineers and critically-acclaimed filmmakers are bringing stories to life using the latest advances in mobile technology. Look anywhere, follow individual characters, watch it again and again on your phone. Or in Cardboard.
Orbulus (mojo vr)
Travel the world, stand on Mars, experience the magic of King Arthur's Glastonbury Tor, get married, visit the Salt Flats, experience New Year’s Fireworks on Hong Kong Harbour or chill looking at the Northern Lights. Many more delights await.
VR Egypt Safari
Start an exciting journey throughout ancient Egypt. You will meet with the mystery of the pyramids and visit amazing temples. You can even look inside these temples and ancient houses.  Just look where you want to go. You can open the doors also by just looking in that direction.
Northampton Castle
Take a tour around the historic Great Hall of Northampton Castle, scene of the trial of Thomas Beckett, among other important moments in English History. It is St. Stephen's Day, 1216, and you visit a feast being held by King Henry III. You will meet a large cast of characters and educate yourselves about Northampton Castle's illustrious past, as well as various other elements of medieval Christmas traditions.
Immerse yourself in the world's first 360° documentary film that explores the drastically changing Arctic landscape as seen through the eyes of the Inuit.
Experience virtual reality news with updated stories including:


Click here for the most updated version of Apps that ROCK!



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