BRENHAM ISD BOARD TAKES ‘VIRTUAL’ TRIP TO ITALY
The Brenham ISD School Board took a trip to Italy during their meeting on Monday, with the help of Brenham High School students and some cutting-edge technology.
The school board donned virtual reality goggles and traced the steps of Brenham High School students who visited Italy last spring.
Each year seniors enrolled in either AP European History or AP Microeconomics and are members of the AP History Club are eligible to go to Europe.
The trip last year was led by Donna Fielding and Madison Ruiz.
As an assignment during the trip, the students were asked to use their phones to take 360 pictures which were later uploaded for use with the virtual reality goggles. These pictures and goggles will be used next year as the class moves through the Renaissance time period so that subsequent students will benefit from the opportunity provided to this year's seniors.
“These assets are not for AP classes only, any Social Studies teacher who wishes to use the material is welcome to do so as it adds a level of understanding to what is frequently considered dry, boring reading” said Fielding. “It's one thing to read that the cathedral in Florence, Italy, took dozens of years to construct, but it's another thing to be able to see that the actual building would cover two and a half to three city blocks of downtown Brenham.”
The phones used to make the virtual reality goggles function were donated to the school, but they are still in need of more.
“We have about 30 more goggles sitting in boxes at the school, waiting to be used” said Fielding. “If you donate your old iPhone 6 or higher, I promise you it will be wiped totally clean."
Anyone who would like to donate their phone can contact the school at 979-277-3700. Phones must by iPhone 6 or higher to be compatible with the software.
"Opportunities like this are indicative of the vision shared by Dr. Jackson and Mr. Chandler to make Brenham ISD a truly cutting edge school district" said Fielding.
The VR goggles will also work with iPods. If anyone has an iPod and wishes to help, please contact Mrs. Branton for information. These goggles are not just for the Social Studies department – imagine their use in the sciences! Thanks to the foresight of Madison Ruiz, who is also a tour leader, we were able to find the goggles at a reasonable price and with assistance from Sharon Logan, BHS librarian, and Jason Barber, Social Studies Department Head , the purchase was made. A huge thanks goes to the ongoing facilitation provided by both Kim Strauss, technology leader extraordinaire, and Brittni Branton, campus technologist – without their guidance and help BHS would not be leading in the integration of technology into the curriculum required by both the TEKS and College Board.