No passports required at TDA

Students at Thomas Deacon Academy have been offered the rare opportunity to visit a number of different countries without even leaving the classroom, thanks to support from Google Expeditions. Thechancetoexperiencethe world of virtual reality was shared across all years of the Peterborough school.

During the special day the Key Stage Two pupils flew through outer space, swam in oceans and even had time to visit Athens and Rio. The KeyStageThreepupilsvisited Jerusalem for their Religious Studies lesson, whilst the Key Stage Four pupils went to Mount Everest to study geography. Older pupils even got the opportunity to visit universities based in the United States in order to gain insight intothespecialistlearningestablishments and facilities available in highereducation.

There are currently over 200 panoramas to choose from, each providing 360 degree photo spheres, 3D images and video experiences. All of this was made possible withgoggles madefromcardboard and a smartphone.

Speaking on the importance of techology in schools, headteacher, Geoff Walls, said: “At Thomas Deacon Academy we believe strongly in the power of technology and innovation to transform the learning and lives of our l earners. Google Expeditions was a very positive experienceforourstudentsand will besomethingtheywillremember for years to come.”

In order for the day to be such a success, Google supplied an engineer as well as all the resources required to experience the expeditions.

Mr Thompson, a teacher at the school, said: “A Google Expedition is a virtual reality panorama, annotated with points of interest, and questions. This fits into our existing curriculum and, while this doesn’t replace hopping onabus for a trip, it does provide another opportunity for complementary learning.”

Pupils involved in the project.