School set to open Cobb’s first VR computer lab

ACWORTH — Baker Elementary School is starting a new, virtual era for Cobb schools.

“The whole face of education is changing,” said Kimberly Hutcheson, an after-school program director at Baker Elementary.

Baker and Cobb Superintendent Chris Ragsdale will officially open the school district’s first virtual reality computer lab — located in Baker’s learning commons — tomorrow morning.

All Baker students will be able to use the school’s seven new virtual reality, three-dimensional computers that allow students to interact with science and engineering concepts. While wearing virtual reality glasses, students are able to study a butterfly’s life cycle, an architectural blue print and other tasks in three dimensions.

Three students can work together at their own pace to complete virtual reality assignments on a single computer, Hutcheson said.

The hands-on, three-dimensional lessons will also help students better understand abstract concepts such as fifth graders learning about organisms’ cells, said Baker’s science, technology, engineering and math — STEM — teacher Matt Farrell.

“They’re so tiny it’s almost fictional. It’s hard to grasp that, but in the program you can make them more real by interacting with them,” he said.

He said the school’s new virtual reality computer lab will also help the students perform more hands-on experiments and assignments without teachers having to set up or clean up.

“As a teacher you want Mary Kate McGowan / MDJ

Baker Elementary School fourth-grader Joshua Southavanh (left) directs fifth-grader Zeke Cotton’s hand to complete a task on one of the school’s new virtual reality computers.

to be hands on,” he said. “In one room you got a school full of materials and more in the computer than you can actually manipulate with your hands.”

Baker fifth-grader Hafiz Lemboyn said he likes the virtual reality computers because they allow students to develop three-dimensional construction blueprints and see a butterfly experience its life cycle in a matter of minutes.

“I like that it’s fun, and we’re learning at the same time,” Hafiz, 10, said.

Hutcheson and Farrell led the school’s charge to raise funds for the new computer lab after attending a Cobb School District sponsored STEM education event in June. On Nov. 15, eight Baker Elementary students competed against nine other teams of finalists during a districtwide competition. Baker walked away with $9,000 for the funding of a seven virtual reality computer lab.

Community support has also helped the school purchase the virtual reality computers that cost about $5,000 a piece, said Hutcheson, and Baker is raising money to have five more in addition to the seven they have now.

“I think it’s important that a lot of kids will be in here, and they’re going to understand — maybe for the first time really — how much the community is backing them and supporting their success,” Hutcheson said.