Implementing VR in Your Classrooms Today with Dr. Shannon Putman

In this interview Dr. Shannon Putman and Jethro Jones talk about the way VR is being used in classrooms already, what we’re excited about for the Apple Vision Pro, and we bring in a little AI as well. See the detailed breakdown below: 

• Apple Vision Pro, Passthrough, comfort, design, etc. 
• Depending on the customer, is 
• Interact with the content in a more fluid and natural manner. 
• Hand and eye tracking to update in real time. 
• Powerful to have the Apple Ecosystem available on day 1
• Challenges of maximizing daily work
• Slight learning curve with utilizing new operating systems. 
• The challenges of adopting new VR technology
• Making it as easy as possible for teachers
• It’s not a replacement and something you will be using all day every day. 
• How to use the headset, it’s just the next step. 
• There isn’t always an app for that. 
• Project-based learning isn’t anything new, it’s just good instruction. 
• Have fun, and learn at the same time.
• Having fun leads to better relationships. 
• Taking features out of the game to get to the learning
• Not having any behavior problems
• Forgot that we were learning. 
• Takes higher order concepts and makes them real
• You don’t have to imagine because you are experiencing it. 
• Consuming 3d content in a 3d medium. 
• There’s every level of support to create these experiences
• Created all of her Dissertation content in a tool called Engage.
• XReps - what is a football simulation doing in the classroom?
• Students were engaged, 
• Spatial awareness - we don’t actually teach it - ability to notice our body in the space we are in. 
• The “right answer” is not always there. 
• Movement is allowed. 
• It allows you to get multiple repetitions in a very short amount of time. 
• What’s your vision for the future? VR headsets in
• CareerViewXR donating headsets to every secondary school in North Dakota

About Shannon Putman

Shannon Putman, Ph. D. is the founder and owner of Putman XR Consulting. A company that focuses on using the most bleeding-edge technology to improve instruction. At Putman XR Consulting, we believe quality instruction transcends subject matter and age. 

Therefore, we do not focus on a specific field or content but on improving performance across all disciplines. This includes educational classrooms, athletic fields, and industry. We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Kentucky Department of Education's groundbreaking initiative - the country's largest school district-led VR deployment!

 Dr. Shannon Putman, an esteemed special education teacher and VR expert with over a decade of classroom experience, spearheaded this remarkable project. Starting with just 50 Oculus Go’s and growing to 2,450 Meta Quest 2s, she has paved the way for a future of VR education across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Prior to founding Putman XR Consulting, Shannon worked as an associate professor and Fort Knox Program Coordinator at the University of Louisville. 

Before that, she spent eight years teaching the multi-modal communication special education classroom and two years as the learning and behavior disorder resource teacher. She spent three years working as the teacher in residence at Cochran Elementary. She has focused her work on implementing the use of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) technologies into the educational curriculum. Her Ph.D. research focused on using IVR technology as an educational intervention. She developed and created my dissertation IVR experience. It is a 20-minute experience that takes the user through the life of Representative John Lewis. It starts with him preaching to his chickens on his farm in Troy and goes all the way through the Bloody Sunday march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Shannon is also a co-founder of XReps, the leading immersive virtual reality football simulation system and cognitive skills program.

• (00:00) - AVFL Shannon Putman
• (10:04) - How Teachers can integrate VR into Instruction
• (16:03) - Extrinsic Motivation
• (18:14) - Why VR Is So Effective
• (20:16) - How to make your own content as a teacher
• (26:43) - Power of getting multiple reps in a short amount of time
• (29:40) - A VR Headset for every school in North Dakota from CareerViewXR

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by Renaissance and IXL.

Learn more about Renaissance:

 

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.