Maine Department of Education to Host VR Expo for Educators

The Maine Department of Education wants to foster deeper learning by introducing virtual reality (VR) in the classroom. In June, the department is hosting an expo to familiarize educators with tools that facilitate immersive learning experiences.

The Virtual Reality Immersive Expo will take place at the Maine State Library, June 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Throughout the event, various academic institutions, schools, companies and organizations will hold 30-minute presentations showcasing VR tools that are already being used in classrooms. Participants include Nearpod, ThingLink, HP, Luccia, Bates College, the University of New England and many others. (The event website says the complete list of participants will be updated and to check back for a schedule of presentations.)

The York School Department, for example, will showcase virtual field trips on Google Expeditions. California-based tech firm zSpace will present its zSpace Learning Lab software, which combines virtual and augmented reality to deliver hundreds of learning activities.

Registration for the expo is free.

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