At STPP, we’re inspiring students and encouraging curiosity from a young age. Our teachers are taking students beyond the classroom walls!

As a school, we value a forward-thinking and progressive leadership approach to teaching and learning. We believe that by continually challenging our students and providing new experiences, we can inspire engaged little learners who love coming to school each day.  

Recently, we purchased a class set of VR and AR (Augmented and Virtual reality) devices for our students to use in classrooms from Kindergarten to Grade 6. 

“We’re finding staff are very invested as many of them are well travelled and have visited the places we are viewing. This has brought a unique personal touch to the experience which is great to see,” said Sean Rutledge, Assistant Principal. 

So far, students have been to places such as Machu Picchu, explored animal relationships to their habitat in a rainforest in Borneo, examined a coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef, sat in Biomes from around the world and experienced a full sensory experience by pairing it with sounds from the Biomes. These experiences are linked to the student's Inquiry learning that has aimed to merge concepts from the Religion, Hass and Science curriculum. 

We asked a group of students about their VR/AR experiences and what their classmates thought about virtually transporting themselves beyond the classroom walls.

What did you learn? What was your favourite part of the experience? 

“I learned that you can see the Great Barrier Reef from space. I liked seeing all of the different climate zones and how they were all different. Some were all dry and some were more wet,” Audrey said.

“I learned about different places and I actually learned how to use the headset. My favourite part was looking around and seeing all the animals and wildlife,” Alex said.

“I learned you can see stuff when you’re not really there. My favourite part was looking around and feeling like I was in the places,” Anya said. 

“I learned where all the climate zones are and what they look like. My favourite bit was when we went into the desert because the mountain looked like a big giant. It felt real,” Charlie said.

We’re preparing our students for the ever-changing world and their futures. Upcoming class projects will include having students create their worlds/environments, digital dioramas and exploring the world of 3D objects through Augmented Reality. Exciting things are ahead for our students!