For my virtual tour, I selected from Google’s Arts & Culture’s Natural History Category and then selected Dinosaurs. Obviously. I was so happy to learn that a big part of the virtual tour was about Iguanadons. If you haven’t seen Disney’s animated film Dinosaur you are missing out. The film is centered around an Iguanadon named Aladar. 

I also appreciated the history within the history. While the exhibits are fun and exciting, I found it just as interesting to learn how the pieces arrived at the museum. For example, Andrew Carnegie donation for the Diploocus Carnegii to King Alfonso Xiii in 1913. 

Navigating the virtual tour was very simple. I initially tried to click the guiding arrows and walk around the museum but quickly learned if you scroll, the animation, images, and text will appear much easier than arrow-clicking around. Layered reality can be an extremely useful tool in the classroom. This virtual tour alone would be a great and entertaining afternoon in the classroom to show children.

Since the pandemic, virtual learning has grown leaps and bounds. Since most libraries have the stigma of being a “boring” and “dull” learning environment incorporating VR technology and other virtual elements can really draw in kids’ interest. “The technologies that live within the library can be an entry point for learning opportunities, boosting programming and sparking collaborations.” (Young, 2020). One aspect of virtual school that I had not thought a lot about was for homebound students. I really enjoyed the Double Robotics video showing how home-bound students can now be a part of the classroom and have control over their movement in the learning environment. They change classrooms with other kids and follow the instructor as they walk around the classroom. Sebastian Valley’s middle school students were able to work with double tree and let one of their home-bound students join the classroom setting, and to hear the student’s words on how much she appreciates being “in” school is heartwarming. It’s incredible how much a child’s world can expand with the double tree robot. 

I used QR tiger to create my QR code. I selected this site first based on the name. I could have a free QR code sent to my email in under two minutes, and I did not even have to make an account. I chose to use what, in my opinion, is the most “QR code” looking QR code layout. I feel it looks like a more trustworthy scan for interested users. I used the Google Arts and Culture Dinosaur site as my QR code for anyone would like to take my same tour.  

Double Tree. (2015, June 17).  Case Study: Sebasticook Valley Middle School + Double Robotics [Youtube] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aln1V0rtCke 

Young, L. (2020, April 7).  Get the Most from AR/VR Technology Without Breaking the Budget. School Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/story/get-the-most-from-ar-vr-technology-without-breaking-budget-library