My name is Isela Jaquez-Williams and I teach the Spanish language to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Highland Park Middle School.  As the Spanish teacher, I am constantly looking for ways to bring kids closer to the culture and language that they study.  One of the biggest challenge facing education today is disengaged students who struggle to find relevance between the classroom and the world they live in. We no longer have budgets or allow children to travel to places where the target language is spoken. Virtual Reality is basically the modern-day answer to these problems. Not only can my students travel to foreign lands from within the classroom but they can do so regularly, taking on a different lens and perspective that are not possible through any other mode of instruction. Students can immerse themselves in the culture and social context of countries in the target language. They would have the opportunity to experience native speakers engaging in language in a way that is almost equal to being there face to face. They will be able to experience and participate in customs and authentic activities in a way that textbooks cannot offer. Virtual Reality provides excitement and curiosity for culture in authentic language settings. Visiting Spanish speaking countries without the constraints of budgeting for travel and accommodations is a cost-effective alternative and the best approach to language education within these constraints.

This project is seeking funding to purchase a class set of Oculus Go VR headsets.  Many of the apps that we would like to take advantage of are free and will go a long way in helping students create a virtual language experience and travel to see different sites around the world.  We would also like to experiment with using VR as a medium to connect people who are geographically distant.  Imagine being able to connect with native Spanish speaking students across the globe in an immersive way!  

This project is seeking $1990 which will go to purchase ten Oculus Go headsets at $199 each.  As anyone who has learned a foreign language before can tell you, immersion is a huge catalyst for language learning and can be the difference between simple understanding and true fluency when it comes to language.

Thank you so much for your consideration in helping us out with our project.  My kids do amazing things each day in our classroom and I hope to be able to complete even more things with this project.