Oculus Go: Top 8 Educational Apps

When the Oculus first arrived at my school, I didn’t have a clue what it could do. I had only ever known virtual reality to be a toy for gamers, not a tool for teachers. Could virtual reality actually enhance what I do now? This familiar uncertainty came when the Chromebooks rolled out into the classrooms. Now, the Chromebook has become the most important tool in advancing my students. It has given me the ability to incorporate more mediums in order to reach more students, giving differentiation a whole new meaning. This one tool helped change a traditional curriculum into something adaptive and innovative. I realized that just as the Chromebook begged to be mastered, this other device peaked over the horizon. Another wave of the future was upon us. So with this in mind, I knew I had to turn what I only knew as a gaming toy into an educational gateway to take kids beyond my classroom...within my classroom.

At first, the plethora of apps to discover was overwhelming. I tried to reach out to other districts, but this left me with a few educational apps solely used by high school educators. Surprisingly, there were minimal resources out there about apps for the middle school classroom. So this meant I was starting from the actual beginning of this new era. With teaching, we have to be able to adapt to the future otherwise we are pushing against the tide. So, to help others who want to take a swim, I have compiled a list of educational apps to use in the middle school classroom:

Gala 360
Now to get the full experience of this app you will have to pay $3.99, but the free version lends itself to numerous videos and images from around the world. Whether it’s used for finding a new setting for a creative writing piece or being able to see the vastness of the Great Wall of China, I found that being able to let students visit places they may never see in their lifetime was beneficial.We used this particular app in a collaborative project in which kids created a map in My Maps and traveled through East Asia visiting these places and documenting them on their map journals. Talk about a cheap vacation!

The New York Times
This app is particularly incredible to me. It updates constantly with current events and historical moments paired with videos and articles to boot. They have sections devoted to art, music, history...you name it, there’s a resource for it. Not to mention, students can see an art gallery full of famous artists and blossoming artists with just the click of a button.

Discovery
Discovery has some amazing videos featuring land forms, wildlife, and nature. Where else could you get within inches of a bear or jaguar? There are several videos traveling through canyons, forests, and even allow users to venture under water. There is a section devoted to ‘Thrills and Adventures’ which my students found to be particularly engaging. Students went on roller coasters, skydiving adventures, and walks across a tightrope while giving adjectives to a partner to use in a piece later on. (I fully recommend having students be sitting for these adventures.) Also, who can forget Shark Week?? Diving into the ocean and being surrounded by these magnificent animals gives you a true feel for their size and power.

Anne Frank House
This app I found to be incredibly powerful. It follows two years in the life of Anne Frank. It has a narrative and tour version so students can experience history in real time or at your own pace. This is particularly useful for any historical fiction unit and it is emotionally appropriate for middle school.

Looking Glass
This app focuses on the years 1892-1933 and the history behind the first 3D viewer. Students are actually able to ‘pick up’ different stereographic photo cards and look more closely at them. Each photo also has a historical description as well to give a more immersive experience.

Human Anatomy
This is an incredible app that allows students to take a trip through the body as well as look at individual parts. It gives brief explanations of all body parts accompanied by 3D images. Although this one costs about $40, it is well worth the purchase. It also has quizzes that the students can take while in VR. Who knew a quiz could be fun?

MasterWorks Journey Through History
Students can travel from Thailand to America in this interactive video. It spans the history of three continents over 3,000 years. Students can collect artifacts from three different monumental sites to find the answer to the question: who built these? The focus is mainly on climate change and land forms of these monuments and explains how these magnificent sites withstand the elements.

National Geographic
If you love the National Geographic channel, this app is the perfect alternative for the classroom. Students can fly through space, get up close and personal with endangered animals, and travel across the globe. It also has several videos for historical references. What’s particularly great about this app is that it updates frequently so the content stays fresh and includes references for current events.