Whangaparāoa College looks forward with VR & AI

Virtual Reality (VR) headsets and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is entering the classrooms of Whangaparāoa College as part of a pilot programme that is a first for NZ.

Last week, HP NZ launched its Reinvent the Classroom service at the college. It brings in a digital framework to help schools effectively integrate the very latest technology into teaching and learning. NZ is the third country to introduce this framework.

HP’s education ambassador, Brett Salakas, says schools internationally that have participated have seen increased engagement from students and improved learning outcomes.

Principal Steve McCracken says over the last nine months the college has surveyed how technology is used in the school. He says most of the teaching has been using technology to replace the ‘chalk and talk’, whiteboards of old – so it’s been used as a tool, rather than as a learning technique in itself.

“By investing in this, with HP, we upskill staff and bring them into the same world that our learners are in right now with technology,” McCracken says. “It will also extend our learners and have them experience more than basic communications.”

Reinvent the Classroom includes bringing in things like VR and AI. The college has a class set of VR headsets and McCracken says they want to give all students a chance to use them.

“We have found many students are static at their desks, so using AI and VR brings movement back into the classroom,” he says. At the pilot launch of Reinvent the Classroom on March 14, HP demonstrated how Cleopatra could be brought to life using AI.

“We asked her questions, with answers generated by AI,” McCracken says. The technology can be used across all subjects.

“Not only can we be transported back in time, but we can connect across the world. We can put the VR headsets on and be in the middle of Paris! Giving our learners that experience in real time is a fantastic opportunity.”

McCracken says teachers were excited at what they saw at the launch, with a lot of anticipation about ways the technology can be used.

“We are going to proceed carefully and bring our staff and community on board because there are risks around doing it properly. HP is providing upskilling for teachers and that is a very important next step.”

Thousands raised by college for Napier school

A non-uniform day at Whangaparāoa College to raise money for Taradale High School in Hawkes Bay received amazing support. More than $12,100 was raised. The nonuniform day, on Wednesday March 1 was themed in Taradale’s school colours of blue and gold. Following the cyclone, the need at Taradale High School is financial but longer term, Whangaparāoa College will continue to assist them with their recovery and continue nurturing the relationship between the two schools.

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