“If you’ve ever been inside a Walmart during the annual frenzy known as Black Friday, you know there’s no way to truly prepare yourself for the crushing crowds and panic-fueled shopping—you have to see it to believe it. But wearing a virtual-reality headset that lets you stand in the middle of this madness comes pretty close.” Keep reading in MIT Technology Review »

What Superintendent Moran has to say: Companies are now figuring out how to use virtual reality (VR) technology for employee training and skill development. As we work with VR tech in a few schools, we are finding multiple applications, from students figuring out how to construct core content into VR projects to designing technical and artistic work. Virtual reality field trips can take kids into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef or into the skeletal structures of the human body.

The Smart Machine Age is developing quickly, and it will change homes, communities, and the workforce for decades to come. However, the face-to-face learning time that you spend with students and the peer relationships children build with your support are so important in developing the social emotional competencies that remain critical to success in learning and life.

Technologies evolve rapidly and challenge our own adult learning curve to take advantage of those that offer new paths for learning. But, “people” skills, creative and critical problem-solving, communicating in a variety of forms, metacognition, and so much more still need the touch of a top-notch teacher in the classroom. So, let’s continue to advance our capability to expand and extend learning with new technologies, while also celebrating the roles we play with young people—as coaches, mentors, teachers, and caring adults.