Google Visits Belen Jesuit
Belen Jesuit was selected by Google to participate in the Google Expeditions Augmented Reality Pilot Program.
On January 12, two of our middle school science teachers, Ms. Mara Bello and Ms. Suzette Megias-Ruiz, and our Educational Technologist Michelle Jordan participated in the program to preview Google's newest educational technology initiative as well as provide feedback.
“Exposing our students to the latest educational technology and giving them an opportunity to provide feedback to Google on their experience is an invaluable opportunity,” said Ms. Jordan. “The best part of the experience was witnessing their excitement for learning about what they were seeing.”
With Expeditions AR, teachers can bring 3D objects, like one of Michelangelo’s statues, on the students’ desks so that everyone can examine the object together at the same time. The 3D objects are accompanied by a short text/labels that only the teacher can view. The objects are designed as a supplement to a teacher’s existing lesson plan to help bring the subject to life!
“This is super cool,” said Anthony Fernandez, 7th grade student. “We can see chromosomes and DNA and I hope that they continue to make upgrades to the program. I’m really happy we got selected to try this out.”
“Students are able to see DNA and RNA in 3-D which is really good for them because this is a concept that is usually hard for them to grasp,” said Ms. Bello. “DNA and RNA, when taught to students, is viewed as an abstract thing and this technology is allowing them to actually see and almost even touch.”
Our teachers and students tested an unreleased feature of the Expeditions app and used cell phones and a router to run the app. The router allows Expeditions to run on its own local network; no Wi-Fi access is needed. While using the technology the group was able to access educational expeditions across a variety of topics. Expedition topics range from the solar system to the human muscular system.
“We are using the phone to see the solar system,” said Jose Sepulveda, 6th grade student. “It looks very cool. We can see the layers of the sun, the moon trenches, and all the planets in our solar system. I feel lucky to have tried this out.”
“I love to see my students engaged,” said Ms. Megias-Ruiz. “This program has definitely engaged them. They are excited and are able to see things that they normally wouldn’t be able to see. I feel it is a great tool to be able to use in the classroom.”
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BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.