This week is Teen Tech Week (TTW) and our library is “celebrating” only thanks to a Tweet from Leslie Fisher:
After reading this, I looked up what the heck a Merge Cube was and decided, shoot, for a buck I’d get a few (ahem 35). I had completely forgotten about TTW and after buying these I realized they would be perfect for TTW activities. In addition I purchased five VR goggles for $5 from Walmart to add to the two library Google Cardboards and the five classroom Google Cardboards a fellow teacher is loaning us. No, these goggles I got at Walmart don’t work with the cubes, but we can still use them with other generic AR/VR apps. The Merge Goggles were just too expensive. The Google Cardboards will work with the cubes; however, we have to keep the “flap” down so that the camera isn’t covered.
These cubes/VR games/adventures make up our Monday, Tuesday and Thursday activities – virtual reality “mix it up” days. The teacher who loaned us the Google Goggles brought a few of her classes to the library yesterday for her students to try out the cubes – they had a blast. Getting the lunch crowd to use them wasn’t quite as successful; however, I was very pleased with the cooperation/collaboration/initiative two special education students showed. One would hold the cube and move it around while the other held my iPhone to work the plane/fighter/trigger. Then they would switch off so the other could shoot down the planes.
After witnessing this, I will be donating a set to the special ed classroom. They have a set of iPads. I instructed their teacher on the name (Merge Cubes) and told her to go download the free apps and about what I observed. She was thrilled.
Wednesday was already scheduled for our Book Club, so no TTW activities tomorrow unless our book club ends early. We’ll be completing our discussion of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
I’ll be off campus Thursday. Mrs. Waller, my library clerk and right hand will have to hold down the fort. I’m hoping the teacher who loaned me the Google Cardboards will lend her a hand. She’s taken to the Merge Cubes – she went out and bought three of her own (or should I say she ordered her husband to go get them for her)!
We’ll wrap up the week on Friday with a workshop on Garageband. I’ll be showing those who have Apple devices how easy it is to use Garageband to create their own original beats.