With a fresh start to the school year, OHS welcomes new technology into the library.

In addition to the new login system that began last school year, the library is now home to new virtual reality vision glasses. The vision glasses can be rented out by teachers for their classes by signing a sheet for what block they would like to use them.

Assistant principal Mr. Jason Buatte had the idea of this purchase when he attended a school conference last year. During the conference he was given the opportunity to use the Google Expedition glasses.

The Google Expedition that he was able to view took him inside the human respiratory system. Mr. Buatte was also able to take a voyage through a “smoker’s lung.”

“I was fascinated and amazed at having the ability to see the entire respiratory system through a virtual reality lens,” Mr. Buatte said. “This is essentially what sold me.”

A few days after the conference, Mr. Buatte was approached by Ms. Kathy Hayes, an OHS librarian. She reported that the library had money available to spend on technology. Mr. Buatte thought the Google Expeditions would be a great new teaching tool to bring to OHS, so he pursued the purchase.

The students can “go” anywhere; for example, they can go to Philadelphia to see where the Declaration of Independence was signed or even go to the Citi Field in New York to examine marketing strategies at MLB parks.

“The thing that I love about the expeditions is you can essentially use them in all subjects, and teachers can be creative to where they ‘take’ their students,” Mr. Buatte said.

Through September, 23 classes have already used the glasses through Google Expedition. Business, English, Science and Social Studies classes have all used the glasses.

Mr. Buatte and the library staff are hoping that through each virtual field trip teachers will begin to think of new ways to use these expeditions.

“My hope that in the near future,” he said, “Google will provide the capabilities for students to create their own virtual field trips and potentially publish them to share with the world.”