Students in Prodell Middle School are learning to utilize a new 3D printer and are supplementing classroom lessons with Google Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Expedition kits. The items were purchased with additional state funding from New York State Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo and are part of the District’s commitment to introducing students to progressive advances in technology.

As a continuation of their classroom experiences, students are visiting the state-of-the-art middle school library. There, they learn how to turn a digital model into a physical three-dimensional object by adding material a layer at a time using the 3D printer. Using the virtual reality kits, students can take up-close looks at historical places and the natural world.

Along with librarian Ann-Marie Kalin, students recently experienced an extensive tour of the White House without even leaving the building. They are also able to visit places like ancient Egypt, Pearl Harbor and rock formations in national parks, and are amazed to explore with these new tech tools.

“These are great tools to be able to go places we couldn’t normally go,” said eighth-grader Lilly Pion. “We can imagine things in a new way and it helps to remember that information.”