As part of the $1M Museum Initiative, national museums expand edtech resource offerings in Verizon Innovative Learning HQ to include professional development modules and learning experiences that empower educators and engage students
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As we prepare to return to classrooms this fall, NYU Tandon's NYC Media Lab, in partnership with Verizon, delivers on our joint commitment to empower educators and engage students by releasing brand-new immersive learning resources on Verizon Innovative Learning HQ—the free education portal that makes innovative learning tools available to all.
The immersive learning resources were developed by education experts from NYC Media Lab's $1M Museum Initiative, a program aimed at connecting educators nationwide with museums, science centers, aquariums, and cultural institutions. Enhanced with technical prowess from our 5G EdTech Challenge app teams—academics and innovators who answered a nationwide open call to create transformative educational solutions—the resources cover a wide range of K-12 subject matter, from civics and public art to climate change and astronomy.
The online resources are readily available to educators at the click of a button, and in addition to hundreds of standards-aligned lesson plans, include dozens of professional development modules that showcase the power of utilizing augmented reality and virtual reality in the classroom, as well as unique mobile learning experiences that bring historical figures and aquatic animals to life on smartphones and tablets.
Immersive learning resource highlights from our museum and edtech app teams include:
Standards-aligned lesson plans:
- "Building a Black Hole" by Liberty Science Center: Students explore gravity and the formation of black holes by first creating them out of aluminum foil then building them in VR via the Visceral Science app.
- "Microplastics: What Can We Do About Them in Our Community?" by Belle Isle Conservancy: Utilizing information from the Arcadia Earth app, learners brainstorm ways they can mitigate the detrimental effects of microplastics in their communities.
Professional development modules:
- "Developing and Using Models" by The Franklin Institute: Educators develop a deeper understanding of facilitation strategies for learner engagement with models.
- "Augmented Reality After Hours: Harnessing the Power of AR for After-School Programs" by Providence Children's Museum: Informal educators and leaders of after-school enrichment programs learn how AR apps can maximize the use of physical space, build community among members, and offer expanded career exploration.
Immersive learning experience:
- Children's Creativity Museum's "Step Into the Mural Walking Tour": Participants are invited to explore the vibrant history and cultural narratives of downtown San Francisco through an AR walking tour that showcases murals in its SOMA Pilipinas-Filipino Cultural Heritage and Chinatown districts through the Kinfolk AR app.
Verizon's Chief Responsible Business Officer, Donna Epps, said, "NYU Tandon's NYC Media Lab has been a key partner of the Verizon Innovative Learning initiative for years, helping us integrate learning resources from museums, science centers, aquariums, and cultural institutions on our free, online platform for educators, Verizon Innovative Learning HQ. The new tools we are unveiling today make learning even more engaging, tech-infused, immersive, and fun for any educator across the country."
Abran Maldonado, NYC Media Lab's Director for the 5G EdTech Challenge, said, "By integrating cutting-edge augmented reality and virtual reality technologies, we're providing educators with powerful tools to create dynamic and interactive classroom environments. Verizon Innovative Learning HQ eases the learning curve for educators by offering these resources on an accessible online platform, making it simpler to integrate immersive tech into their teaching practices. I am profoundly grateful to our museum and app teams for their dedication and creativity in developing these unique learning materials. Their contributions have been invaluable in our mission to transform education and make learning more accessible and impactful for students across the nation."
To access hundreds of lesson plans, professional development modules, learning experiences, and edtech apps referenced above, educators can simply register for a free Verizon Innovative Learning HQ account. Verizon Innovative Learning is a key part of Citizen Verizon, the company's responsible business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement—to help move the world forward for all.
About NYU Tandon's NYC Media Lab
NYC Media Lab connects media and technology companies with both NYU Tandon and industry affiliates to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and talent development. Our interdisciplinary community of innovators from industry and academia allows our network to gain valuable insights, explore the potential of emerging technology, and address the challenges and opportunities created by the rapidly evolving digital media landscape. Learn more at engineering.nyu.edu/research-innovation/centers/nyc-media-lab.
About Verizon Innovative Learning
Verizon Innovative Learning has committed over $1 billion in market value to support digital equity and inclusion within education across the country. Focused on helping students develop the skills, knowledge, and capabilities for success, the award-winning initiative has now reached nearly 8 million students across the US and provided hundreds of Title I schools with connectivity and next-gen technologies that bring innovative lesson plans to life.
In partnership with the nonprofit Digital Promise, Verizon is expanding the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program by welcoming 34 new Title I schools. This brings the program's total reach to 626 schools nationwide. Students and teachers of this new cohort will be equipped with devices including tablets and laptops as well as up to four years of data—empowering 24/7 learning in and out of the classroom.
In addition, Verizon is opening 18 new Verizon Innovative Learning Labs in Title I schools this school year, bringing the total to 161 labs across the country. In collaboration with nonprofit partner Heart of America and the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at Arizona State University, the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program provides students with access to robust, hands-on learning tools such as VR equipment, 3D printing stations, AR apps, and more in a custom-designed, state-of-the-art experiential learning environment.
These efforts are part of the company's responsible business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement with the goal to provide 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work, and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.0 billion in 2023. Verizon's world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.
Media Contact
Marion Bernstein, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, 1 (202) 427-9628, [email protected]
SOURCE NYU Tandon School of Engineering
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