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Create a 360/VR Travel Guide or Tour

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The next activity in the ThingLink Summer VR Challenge is to create a travel guide as a model for a project that encourages students to construct knowledge as they create. Explore the image above for a simple example, created using a CC licensed image found in the equirectangular group of Flicker.


Get Started

The first step is to locate an interesting image of a location you would like to learn about. Here are some places to find a properly licensed image for modification and reuse.

Please Contribute Your Ideas to This Padlet

All contributions and ideas are welcome. We are all learning together!


Working With Your 360 Image

To upload an equirectangular 360 image to ThingLink, it must have an aspect ratio of 2:1. This means your image must be twice as wide in width as it is in height. Many images you find will have the correct aspect ratio, but you can all resize an image on your Mac or PC.

Resize an Image


  • On a Mac, open the image in Preview and in the Tools menu select Adjust Size to alter.
  • On a PC, open the image in MS Paint and use the Resize button to adjust the size in pixels.
The maximum resolution ThingLink accepts is 5376 x 2688. If an image goes beyond that it will need to be downsized a bit.

Upload a 360 Image

  1. Select Create from the upper right corner of the screen
  2. Click on the bottom blue button to start the upload process.
  3. After the upload is completed, the 360 image will open in editing mode.





Note: If your image does not fit the size requirements, you will receive a message with size requirements. At this point you need to resize the image, see directions above.

Pedagogy

Once you have successfully uploaed an image to ThingLink, it's time to think about the possibilities that exist for engaging students in constructing knowledge as they create. A travel guide is a traditional classroom project that can be maximized through the use of 360/VR because students can explore the image to prompt research and annotate it to demonstrate learning. The best way to understand this is for teacher challenge participants to try it themselves.

Engage in Research Based on the Image

  1. View your 360 image in full screen to explore it. Look around to generate questions about the location. Here are some starters in case you are stuck.
    1. Where can this location be found on the map?
    2. What types of animals live here?
    3. What types of plants live there?
    4. What are the highlights of visiting this location?
    5. Is there a water source?
    6. What sounds
    7. Encourage thinking about questions
  2. Generate questions and find answers.
  3. Allow students to search by text or by images. Did you know that nonreaders can take a snapshot of the image and upload it through Google image search?
  4. Add the information to tags with text, media, images, audio or include any 3rd party tool with an embed code.

Polish Up Your Lesson

Please remember to
  1. Add tags to display the CC license.
  2. Include the name of the photographer with a link back to the image source.
  3. Add a tag to credit yourself as the source of the modifications.
  4. Add hashtags to help others find your lesson. #travelguide #Grade7 #socialstudies #at #ell #sped
  5. Consider adding tags to list standards addressed.
  6. Add a title and please consider adding background audio to your lesson. To do this, click the Settings button below the image when in editing mode. You will see where to add a title and upload audio.
  7. Remember to turn in your finished VR Lesson via the Teacher Challenge In Box

Turn it In

All Teacher Challenge activities are collected through an In Box. This inbox is embedded below and also available in the sidebar of this blog.


Resources

360 Images for Schools, a Flickr group by Kathy Schrock

If you have a camera or app capable of taking 360 images, please join Kathy’s group to contribute your properly licensed photos for reuse for education. You may also use any of the images submitted by educators, but we hope you will explore ways to create your own images and contribute them to the group as well. Kathy has a treasure trove of expertise and advice and the group is clearly organized to help educators embrace 360 photography so please spend some time on Kathy’s site.

Equirectangular Flicker Group

This group has 17.9 equirectangular images that have been resized with the correct ration of 2:1. This means these images are sized correctly and ready for uploading. Please explore this page when searching for images.
Quick Links to ThingLink Summer VR Challenge Posts

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