1. Secure administrator buy-in: This important step can help get admins and teacher-leaders on your side. Don’t neglect other stakeholders such as classroom teachers, parents and students, though.
2. Explore alternative funding options: Funding pilot programs can be a struggle. Be sure to explore all of your funding options, such as grants from foundations, DonorsChoose.org, etc. There is money out there if you are willing to dig a little and do the work.
3. Research devices carefully: Do your research and select a device that meets the minimum specifications for the Google Expeditions application. If you want the full effect of 360 Expeditions, be sure you buy devices with the accelerometer and gyroscope capability. If you buy them individually and not from a company, be sure and test a single device before purchasing them in bulk.
4. Preview the Expedition and plan your lesson: There is a lot of content in each Expedition, including a teacher guide and script. View all of the scenes in the Expedition prior to the lesson in which you will use them. Not all of the information is applicable to your standards or grade level. Take the content and make it your own. Decide which scenes to cover, where to pause, and how to connect it to your learning goals. Here is a list of all of the Google Expeditions in a Google Sheet.
5. Test with a small group of students: Before you do your first Expedition with a full class, test will a small group of students first. They can help you find what doesn’t work, but on a smaller scale. You never know what little things you may want to tweak with the devices, and you want to get in a little practice leading your first expeditions.
6. Adjust the device settings: There may be other things you learn during your test group that can help you tweak the device settings to better fit your needs and the needs of your students.
7. Model best practices and processes: Model use of the kits for teachers and student, and let the kids “ooh” and “ahh”–noise is OK!
8. Share what you’ve learned and spread details about your experience.
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