During the summer months, many teachers spend their time becoming better at their craft by attending professional development programs across the state. Maxine Dawson, a teacher at Cannon County High School, participated in the Tennessee Tech 2016 Improving Teacher Quality Program which focused on using technology in STEM classrooms. “Experiencing STEM: Demystifying the Practical Classroom Application of Immersive Technology” is funded through a grant, which focuses on secondary teachers who are interested in learning more about how to create 3D models in Google SketchUp, and then view and interact with them in the Oculus Rift virtual headset. Because of her participation, Cannon County High School will have the opportunity to be one of the first schools in Tennessee to utilize the latest virtual reality technology. The grant provides close to $4,000 worth of cutting-edge technology to use in the school to help students see and experience education like never before. Not only will students have early access to this technology, they will be building skills that are necessary for future careers in 3D modeling and virtual reality. Congratulations to Mrs. Dawson for bringing this wonderful program to our students.
