Academics

Since arriving back from winter break and the start of the second semester, The Winchendon School has started using a virtual reality lab with language technologies and games. Students have had the opportunity to explore using virtual reality in the Spanish classroom. 

In Mr. Carmona and Mr. D’arcy’s Spanish classes, students have been able to play games to learn vocabulary using virtual reality headsets and create their own virtual classroom. Using virtual reality helped to immerse students in practicing their language skills in real situations. With the tools of virtual reality, students could explore different countries and their cultures. It’s like going on a field trip without leaving the classroom! 

Students get to see cool places and learn about the culture, all while practicing their Spanish. Mr. Carmona wants the students to feel like they’re there, experiencing the language in real-life situations. When asked why he integrated virtual reality into the classroom, he said it was “To find alternatives to traditional ways of teaching languages, and by using virtual reality students are able to approximate the culture”. 

Additionally, through some games, players could complete challenges while also learning vocabulary at the same time. Having fun is one of the Spanish teacher’s top priorities, and VR has helped them to integrate it into the classroom. Students in the class have expressed their enthusiasm and liking for the new virtual reality, and have been able to use it over the span of many classes. Mr. Carmona, who runs and organizes the use of virtual reality at The Winchendon School, said his favorite part so far has been “The concept of immersion and having students be able to visit immersive places using 360 video and software that helps recreate real life places and situations”. 

Overall, the introduction of virtual reality to Spanish classes at The Winchendon School has proven to be a helpful and fun addition. Through learning games and VR headsets, students not only learn vocabulary but also virtually explore different countries and cultures, creating an even more immersive language learning experience. 

Written by Eliza Hackler ’25

Before winter break, Ms. Johnson assigned a semester-long project for the first semester of her class, in New Digital Media. The idea of this project was to “create a semester-long project that paid homage to one of the many points of the Winchendon School’s Value Proposition –Experiential Learning. The creation of a semester-long project comes with its challenges, but it promotes fun, interaction, innovation, entrepreneurship, partnership, and eye opening experiences in terms of preparation for college and life itself.” 

Zee McCown, a senior here at the Winchendon School, participated in this project for his New Digital Media class. Zee’s idea for this project was a sneaker cleaning machine. Zee was asked if he found this project interesting and fun, he stated, “Yes, I did find this project fun. It grew on me everyday because it was a long experience that we knew would take time and took it step by step every second. Being able to work in groups and get to know everyone’s interests and deciding what exactly we wanted to create. Designing our slides was for sure the best part finding the themes, logos, and colors to make our presentation stand out.” 

Students had two main questions they had to answer while completing this project. One being, what problem are you trying to solve? And what solution are you providing? This project included a written and oral reflection to showcase how much these students enjoyed this project. For this Shark Tank project students embraced the challenges, worked tenaciously, met deadlines, and made excellent presentations.

Zee was also asked, what did you take away from this project? He responded, “I took a lot away from the project. Helping clear up my communication problems and being able to be more of a public speaker about business. Finding a better understanding of a target market and potential growth. Learning how to make financial decisions and financial projections. Figuring out how to keep your business in good hands and having the resources to keep growing. The Shark Tank project provided valuable exposure and networking opportunities. Lastly, being able to articulate the problem we’re solving and why our solution is unique.” 

This a very clear project that highlights the importance of communication skills, experiential learning, market research, and many more important life skills. Overall, all of Ms. Johnson’s New Digital Media classes have seemed to enjoy this semester-long hard working project.

Written by Abby Stone ‘24