Dr. Shannon Putman
Ph.D. Virtual Reality as Educational Interventions. Owner PUTMAN XR CONSULTING MIT AR/VR Hackathon winner. VR Creator of 1st VRL in KY. NBCT. Microsoft Innovative Educator #VR #AR #AI 13215
Published Nov 25, 2024
Some of you know me, some may not, and that is okay. This letter had to be written for a few reasons, but most importantly, my soul needs to express this. I will try to keep it brief, but if you know me, you know that is typically not my style! đ
I have worked specifically in the #VRinEDUCATION space since 2015. I purchased my own Oculus DK2 Kit and used it to change my student’s and his family’s lives. From that moment on, I was hooked on VR as an instructional tool that, when properly integrated into the instruction pedagogy, can enhance authentic engagement and learning like no tool has since maybe the computer.
If you have been to school, you have an educational âexperience.â As politely as I can say, you do NOT have instructional experience. There are so many unique and sometimes frustrating aspects about educators that you simply cannot understand. You can never fully understand these unless you spend significant time leading that classroom experience. Due to this fact, you cannot know what is required to actually implement the successful adoption of VR in education beyond the initial sale. I listened to and read all of these articles and opinions on what it will take for VR to be truly adopted in education. People love to talk about this and that; some have even reposted my article about deploying 2450 headsets across Kentucky and discussed what I need to do to make my project successful. Most of the time, these articles and opinions are from people who have never taught in the classroom or had some âadvisoryâ role in a district that did not include classroom instruction. Please stop. Please start listening to the people who have actually done the work. I should write a book and sell the information I am about to share, but since money never has and never will be my motivating factor, I would like to let you in on just a few key aspects you are getting completely wrong. Please do not confuse me either; I am not saying these things because I think they will change hardware or software companies’ beliefs. I am saying this because I am not naive; I know that money keeps everyone in the business. So, if you want to make money, you need to listen to what I have been trying to say for 12 years.
1. We (education) are so desperately far away from full-scale, proficient VR use in daily education. We have barely scraped the surface, and it will require YEARS of sustained and systematic instruction of educators and students, so you have no clue what is still required before we even talk about software.
2. The answer to this problem is NOT to assume that educators will never know, so you decide to do everything for them. The answer is NOT to sell them a kit that âhas everything you could need for your VR journey in steam, or CTE, or whatever topic you want to try and box it into. The fact that companies would rather try and âthink of every problem and answer it for you so you do not have to learn itâ and âlook, we do not think you can learn it so here is a lesson plan and a script for you to use with your studentsâ is so backward and insulting all at the same time. When you do this, you remove the creativity of educators and completely disregard the years of schooling and experience we bring to the table.
3. The answer to the problem is NOT to create an entire program of instruction that removes the educator entirely and replaces them. Researchers know instructional methods because they have studied them. They bring a fantastic amount of knowledge and information to the process. However, when you altogether remove the educator, you do the same thing mentioned above. The educator needs to be a part of every aspect of the VR education journey. If they feel like they are being replaced or pushed aside, no amount of research, data, or statistics that you can throw at them will ever be able to convince them that this is something beneficial or that they are NOT being pushed aside. Right or wrong, people choose to believe science or not, and if they FEEL they are right and they FEEL you are trying to replace them, they do not care about your peer-reviewed journal articles.
4. Notice how I only use the term âeducatorsâ and not âadministrationâ or âteachers?â ANYONE who has taught in a classroom knows there is an entire village of people who walk into that building every single day and give their all for those students. Just to name a few: OT, PT, SLP, Counselors, Career Coaches, and athletic coaches. However, there is one specific group I want to highlight that not a single company (hardware or software) that I have seen outside of Putman XR Consulting has ever even mentioned. If you have and I have missed it, my apologies. There are more âclassifiedâ employees in any educational building on a daily basis than there are âcertified.â If you do not know the difference, congratulations, you are a part of the problem. Sadly, certain people look at education as a class system. The administration is at the top, followed by your certified employees and then your classified employees. I have been a classified employee, so I will speak my truth on this matter. Classified employees typically include assistants, office staff, nutrition departments, and custodial. Classified are often deemed as âless than.â They have less education or degrees than certified employees. Therefore, they are less. Their time is less worthwhile because they only get 30 minutes for lunch and maybe a second 10-minute break if they are lucky. Their time is less worthy because they make a fraction of the pay and typically cannot even pay their bills because it is so low. They are less deserving of respect, and countless times during âteacher appreciation weeks,â I have seen the classroom teacher be given a gift but not the classroom classified employee. The single most significant area, though, that classified employees are not âless thanâ is time spent with students. Classified employees are the ones who spend the most amount of time with the students throughout the course of the day. They are the ones who take them to the restroom; they are the ones who go to special areas with them; they are the ones who take them to eat; they are the ones who help them with their coats, they assist with breakfast, they also are the ones who walk them to their dismissal. They are often the first and last employees who have contact with a student, and they are usually the ones who are relied upon to work with the âchallenging students.â They are grossly underpaid and underappreciated despite the fact that they work with the students sometimes more than the teacher. They do their job because they genuinely care about students. They love them just as much, if not more, than everyone else. They take their student’s struggles, pains, and challenges home with them every night and show up the next day willing to help all over again. When was the last time anyone reading this ever mentioned them or thought of including them for training? One of my schools has the janitor on the VR implementation team. Why? Because he loves the technology, loves the kids, and wants to improve their lives. Did he know anything about VR when I showed up? Not a single bit. Is he one of my most proficient users of the technology today? You bet. It sounds like a group of educators who need to be included in the VR education process to me.
5. Cross-disciplinary and multi-use experiences are at the top of the list for what âsoftwareâ is needed. No school is going to pay $500 for a headset that does âSTEMâ or âfield tripsâ or solely instruction. If you have ever heard me talk, you know I am talking about BAIT and how I used it to teach money skills and beyond. The fix for the solution is not an app that is the âperfect educational appâ it is to empower educators with the knowledge of what the technology is, how it can be used, what is currently available, and allow them to use their creativeness and passion to make those pre-existing apps useful for their instruction. I can expand on this more, but I will leave it here for now.
6. FUN. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. FUN. The current state of education is one of stress, standards, âI canâ statements, test scores, social media, bullying, and post-COVID gaps. There needs to be more fun and enjoyment in education. Full stop. What better way to have fun than VR entertainment? Whether that is a game, a video, or whatever the USER determines is fun, VR is perfect for fun! If companies only care about the money they make (and we know some do), they want to sell more hardware and software, right? The last thing you ever want to hear a student say is, âOh, I have to put that headset on again?â You have lost them in the class and as a customer. If you need more support on this point, take a look at Apple and what they did by putting a Mac in every school. The best motivator I have ever seen for students has been VR. All of this boils down to one critical process. IF THEN. IF you want something, THEN you have to do this first. That is all life is. IF I want a new car, THEN I have to work for it. IF you want VR, THEN you have to complete your work. If your IF is not motivating enough, you will never get to the THEN when dealing with human behavior.
7. SPECIAL EDUCATION. The VR community can be so welcoming and wonderful. I hear people praise the acceptance they have found in VR, and I share those feelings. Until we make this community truly accessible for all, we can never refer to ourselves as an open and accepting community. I will speak more about this later, but this topic will be 20 pages in and of itself, so tune back in if you would like to learn more.
I know this has gotten quite lengthy, and I do not want to give everything away. I do not understand why; I have been saying it for years, and only a few people have paid attention. Everything I have said in this letter is my opinion, with facts and research sprinkled in, of course. This letter is not targeted at a specific company (hardware or software) or anyone in particular; it is directed to the industry as a whole. I am trying to say all of this as humbly as possible. But please keep in mind that the entire VR industry is now on notice. I am no longer sitting back and worrying about what you think of me. I do not care how many other people you highlight; quite frankly, I no longer care if you like me. My sole and only purpose has always been and will always remain the students. So consider this your warning. Starting in January, when I launch new things, my goal will be to disrupt the entire industry and rebuild it from the ground up. I am claiming my space. I have earned the right to speak my truth. I have put in the time. I worked in public education for 15+ years, earned my Ph. D., and implemented the SINGLE LARGEST EDUCATION ROLLOUT OF VR EVER. I have earned the right to demand a change. If you are unwilling to change, I feel sorry for you. Please come see me in five years and tell me your sales numbers. Those who are willing to change, want to make a true impact on student’s lives, or simply want to make money are welcome to join us. I say this as respectfully as possible. I love this industry, and I love it with my entire heart. I have given up the last 20 years of dedication to this industry and improving students’ lives. I have met some of the most amazing people in the world in this industry. But we are not going ever to succeed unless we learn to change. Do I have every answer? Of course not. But I have enough of them and know how to make this work. I truly hope you will join us, but if not, I wish you nothing but success because when one thrives, we all thrive. I do not care at all about your motivation to help ensure the adoption of VR in education. I know VR in education is worth the work; whatever motivation you have, it means more student access.
I conclude with a single picture to (remind you how long I have been in the game) but, most importantly, to share my reason for fighting so hard, caring so much, and not being willing to sit silently. I am going to find a way, no matter what. I am no longer asking for approval from a single company, hardware, or software. I am grateful to call myself an educator. His name was Jeremiah, and there is not a single day that will go by when I will not remind the world about him.
