A new virtual reality tool is connecting students with the world, and one Volusia County teacher thought it was so important -- she paid for it out of her own pocket.

  • Volusia Schools' Digital Classroom Plan equips students for virtually-driven classwork
  • Nearpod, a virtual reality tool, helps teacher create virtual field trips

“I feel like I’m giving them a future. A good future. Where they know what to do, how to do it," said Heather Woods.

Woods uses tech tool Nearpod in her fourth grade classroom at Discovery Elementary School in Deltona. She said it has revolutionized her teaching, keeping students engaged and focused. Her students go on virtual field trips, seeing places from the Great Wall of China to rock formations in Utah.

“It actually took away all the behavior problems because they were so engaged that I could spend all of my time in the classroom teaching," Woods said.

Last year, Woods was so determined to get it for her students, she paid for a year subscription -- $120, plus extra software, another $200 -- herself.

“I was like, 'We need this for these kids.' And this was the only way I could see they were going to get what I couldn’t show them," Woods explained.

She's since applied for a district grant which would cover the year-long license and some software, and got it.

“I called my husband and said, ‘Guess what? We don’t have to pay for it this year,'" she said with a smile.

“It’s inspiring for me to see, not only her love of technology, but the way the students are reacting and engaging to it," said Melanie Kestory, who serves as lead facilitator for the Digital Classroom Plan in Volusia Schools.  

Kestory said the district has an ambitious but achievable goal: equipping all students with devices for virtually-driven classwork by 2020. She said that money to buy, or re-furbish, enough devices for their 64,000 students in more than 70 schools will come out of the half cent sales tax, which goes into effect in January.

Students in Woods' class said that they love it.

“With a virtual field trip you get to explore how the place is without having to go somewhere," said Victor Bissoondyal. The 9-year-old said that sometimes the students work in pairs or teams while using the technology. “Books, you have to just read and sit quiet. But, Nearpod, you actually get to do fun stuff," he said.

Karina Crespo agreed.

“I think she works pretty hard for our class to be focused on the lesson, because not every teacher has those technology," she said. “I think I’m more focused because it’s fun doing it.”

“They know the park, and they know school. And this gives them a chance to see outside Deltona," she Woods, adding, “I really hope this sparks them so they will be driven to do their own learning.