STEM Everyday #215 | Humanizing Math with VR | feat. Anurupa Ganguly

09/19/21 • 26 min

There's been a lot of talk about how technology can help change education, without a lot of "how" behind it. Some schools are using VR technology to put students in immersive situations where the content being taught is connected to emotion & experience. Anurupa Ganguly created PrismsVR to radically change how lessons are "taught" and help kids be immersed in their learning! Check out the trailer for what a PrismsVR module is like
Anurupa's entry point to Education began as a Physics and Math teacher in the Boston Public Schools. For 10+ years since then, Anurupa has led STEM curriculum and teacher preparation across the largest educational systems in the US including the NYC DOE, Boston Public Schools and Success Academy Charter Schools. Through her experience as a district and charter administrator, she found that she did not have the learning tools to deliver the outcomes her leaders and teachers were accountable for, and the personal sense-making journeys that students deserve while developing foundational mathematical reasoning & proficiencies. She was awarded a National Science Foundation SBIR grant to build a scalable learning platform that actualizes pedagogies that we know work best, but weren't possible until recent advances in IVR and AI technologies. Her mission is to rapidly improve student performance and engagement in the mathematical sciences while crafting the instructor aids and training required to operationalize innovative technologies in the classroom. Anurupa holds a BS & M.Eng in electrical engineering from MIT and an EdM in Curriculum & Teaching from Boston University.
Connect with Anurupa & PrismsVR:

Website prismsvr.com
YouTube youtube.com/channel/UC7ynE99A9OrboiCMGKDrb2Q
Twitter @prismsofreality
Instagram @prismsofreality

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

Support the show

Website prismsvr.com
YouTube youtube.com/channel/UC7ynE99A9OrboiCMGKDrb2Q
Twitter @prismsofreality
Instagram @prismsofreality

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

Support the show

Previous Episode

STEM Everyday #214 | Brain Science & STEM Learning | feat. Bonnie Kirkley

STEM is more than helping kids build and create. As kids grow and learn, their brains are developing billions of neurons. The learning atmosphere we create in our classroom can help kids really retain the lessons they learn and build a sense of wonder & creativity.
Bonnie Kirkley has been teaching kids since 2003, and in her recent roles as a Gifted instructor and STEAM Support Specialist, she has shared a passion for great STEM learning for every kid. Her website iheartsteam.com and I Heart STEAM Podcast have been helpful for many teachers.
Connect with Bonnie:

Website iheartsteam.com
Instagram @iheartsteam
Twitter @iheartsteam
Facebook @iheartsteam

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

Support the show

Next Episode

STEM Everyday #216 | YouTube Stars are Educators Too | feat. Grace Dirig from The King of Random

"The second you're the smartest person in the room is the moment you stop learning things."
Grace Dirig, the new face of mega popular YouTube channel, The King Of Random (or TKOR), which currently boasts more than 12.6M followers, joined the channel after a nationwide search for a new member to join the TKOR family. The then college student majoring in Meteorology fit the bill—armed with the knowledge, passion, curiosity, and personality to push the channel forward in its adventuring, exploring, and understanding science endeavors. As the first female member of TKOR and first female host of the channel, Grace has helped grow the channel in many ways, but her impact on the female demographic has been the most impressive; showing young people science is for everyone and it is everywhere.

She will also be the host of Random Theory, a new podcast launching late 2021. Random Theory emphasizes empowering listeners to ask questions about the world around them and show them that not only is science an intricate part of life but talking about science doesn’t have to be intense or boring, it can be casual and fun. Grace cleverly combines scientific concepts with everyday life and asks the questions that sometimes lead her down a random rabbit hole of information, but at the end of the podcast, that rabbit hole ends up being a critical learning element that helps her listeners appreciate and question the world around them. Each episode spotlights a question existing in the world and is backed up with scientific information. Grace isn’t an expert in all science areas, but she has enough curiosity and excitement about the world around her that it is infectious to the listener.

Check out Grace’s favorite video! This Catapult Throws People - YouTube
Also check out the O2 Depletion video and the Robot and Dog video!

MORE ABOUT TKOR

Dedicated to exploration and adventure in our everyday lives, TKOR videos range from jumping out of airplanes to building lasers that reach the stars. Led by Grace, the team at TKOR brings an energetic and playful approach to explain principles of science in digestible ways. Their curious and eccentric personalities have built an invested and action-oriented fan-base. They’re building up the next generation of science creators through collaborations with channels like Louis Weisz and Jake Makes.

Connect with Grace & The King of Random: