Phones for Classroom Use

[alex....@gmail.com]

Is there any way to receive phones for students to use in the classroom with the cardboard VR headsets? How have other people done this in the past? This has been a big issue for me with incorporating CoSpaces with students is I just have no idea how to get the phones necessary for the students to use with the VR headsets. It's easier to get laptops and tablets for classroom use with students but I can't seem to find just phones (or in general, smart devices small enough for the cardboard VR headsets). Would the school just need to purchase 10-15 cellular devices for classroom use?

[Ben Creasey]

Hi, 

There are numerous ways to get hold of smart phones for the classroom. I know of a few people that ask parents to donate old mobiles that they no longer use. We've also tested phones such as the Xiaomi MI5 (http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/xiaomi-mi5-1315657/review) - this works really well with CoSpaces and is relatively cheap to buy. As for viewers, cardboard headsets can be made at home or in the classroom at almost zero cost or you can also purchase a plastic version such as the viewmaster (https://www.amazon.com/View-Master-Virtual-Reality-Starter-Pack/dp/B011EG5HJ2) which is also really cheap. 

I hope this helps. 

Thank you

[klpo...@gmail.com]

Hi Alex,

      I also had this issue when first starting my exploration of AR/VR in the classroom.  Phones that fit the specifications for usage with CoSpacesEDU and VR/AR apps in general were way too expensive for the numbers that I needed.  I was pulling my hair out and every search that I conducted always brought back phones, phones, and more phones! I finally learned from a DonorsChoose.org colleague that iPod touches (6th generation) worked perfectly fine and the price point, although still seemingly high for classroom teachers, was much more attainable than general phones.  I now have six of them and they work awesome with CoSpacesEDU!  Even one device is more than enough to engage your students in an immersive experience. VR is definitely the way to go for the future and I am preparing to introduce my students to the HTC Vive system! We have been fortunate in being able to fund "dream" projects via DonorsChoose.org so if you are a teacher in the U.S., definitely check them out!  You can check out my site here: www.DonorsChoose.org/YodaPond and look at my past projects. Hope that helps!

Good Luck On Your VR Journey (It is Worth it),

Kim Pond

[Matthew Jorgensen]

Hi Alex - We bought 15 Kogan Agora 6 + phones for $245 from Kogan.com.  We used $30 headsets but you can get much cheaper.  So, a 1:2 sub-$300 solution.

[Michael Fricano II]

I don't see a Kogan Agora 6 phone listed on the their website. Can you point to it for us?

[jorgani...@gmail.com]

They are Kogan Agora 6 + Android phones. https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-agora-6-plus-32gb/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_listing_ads&gclid=CjwKCAjw6szOBRAFEiwAwzixBd7rfmNYuBSJcl5Y_1PLF0PFx2TIhkcqu8Iaoom8xoCzQrpScYyrLBoCZasQAvD_BwE