Atlanta Public Schools launches virtual reality classroom

ATLANTA — On Tuesday, Atlanta Public Schools opened its first virtual reality classroom.

The new classroom, called ZSpace, opened at the Atlanta College & Career Academy. 

16-year-old Danielle Jones, perhaps the future Doctor Jones, says this would be where it all began. 

“I feel like I could walk right into an office and do a procedure,” she said.  

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“Learning here is hands-on. It’s very engaging. But this takes it to the next level,” Tasharah Wilson, the school’s principal said to Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen on Tuesday.

The program includes dental science training. When students virtually remove a patient’s plaque, it “feels” like they’re removing plaque. 

“It’s really realistic. The pen vibrates when you’re scaling for the dental work,” 12th grader Jasmin Anicasio said.

The other virtual disciplines include automotive technology, HVAC, carpentry, and patient care. 

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The video game generation feels right at home here, and it’s part of a generational shift as more students decide that college and loans are not for them. Instead, this kind of training can lead to an apprenticeship and often straight into a good-paying career. 

Jones says this is a great start. 

“If you want to go to college and dental school, you have to pay all those fees.  “We” have a leg in the industry already,” she said.

The Academy has 525 students from all over the APS District.

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