Virtual Reality is something that has really intrigued me lately. This growing field has so much potential and can go in so many directions. From my virtual reality experiences, I'm learning that virtual reality can be used not just for creating new worlds, but can have real social impacts on society. When I tried the Oculus Rift, I was transported to a farm. I was able to walk around freely and learn more information about things as I approached it. It was really cool and made me think about so many ways in which this technology could be used in education. I also got the chance to go to Italy, and it was beautiful. I forgot I was in Syracuse for a minute, and felt at ease as I looked around the Italian scenery.

The google cardboard experiences are also really cool. So far, everything I've experienced has had to do with furthering your knowledge about other people, countries, and issues. I took a look at Kristen's project shadowing a homeless man here in syracuse, and thought it was amazing. Being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes and see exactly what it's like to be them can really open people's minds and change people's hearts on certain situations. I honestly think virtual reality technologies have the chance not only to create new ways of entertaining, but to change the world. That's the part about it that fascinates me the most.

Few things bothered me during my v.r experience. For one, when using the Oculus Rift to walk around the farm I felt very nauseous and had to stop participating. I used the controller to guide myself (walk) around the farm, and something about how smoothly I moved made me feel car sick. Another thing that bothers me has to do with viewing things through the Google Cardboard. Things can be very blurry and out of focus, and finding the right viewing angle is key for a great experience. I'm sure as this field develops these small kinks will get worked out. I also would rather wireless methods because when hooked up to something I feel restricted, like I'm scared to participate fully because I might pull out a wire by accident or mess something up. When you have nothing attached to you but the device, you feel like you have more freedom to experience it. Lets just hope you don't run into a wall while doing it 🙂