Giving Compass' Take:

• The 74 reports on a new book that can help guide teachers through new technology in the classroom, including augmented and virtual reality.

• As many educators know, flashy new tools aren't worth much if there's no practical application. How can we implement edtech strategically so that schools feel empowered, rather than overwhelmed?

• Here's more on why virtual reality in the classroom is becoming the new norm.

As teachers clamor to open up new worlds for students, in-classroom immersive technology affords an opportunity for kids to face a virtual hurricane, take a “walk” through space, or hold a beating heart in their hands.

The continual search for ways to incorporate virtual and augmented reality in the classroom in a meaningful and dedicated way led the International Society for Technology in Education to publish a book, titled Learning Transported: Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality for All Classrooms, to offer practical insights, lesson plans, and classroom examples so educators can make the most of these experiential worlds.

“While it’s easy to get excited about these experiences and their classroom potential,” says author Jaime Donally, a former teacher who now trains staff on technology, “it’s important to first understand the technology and its connection to learning and form a clear plan for how it is to be used and implemented.”

Donally writes that many educators think that giving students engaging technology experiences — whether creating 3-D worlds or holding holograms in their hands — requires expensive purchases or dedicated experts. “The truth is that many resources are available now on the devices already in the classroom,” she writes. “The implementation of these tools can be as simple as opening an app or loading a website.”

Read the full article about the new book that can help teachers unlock secrets of tech by Tim Newcomb at The 74.