A District-Wide Vision for Immersive Learning
Across nine campuses east of Houston, Barbers Hill ISD serves more than 7,000 students, blending a strong academic foundation with innovative teaching.
We spoke with the district’s instructional technology team – Elaina Kloecker, Brianne Brandt, and Erin Laughlin – who shared how they set out to make virtual reality (VR) accessible across every campus as part of a district-wide approach to immersive learning.
“Our goal was to bring VR to every campus, not just one classroom or grade,” said Elaina. “We wanted every student to have the chance to experience learning in a new way. Being able to give them those experiences means so much more than just a picture in a textbook or an image on a slide.”
Immersive Learning Across the Curriculum
With ClassVR now in use from elementary through to high school, teachers across Barbers Hill ISD are finding new ways to enrich lessons and inspire students in every subject.
English Language Arts
Through immersive experiences, secondary students are developing stronger descriptive writing and communication skills. Teachers use ClassVR to provide visual prompts that help students translate experiences into language and narrative.
“Students are so motivated to write after taking off the headset,” said Brianne. “They immediately want to capture what they saw and felt.”
To strengthen descriptive language and collaboration, teachers use a VR twist on the classic game Taboo. Students describe what they see in VR without naming it directly, while peers guess the object or setting. This playful challenge helps students to expand their vocabulary and refine their descriptive language while working together.
Teachers also use EduverseAI, a tool that lets them instantly create custom 360 images from written prompts. “Our reading teachers were introducing a dystopian novel and couldn’t find images that matched the setting, but they could write prompts to create the scenes in VR. It’s always upping the game,” said Elaina. These tailored scenes allow students to better visualize what they are reading, improving comprehension.
Students even helped craft prompts for Halloween-themed worlds alongside their teachers to inspire creative writing.
It’s incredible to watch students walk into the world they created. That kind of engagement is something you can’t replicate with a worksheet.
Science and Social Studies
In science, ClassVR helps secondary students visualize complex concepts. They can walk through prehistoric landscapes, observe animals in their habitat, or see how planets move in orbit. These experiences help students connect theory to real-world understanding.
As Brianne explained, “When we drop them into the black hole, even high school seniors get excited. Seeing that level of excitement about astronomy is just fun.”
In social studies, students visit landmarks and historical sites around the world, walking through ancient ruins or exploring monuments such as the Statue of Liberty. Elaina highlighted that VR provides the same experience for all learners, regardless of background. “You’re giving the experience to every child in your classroom,” she said. “It levels the playing field.”
By giving every student the chance to experience these places firsthand, VR creates what Elaina describes as a unique classroom adventure. “VR lets them travel the world without leaving the classroom. It’s our version of a ‘Magic School Bus’ moment.”
Mathematics
Teachers are using ClassVR to help intermediate school students explore geometry in an interactive way. Immersive environments make abstract topics, like angles, symmetry, and geometry, easier to see and understand.
“I was in a math classroom using VR for a geometry review, and it was so good because students could flip through vocabulary words and quiz each other on finding the vertex, identifying angles, and making those connections visually,” said Elaina.
Building Engagement and Confidence
Immersive learning at Barbers Hill ISD has sparked a new level of engagement.
“With VR, we know they’re engaged. We can see it,” said Brianne. “When they’re reading, we don’t always know if they’re following along, but with VR, they’re looking, they’re exploring, they’re part of it.”
That visible engagement has also boosted collaboration, with students more willing to share ideas and ask questions. Whether exploring independently or alongside classmates, teachers report increased participation and enthusiasm across lessons.
Supporting Teachers for District-Wide Success
Barbers Hill ISD’s success with ClassVR stems from a strong focus on simplicity and support. The intuitive teacher portal gives educators full control during lessons, allowing them to see what students are viewing, pause sessions, and guide the class as needed.
“We can see exactly what students are looking at, pause it if we need to, and bring everyone back together,” said Brianne. “It makes it easy for teachers to feel in control of the lesson.”
The district’s instructional technology team plays a key role in helping teachers integrate VR effectively. They work alongside teachers in planning sessions and professional learning communities to align immersive activities with TEKS standards and classroom goals.
“We start with the lesson, then see if VR will help the students reach their goal.” said Elaina. “A common misconception is that it has to be a full 45-minute experience, but often it’s just jumping in for three minutes, observing, and then having a discussion.”
With hands-on coaching, teachers quickly gain confidence. “Once teachers see how easy it is to run a VR lesson, they’re hooked,” said Brianne.
Looking Ahead
ClassVR is now part of regular instruction at Barbers Hill ISD. Teachers continue to incorporate VR into their lessons, and students look forward to every opportunity to explore through immersive learning.
“It’s been amazing to see how far we’ve come with ClassVR,” said Elaina. “Teachers are using it all the time now, and the students absolutely love it.”
What started as an idea to bring immersive learning to every campus is now part of everyday teaching – supporting teachers, inspiring students, and shaping the future of learning across the district.