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VR in Classroom - Purchasing options

rlehman
Honored Guest
Hello everyone!  

I was hoping for some opinions/advice on the topic of VR in the classroom.  First a little background: my school district has multiple funding sources for Next Generation Learning Environments.  I am a STEM teacher at my school district and recently I have demoed my personal Rift for my Superintendent's office.  They have asked me to coordinate a new VR Program at our district and I have a budget of $200,000 to get the program up and running for this school year.  I am hopeful that everything will be ready by September 1st, but I am realistic and understand that there will likely be some wait time for certain products.  Here is what I plan to purchase:

Three Google Cardboard Expeditions Mobile Labs 
-Nexus 6P ($499 x 90)
-Google Cardboard ($12.50 x 90)
-Google Cardboard Storage Solutions ($4,500)

Two GEAR VR Mobile Lab  
-Samsung Galaxy S7 ($695 x 60)
-Gear VR ($100 x 60)
-Mobile Storage Cart ($4,000)
-GEAR VR App budget

FULL Oculus Rift VR/Computer Lab
-convert one current open computer lab at High School into open VR Lab for all teachers to share
-Oculus Rift VR Headset ($599 x 30)
-VR Computer System ($1449 x 30)
-Monitors (possible we already have 30 extra in district, if not $200 x 30)
-possible to get bundle discounts depending on availability
-Software budget 

I believe it shouldn't be too difficult to purchase the Google Cardboard devices.  I have spoken to a representative of Samsung and they are getting back to me with details on purchasing 60 S7s without a cell service plan.  We will be using our devices on wifi, so cell service is unnecessary.  The Samsung representative seems confident he can fulfill this order by August.  My main concern is the Oculus Rift VR Lab I would like to create.  I believe I can get the VR Computer systems order and installed, monitors, and storage solutions for the headsets all before september.  

The issue is the Rifts themselves.  Everywhere I look they are sold out, and the oculus website says limit 1 per customer.  I need 30.  Does anyone have any idea of a timeframe for when bulk orders can be placed?  I am pretty confident I can get the mobile labs up and running by the first day of school, but I plan to tell my administrators the Oculus Rift Lab will not be up and running until Christmas.  Would this be a good estimate?  Any thoughts/opinions would be greatly appreciated.  THANK YOU!

17 REPLIES 17

Hotdog12
Protege
well whatever your plans are, keep in mind, the rifts won't ever arrive in time! you don't need to thank me. go to best buy

rlehman
Honored Guest

Hotdog12 said:

well whatever your plans are, keep in mind, the rifts won't ever arrive in time! you don't need to thank me. go to best buy


From what I have read, it seems jumping around to 15-30 best buys over the next 6 months will be how I solve this problem.  Unless anyone else has a different idea!  

I really didn't want to do that ha!

CharlieHobbes
Rising Star

rlehman said:


Hotdog12 said:

well whatever your plans are, keep in mind, the rifts won't ever arrive in time! you don't need to thank me. go to best buy


From what I have read, it seems jumping around to 15-30 best buys over the next 6 months will be how I solve this problem.  Unless anyone else has a different idea!  

I really didn't want to do that ha!


Nobody on the forum can advise you properly, your best bet is to get in contact with Oculus proper and see if they can do anything for you. I'm sure they'll like the idea of you dropping 15+ grand on them and perhaps they like the idea of Oculus in the classroom. The trick is going to be convincing them that you are not trying to get your hands on bulk so you can sell it on in some country where Oculus doesn't ship.

rlehman
Honored Guest



 The trick is going to be convincing them that you are not trying to get your hands on bulk so you can sell it on in some country where Oculus doesn't ship.



I didn't consider this!  Well, I would be more than happy to have someone from Oculus visit our school, but that would be a dream!  I do plan on blogging about our experiences.  I will shoot them an email and see if they bite.  I just assumed they were too busy right now, and that they wouldn't budge from their limit 1 per customer.

CharlieHobbes
Rising Star

rlehman said:




 The trick is going to be convincing them that you are not trying to get your hands on bulk so you can sell it on in some country where Oculus doesn't ship.



I didn't consider this!  Well, I would be more than happy to have someone from Oculus visit our school, but that would be a dream!  I do plan on blogging about our experiences.  I will shoot them an email and see if they bite.  I just assumed they were too busy right now, and that they wouldn't budge from their limit 1 per customer.


They may not, but then at least you will have tried.
The trick is finding the correct channel and selling the concept, you may get lucky (no pun intended) and get a deal.


rlehman
Honored Guest



rlehman said:




 The trick is going to be convincing them that you are not trying to get your hands on bulk so you can sell it on in some country where Oculus doesn't ship.



I didn't consider this!  Well, I would be more than happy to have someone from Oculus visit our school, but that would be a dream!  I do plan on blogging about our experiences.  I will shoot them an email and see if they bite.  I just assumed they were too busy right now, and that they wouldn't budge from their limit 1 per customer.


They may not, but then at least you will have tried.
The trick is finding the correct channel and selling the concept, you may get lucky (no pun intended) and get a deal.




Haha! I wish!

Techy111
MVP
MVP
Get 30 students to buy a rift each 🙂 just need to hand them the cash !!!
A PC with lots of gadgets inside and a thing to see in 3D that you put on your head.

tommet
Expert Protege
$200,000?

Holy crap.  I'm also a STEM educator.  That kind of budget is a fantasy for my district.  

You from a private school??

rlehman
Honored Guest

tommet said:

$200,000?

Holy crap.  I'm also a STEM educator.  That kind of budget is a fantasy for my district.  

You from a private school??


No, public school. We are a small city school in Ohio with 3,000 students. We have an amazing administration that has worked hard to get us funding through grants.