New technology will help students explore biomedicine

Tea Area high school students will soon get to see how the heart and other parts of the body work using new technology.

The Tea Area School District was awarded a South Dakota EPSCoR grant in the amount of $29,881. They used the grant money to purchase nine laptops specifically for zSpace virtual reality programs, “driver” and “passenger” glasses, stylus, teacher’s computer, projector and software.

District curriculum director Tonia Warzecha wrote the grant so they could add the virtual reality technology to the high school Project Lead the Way biomedical courses. The district’s technology director was the first person to see the technology at a conference.

“At that time we really loved it, but didn’t have an avenue to get funding. When the grant opportunity came up and we thought about what we could use it for, it seemed like a really good partner for the Project Lead the Way biomedical,” Warzecha said.

They have also purchased VIVED Science software to go with the zSpace program. Warzecha said the software will allow students to conduct dry dissections on 3D cadavers.

“When they’re in their biomedical classes, they can actually explore the human body without ever having to leave the classroom,” Warzecha said.

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