When Douglas County students begin their next anatomy or physiology lesson, they will learn with the help of the world’s first virtual dissection table. High school science teachers recently received training on the new Anatomage Tables, revolutionary teaching tools that use virtual reality to teach anatomy. The state-of-the-art technology has quickly become a valuable resource in medical schools, hospitals, and institutions around the globe.
The tables allow students to interact with life-size, three-dimensional representations of human organs and body systems. Students can manipulate the images and zoom, rotate, dissect, and overlay multiple systems at once. The four life-sized tables will be available at Alexander, Chapel Hill, Douglas County, and New Manchester High Schools. Lithia Springs High School administrators and STEM teachers will evaluate their science resources and consider purchasing an Anatomage Table later this year.
Chapel Hill High School Health Care Sciences Teacher Sandy Smith is excited that the school system is embracing this new technology. “I’m excited that our students will soon have the latest technology at their fingertips. This investment shows the commitment that our school system and our Board of Education members have made to teach students using the best technology available.”
Chapel Hill High School Anatomy teacher Krystle Teal recently learned how to integrate the Anatomage technology into her lesson plans. “I have never used technology like this,” Teal says. “Anatomage will be perfect for our students! If we can bring anatomy and physiology to life, students can relate to it more.”
Not only will students use Anatomage this school year to explore human anatomy, but they can also explore the anatomy of over 270 animals. Teachers can use the technology for students in healthcare-related career paths, where they can use more advanced features of the table like surgical technique and radiology. Because Anatomage’s content can be delivered virtually, students in all classes can benefit through virtualizations.
The Anatomage Tables were purchased with funds from ESPLOST. The penny sales tax has been collected since 1997 and must be approved by voters every five years. Douglas County voters elected to renew the ESPLOST on June 9, 2020.
Pictured during the training session at Chapel Hill High School are Krystle Teal (middle in top photo) and Sandy Smith.