At this Florida virtual school, students attend in the Metaverse

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - An online school founded by incoming First Lady of Florida is gaining popularity.It’s not school on a laptop or phone but it is virtual, with school taking place in the “Metaverse.” The program is Optima Academy Online, founded by Erika Donalds, which enables students to attend live classes while wearing virtual reality goggles.Bryleigh Barnes, from Crawfordville, attends school in that virtual reality. She said it’s live, not pre-recorded and other students are there, also wearing their headsets.“I mean, it’s not for everybody, but I would just tell them you’re not at a computer all day. And with the headset, it gets you more engaged because it’s fun,” Barnes said. “It’s interesting rather than just sitting in a classroom, same four walls around you.” Florida politics:“And my bet is that over the next 10 years, we’re going to move away from talking to each other on glass rectangles, and that will seem absurd to the next generation