Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Augmented Reality

I love learning about new technology but I have to be able to implement it into my classroom with a purpose.  Who has time to implement things that are just for fun? When I first saw augmented reality through the Aurasma app, I thought it looked awesome. What student wouldn’t like to look at a 3D spaceship from a flat image, but what are they learning? How does this meet the standards?  I was hesitant as to where it would fit into my teaching style.  Well, I just wasn’t seeing the true potential and thinking about side the box!

Weeks later, with the help of an iCoach, I began to see the true potential. It can engage the students and truly bring their images to life! I used it in a way that only took two days and allowed the students to synthesize their knowledge of molecules. The students built molecules and used their model as the trigger.  This led to a video they created explaining their molecule.  Then the students completed a gallery walk to view their classmate’s auras. The students were highly engaged and I could asses their knowledge on standard MS-PS 1-1 (Develop models to describe the composition of simple molecules and extended structures). 

This is only the ground level of where you can take this.  I can see the endless possibilities of this type of application and I believe this technology will just get better and better.  This year alone, the number of apps for AR has exploded.  I’m excited to explore the possibilities!