Technology allows us to create experiences for our learners that were at one time impossible. With Augmented Reality, we can quite literally put learning in someone's hands. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are popular ways for technology users to engage in an experience. Today, I'm going to focus on AR, which "delivers virtual elements as an overlay to the real world," as opposed to VR, which "offers a digital recreation of a real life setting" (Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality). I tend to think of VR as more immersive, but I love the way that AR brings the real and virtual worlds together. Today, I'm going to share two ways that AR has brought learning to life in my schools. Merge CubeAt TCEA this year, I learned about the Merge Cube during one of my sessions. When I came across these AR cubes at Walmart on clearance for $1 each, I filled my buggy with them and couldn't wait to share them with the educators at my schools. The Merge Cube is a physical cube covered in shapes that look kind of like QR codes, and when paired with any of the Merge Miniverse apps, brings learning to life. One of my favorite apps in the Miniverse is Galactic Explorer, which puts our solar system in the palm of your hands. Learners can experience the orbit of the solar system around the sun from various viewpoints, and can zoom into each planet to see a more detailed view of that planet and its satellites. I love how the third graders in Eileen Fox, Tiffiny Houdek, NatashaMalik, and Gina Pletcher's classes used Merge Cubes to explore the galaxy, and then added these fun artifacts of their exploration to their Seesaw science journals. The Merge Cube also brings the human body to life with Mr. Body, a free app, and AnatomyAR, a paid app. Using these apps, learners can explore and read about various organs and body systems. My very, very favorite thing about many of the Miniverse apps is that they include a screen recording feature so that learners can manipulate the cube and AR experience while showing what they know about the solar system or the body systems. And in iOS11, learners can use the built-in screen recording feature for those apps that do not have a screen recording function. Want to use the Merge Cubes in your classroom? Let me know! I have a set to share. Google Expeditions AR Pioneer ProgramTwo weeks ago, a third grade educator, Michael Upchurch, initiated a visit to Pinkerton by Google Expeditions AR Pioneer Program. If you've ever experienced or led a Google Expedition, the Pioneer Program is the AR version of Expeditions (which are VR experiences). The Pioneer Program actually comes to your campus with their own equipment, and their representative teaches you how to lead the AR experience for each session. Every educator at Pinkerton signed up to bring their class to a 30-minute session. The educators chose the content we would explore, and a group of five educators (Rhonda Pickrell, Narda Holguin, Meghan Hunt, Jennifer Hays, and me) facilitated each session. (Facilitating a Pioneer experience is very similar to leading a Google Expedition.) During each session, both the facilitator and classroom educator asked questions to prompt the learners to consider different facets of the experience and to make connections to topics discussed in the classroom. For example, our third graders explored a lesson called Animal Camouflage, and throughout the session, we looked at different animals and the different environments in which they lived. The facilitator and classroom educator asked learners to identify the adaptation created from the animal's environment and made comparisons between animals, environments, and adaptations. Learners also drew parallels between animal adaptations from the AR experience to a recent experience they'd had in the school garden, where they explored different plant adaptations. The kindergartners, who have been learning about weather patterns in class, got to see Forces of Nature, such as tornadoes and volcanic explosions, come to life. As they discussed weather patterns they have learned about in Science, they also made connections to verbs they have been learning about in English/Language Arts. Interested in hosting a Google Expeditions AR Pioneer Program at your school? Are you excited to bring AR to your classroom? Already using AR to create authentic experiences for your learners? Be sure to share in the comments!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |