Traditionally, when a teacher talks about “AR" in a classroom it refers to the Accelerated Reading program. That’s a popular program where students take tests on the books they have read in order to access their reading and comprehension. Schools often give out awards and promote classroom competitions in who can rack up the most “AR Points.” Here’s a link to an elementary school’s blog explaining how Accelerated Reading works.
In the article, Pokemon Go is the Future, Adam Gutierrez introduces a whole new “AR” to education. Pokemon Go has become a viral sensation in gaming. It uses a technology called Augmented Reality, or AR for short, to overlay cartoon-like characters onto the reality you are seeing on your devices’s screen. When my son looks through my iPhone’s screen while riding in the back of my car, he sees this little guy bouncing around next to him.
Gutierrez mentions four new apps that take this technology into the classroom. There are several ways AR can be utilized. The article claims it's a great resource for visual learners.
At a recent school board meeting, our “Teacher of the Year” from Bonsall presented the way she used an augmented reality app, Aurasma, to turn her fourth grade mission lesson into a project that would come to life for the parents at back to school night. The class used green screen to film their report on a California Mission. Then, using the Augmented Reality app, they keyed a photo of their mission as the backdrop. When parents scanned a real life photo of their child’s mission with a classroom iPad it triggered the augmented report to play. The AR made the child appear to be giving his report at the actually mission he or she was reporting on. Beats the heck out of the popsicle sticks and glue projects I had to do as a child. Here's a video created by two teachers showing many ways they have incorporated Aurasma in their classrooms.
There are downsides to AR. Children are easily distracted by the pretend reality presented on the screen while moving around in the real reality. Falling down or walking into danger are serious concerns. Also, since this technology requires the latest generation of mobile technology, many students and classrooms will be left in the digital divide without access to smartphones and iPads.
AR has augmented my thinking about what a classroom in the future might look like.
Perhaps Google will create a Google Glass for students. Wouldn’t it be great to give all students glasses to wear while in the classroom so that everything they saw could be turned into an interactive resource through AR? A word in a book could be instantly defined by a dictionary. A map of a far off country could activate videos showing climate, culture and current event headlines in the region. Food choices in the cafeteria could have their nutritional information instantly displayed. If I'm fortunate enough to teach in a school which provides the students with iPads, I’m reading to earn some next gen AR points by finding new ways to teach with Augmented Reality.
Gutierrez, A. (2016, July 22). Pokemon Go is the Future. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/pokemon-go-future/
T. (2013, January 18). Teaching with
Aurasma. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHIxYpBW7sc
In an ideal school setting, it would be so great if students had Google Glass. They would be accessing so much information in a more engaging way. Getting students interested in learning is the biggest hurdle for teachers, but making it fun with technology is the key to getting kids excited about education. Of course, the funding needed for these devices is limited but hopefully the future holds more hope. Computer labs at schools did not always exist, so it is possible that one day many more schools will have more advanced technology to offer their students. I am optimistic that this will occur, especially because a Technology course is now required for a teaching credential.
ReplyDeleteI continue to be impressed by the technology schools and teachers are using in the classroom- and wondered how teachers and schools begin to incorporate it. In the video you shared, I was curious about the same thing: How did these teachers go about incorporated Augmented Reality (AR) into the classroom? I enjoyed reading and watching how Aurasma can be used in the classroom in a variety of ways that benefit students, teachers and parents. I think using Aurasma as a tool for students to watch explanations of a lesson. For example, in the situation where a math problem is posted on the board, and a student can hold up an ipad, tap it, and having access to a video explaining how to do the problem. From there, I also liked how it provided additional similar problems for students on their ipad as well. I like your idea of something like Google Glass, too! I think it would be an incredibly useful tool for everyone!
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