Exploring Augmented Realities in the Classroom

I found the article on “Augmented Reality in the Classroom” to be great support for the discussion we had on augmented reality in our last class. The article gives several tips on how to effectively use augmented reality, find the apps, recommends certain apps, and how to bring it into our future classroom through lesson planning and student involvement. The article recommends spending time choosing the best apps for each class, and then familiarizing with the app before class. The teacher then approaches the apps with the mindset of the content, not the app, must be the focus. I really like how the article points out the need to decide whether augmented reality will help with learning or is just a gimmick. I found the ability to make student’s work into augmented realities to be a really interesting idea. The key through all of the article was finding ways that augmented reality will enhance learning, so that students are both educated and entertained.

I tried Dinosaurs and Bunnies! App from group 1. I found these apps to be intriguing, but not very interactive. The Bunnies! app used the camera on the IPad to place bunnies around the room. The only educational function I could find was using it to look at bunnies on a lesson on bunnies. The Dinosaurs app also used the camera to place dinosaurs around the room, but also allowed for clicking on the dinosaurs. Once clicked, the app described the name and facts about the dinosaur. These facts could be used in a lesson, or once again to provide a up close look at dinosaurs. I think the Dinosaur app could provide an interesting hook on a lesson on dinosaurs. Both of these apps did not give the user many options to control the app. I would most likely only use these apps to take up time at the end of class or make available in free time.

I tried the Anatomy 4D and Quiver apps from group 2. The Anatomy 4D apps seemed to be a great tool to teach about the human body. The app allows for someone to take off layers of the human body to look at parts of the body like the circulatory system or bones, or look how the body works as a whole. This app provided lots of information on each part of the body and its function. My only complaint for my future classroom was that if the skin is applied, then the body is shown naked which may be a distraction. Maybe there is a way to prevent this or make a classroom rule. Overall, Anatomy 4D seemed to be great tool to use on teaching about anatomy or a positive way for students to spend free time. The Quiver app allows users to color “target pictures” that then come to life using the app. The app allows for the picture to do multiple functions, like kick the ball or ice skate. The app seemed to mainly be a way to have fun in free time, but perhaps could be used to make art fun or a lesson on colors. Both of these apps were much more student involved then the apps from group 1.

I think all of these apps could be used in some way in my future classroom. I would use the Bunnies! app only with children for fun. I would use the Dinosaur app with elementary students as hook for a lesson on dinosaurs, to learn a few facts on dinosaurs, or just for fun. I would use the Quiver app with any grade (I think even high-school students would secretly find it fun), but mainly for fun or perhaps as a reward for good work at the end of the day. I would use the Anatomy 4D app to teach about any of the specific parts of the body given in the app or anatomy in general. The app might also be good for a health class or just for fun. I like Anatomy 4D especially, because I think many different types of kids would find it interesting and learn fun facts while exploring it. I think overall that using augmented reality apps provides students a break from the typical learning lessons they receive, and puts them in situation to interact with technology, not just watch it.

Exploring five New Education Apps

MATH:

IMathematics is free educational app used to help teach students mathematics. IMathematics has a wide variety of information on different types of math. The app surpasses information on just overall categories like Geometry and Algebra, and goes further into specific lessons like plane, solid, and analytic geometry. Then each one of these specific forms of math have multiple options for studying and allows for choosing particular weak subject knowledge. The lessons are set up, so that only weak or unknown areas of math are studied. Several options are locked for the free option, but many of the key math subjects are still available. I definitely believe I could use this app in my future classroom. IMathematics is great tool to assign to students after initially teaching the subject. A teacher could assign particular parts of the subject that will help each individual lesson. Then the students would do their specific subject area, so that each student would only focuses on what is important to them (Using time efficiently). Also this app would be a great tool to recommend to parents for students to use at home to study. A teacher could tell parents who have struggling students or recommend to the entire class, and then parents could have their students learn and prepare for class at home.

SCIENCE:

EMD PTE is free educational app used to teach students about the periodic table. The app allows for students to explore different elements on the periodic table. Each element, if clicked, describes its scientific name, atomic number, classification, and its group/period. There are several options to then look at general information for each element. The app shows what the element’s name derives from, who found it, and interesting facts about each element. The app also shows information like the boiling or melting point, and other unique qualities for each element. The app can search for any element, sort by certain properties. Atomic radius, physical description, decay over time, and allows numerous ways to compare different elements. I think EMD PTE is great app to discover information about different elements and the periodic table. The app could be used for general discovery or for class activities. Teachers could use this app as individual source to find any information on elements. Teachers could ask questions like, “Does --------- or --------- have higher boiling point,” or “Name five elements in the alkali earth category.“ Students could use this app to do research on a specific element project. Overall, I think this app may be simple but technical enough to make students interested in elements or a good tool when their extra time in class.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

The Civil War Today is purchased app for teaching about the civil war up until this year. The app has the ability to describe what each individual day’s newspaper might have looked like. The app describes key figures, events, and even maps. It describes battles with details about death tallies, who won or loss, and other interesting details. There is a quote from a famous figure, and a picture for each day as well. The app also gives personal testimonies given from that time period. The app also uses a quiz of the day to act as an assessment for learning about each day. The app does a great job of putting someone in that era. The app also shows multiple actual newspapers from each day. I definitely see the potential of using The Civil War Today app in my future classroom. The app would be great tool to create interest in any history topic. The app could also help break the divide that students feel about history and our modern society. The daily facts could be used to start or end any class and/or to start any topic in the Civil War. The app also allows for students to experience the Civil War from a day by day basis, and doing so makes students experience the war differently. The daily assessment allows teachers to test whether students truly read about that day, if the teacher assigned it. The app also could be used to assign students different days in the Civil War to do projects on. The app provides newspapers and other fun things to make students more creative in creating projects. Overall, the app might also be a great tool to spend extra time in any class.

ART:

Doodle Buddy is an app that allows for drawing and creativity. This is free and can easily be used for students in any grade. The app allows for students to explore art through drawing different lines, shapes, and other things. The app allows for changing the color and different brushes. Someone can also add aspects to drawing like glitter. Plus there is an easy to use eraser for mistakes or starting over. Stickers can add extra dimensions to the art. Backgrounds allow students to create unique pictures. Anything created can easily be saved, printed, or emailed to anyone. I believe that Doodle Buddy is great app for art and other class activities. The app could be used as an easy to make and resource saving art device. The app allows for students to create as much as they can imagine. The app could also be used with specific criteria. For example, “Make a picture with _____, ______, and ______ in it.” The app might especially be good for an art class with not many materials or students who usually make a big mess. The app also could be used similar to how a dry erase board is used in the classroom. Students could write answers and hold it up in the air. Students could also use the app to fill extra time in class, if the lesson goes a little short.

ESL or LANGUAGE: 

I think one of the most common problems in the classroom is trying to reach all the students with out leaving students behind or not going fast enough. ESL students often struggle to define new words and understand new ideas during a lesson. The iTranslate app allows for on the spot translation to many languages. Students choose their home language, then the student uses the app to translate new ideas. The app works by translating audio or visual content. The app works on over thirty languages. The app can also have direct types of input for translations. The app can translate single words or entire sentences. I definitely think the app is a great tool for ESL or any classroom. The iTranslate app would allow for many of the problems that stop class during a lesson to be overcome. Students could use the app at any moment of time, and many of the questions would be stopped. Often teachers struggle or are slow to give a definition to complicated or even simple words. Teachers could simply speak the word and the students would have a quick audio translation. The app could also be used at home when the teacher is not available. The student could also use the app to translate a word he knows in his language, but does not know or forget in the stress of class. The app is great tool for students in any educational situation that uses one of its translatable languages.

From Comics to Education

The Strip Designer app is available on IPads. The app allows for templates to be added to slides to create and design different strip options. The stripes can then be filled with different photos or drawings. The photos/drawings can be moved, twisted, and zoomed in or out. The app allows for balloons (speech bubbles) to be added, change size and color of balloons, use different fonts, and font colors. Stickers can be added from either preset options or created from pictures. The app also also for boarders to be inserted or change brightness of the pictures. Once finished the strip can be emailed or uploaded to thing like Facebook, or saved as a PDF.I believe that I can use Strip Designer in my future classroom. The app could of course be used for creative thinking or fun, but also by students in creating projects. Instead of using a normal presentation program, they could create a strip and tell a story similar to a comic. The app could also be used as an assessment (Create a strip describing the movie Holes) or create one slide at the end of each chapter describing the most important part. Perhaps students could also be told to design a strip that uses certain vocab words or describes the steps of a science experiment.