Augmented Reality

What exactly is Augmented Reality? 

It is a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world or in other words it is a blending of virtual reality and real life. Have you ever played Pokemon Go or seen people walking down the streets with their phone not paying attention? Well, they might be playing Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go is just exactly what augmented reality looks like .

We use augmented reality everyday. It just that we don't realize it immediately. At this moment, you probably have a smart phone in your purse or back pocket. Within that smart phone, you might have a social media app called SnapChat. The app is another example of augmented reality being used by mostly everyone.

With these fun examples how augmented reality would look like, it can be implemented in students' learning as well. I have learned that augmented reality brings a whole new learning for students because students will have the opportunity to see learning in 3D.

There is slight difference between augmented reality and virtual reality. Virtual reality is where someone creates an environment where it can be interactive. There is a special tool when experiencing virtual reality such as VR glasses. An example of virtual reality is Google Cardboard. Check out the Emaze below for more additional information.

Google Cardboard

Watch this amazing presentation on emaze.com - The website that lets you create and share stunning presentations within minutes.

I can see augmented reality used in my future classroom. Students will be engaged in learning in any subject. I plan to use augmented reality in science or any subject with higher grades and lower grades. Students are going to be interacting with the subject rather than just absorbing and writing information that the teacher would lecture.

With augmented reality, there are apps that need be downloaded towards the content that teachers would be teaching. However, I have learned teachers can create their own augmented reality to better drive instruction or to adjust to student's needs. If I were to download augmented reality apps, I would recommend the descriptive list of apps below.

I will plan to use AR Flashcards Alphabet for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or any students who have trouble sounding out letters. As soon students enter second grade, the students should have the basic phonics already mastered in order to read at their own grade level. For my pre-k students, I would use the app so the students could sound or say the first letter of the animal they would see. (example)

If I had to teach math, I will plan to use AR Flashcards Addition. This augmented reality app can be used in one of the math stations or students can learn addition as extra practice. Since reading is a major requirement for learning, I plan to use augmented reality books. Students can easily imagine when reading, but there are some students who do have difficulty forming that mental image. Therefore if books were interactive it would definitely make the students fall in love with reading. Here is an augmented reality book that students can read called The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

Students are able to implement the 4 C's with augmented reality.  Students can collaborate by working together on a project for science. Students can investigate how blood pumps through a heart and look closely at it. Student can use augmented reality to communicate by retelling a story using AR characters.  The characters would come to real life making it realistic and exciting for students to tell a story. Students can critically think when learning math with augmented reality. Students can do that if they learning about geometry, and the students can use Geometry 101  to analyze the shapes at different points of view. Students can be creative with augmented reality by coloring a page of their created characters then bring it to life which it can be used in story telling. For history, students can create their own historical figure that they are researching and then orally give a presentation on the important historical figure.