Augmented Reality

Today in class, we learned about Augmented Reality (AR). This was the first time I had EVER heard of it. Bear with me, and hopefully by the end of this post, you will have learned about AR and how you can use it in your classroom!

So, first thing is first, what is augmented reality? Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. In other words, it is where there is a digitally enhanced picture, or environment, that is viewed on a screen and is produced by overlaying computer-generated sounds and images to create a realistic 3-D view of the picture at hand. For example, a student can view a picture of a sea turtle, but they can also manipulate the image and turn the turtle, look at the turtle up close, and possibly explore the turtles environment as if it were right in front of you!

If you are still confused(I was, don't worry), here is a quick video to help you get a better perspective of was AR really is and is capable of. https://youtu.be/fyD90WNP_To

Pretty cool, huh? Imagine what amazing things children can learn using AR. They see it as a fun game, but they are really learning, and learning a lot! Using AR is a great tool to use for differentiation. All students love it, but it really helps to engage kids who are very introverted and have a hard time participating in group work and activities. There are so many awesome things that can be done using AR. This really gets students thinking on a deeper level about any topic they are viewing on their device. It can help students research and gain more information for a project they are working on and it would also be a good opportunity to get students working together and collaborating to show off cool things they found or even teach each other how to use the platforms they are working on. I will list below two apps that are well known for students to use in the classroom for AR.

Aurasma is a free app that allows you to turn any object, place, or image into AR. Aurasma brings everyday things to life using graphics, animations, video, audio, and 3-D animations.

 

Arloon is a wonderful app to use in your classroom! You can buy each subject as a separate app, or just purchase the bundle for $4.99. It is totally worth it. In the bundle you get an app on each of the following- Anatomy, Geometry, Solar System, Mental Math, Plants, and Chemistry.

This helps make learning fun for the students and the interactive and hands-on aspect of the app also helps students learn more and eager to stay focused. 

I have just barely scratched the surface of the Augmented Reality world! There is so much out there to learn about AR and how you can use it in your classroom, so get to discovering!