Journal 3: "Abracadabra–It's Augmented Reality!" NETS-3
Raphael, R. (June/July 2011). Abracadabra-it's augmented reality!. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2011.aspx
Recently, interest has expanded on developments that allow direct participation with augmented reality (AR.) Raphael mentions that adding layers of information on the real world is not new and it is something that is continually being developed especially during economic uncertainty. AR is being driven by an increase in mobile computing, processor speed, and greater access to bandwith. As a result, the greater availability of these products are changing the way people interact with computers. Finding ways to introduce AR to students is imperative for educators because students will then have access to channel their creativity. AR is beginning to cross paths with education and educational technology through children’s books and AR curriculums that have been released. In his article, Raphael introduces one example of how AR is being introduced today through AR authoring tool Zooburst which is a simple intuitive digital storytelling tool for creating AR viewable pop up books. Zooburst is an interactive app where students drag and drop elements into stories, create narratives from scratch, characters are linked to text or sound, and digital portfolios can be created with a discussion forum. Other examples are presented as well through mobile apps like Wikitude, an app that provides information about the immediate environment. Some apps are virtual telescopes like Pocket Universe and Star Walk which allow one to point a device up to the sky and see information such as star names. There are also AR games like TagDis and the Hidden Park which create projections and allow one to map an environment onto a physical space. Overall, AR tools encourage students to feel at home as creators in an age where technology is becoming very accessible.
Recently, interest has expanded on developments that allow direct participation with augmented reality (AR.) Raphael mentions that adding layers of information on the real world is not new and it is something that is continually being developed especially during economic uncertainty. AR is being driven by an increase in mobile computing, processor speed, and greater access to bandwith. As a result, the greater availability of these products are changing the way people interact with computers. Finding ways to introduce AR to students is imperative for educators because students will then have access to channel their creativity. AR is beginning to cross paths with education and educational technology through children’s books and AR curriculums that have been released. In his article, Raphael introduces one example of how AR is being introduced today through AR authoring tool Zooburst which is a simple intuitive digital storytelling tool for creating AR viewable pop up books. Zooburst is an interactive app where students drag and drop elements into stories, create narratives from scratch, characters are linked to text or sound, and digital portfolios can be created with a discussion forum. Other examples are presented as well through mobile apps like Wikitude, an app that provides information about the immediate environment. Some apps are virtual telescopes like Pocket Universe and Star Walk which allow one to point a device up to the sky and see information such as star names. There are also AR games like TagDis and the Hidden Park which create projections and allow one to map an environment onto a physical space. Overall, AR tools encourage students to feel at home as creators in an age where technology is becoming very accessible.
Question 1: What are some AR programs that are out in the market?
Some AR programs out in the market are Zooburst, Wikitude, Pocket Universe, Star Walk, TagDis, and Hidden Park. Raphael specifically mentions about the benefits of Zooburst which is a storytelling tool for creating viewable pop up books. Through Zooburst, students can drag or drop elements into stories, create narratives from scratch or bring digital creations from other applications, characters can be linked to text and sound, creative work can be exhibited through digital portfolios and include a discussion forum. Last but not least, Zooburst adds teacher management tools where teachers can create student accounts and a private environment for students’ responses to each others' work. This is a powerful way for students to feel comfortable with technology and also have the freedom to use their creativity.
Question 2: How can Wikitude be used in the classroom?
Wikitude provides information about the immediate environment. For example, on can point at a monument and have historical images and information pop up. A teacher may implement this during a field trip to a museum. The teacher can be the only one with the device and program and point to specific paintings ect. that pertain to what is being learned in the classroom. The information that comes up in the application can be presented to the students and the teacher can make connections to the material he or she is teaching in class. The use of technology is open to many forms of implementation in the curriculum.
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