Last year at the NCTIES Conference I learned about Aurasma, an Augmented Reality App. It is an application that allows you to make any image or object your target and then use your mobile device to bring that target to life. Similar to QR Codes, you can link any video or webpage to the target, but with Aurasma the target is more meaningful to the message. The application was created for business , and lends itself to advertising quite well, but at the conference they presented some great ways to use it in education also. This app has been floating around in the back of my mind for a year, and while I have thought of some cool ideas, I haven't yet found an opportunity to use it in the classroom. I think the whole idea of Augmented Reality is great, and I really want to use with students. Well this week, while reading the A Meaningful Mess, a really great blog that you should check out, I found out about an augmented reality app that I can use with elementary students. ColAR App lets you print out coloring pages, for students to color how ever they want and then using a mobile device you can bring the picture to life. Check out the demo video below to see how it works.
How fun for students to see the picture of the Hot Air Balloon, Bird, Dragon, or Butterfly come to life. I couldn't wait to download the app and try it out, (I still love to color, especially with a brand new box of crayons.) Andi McNair at A Meaningful Mess, had a great plan for using as an introduction to a creative writing lesson with her students. I showed it to our Art teacher and she immediately got excited about the possibilities of using it in a lesson to compare and contrast 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional objects. I can't wait to get started planning and co-teaching a lesson with her. Technology and Art what a fun combination - I am in heaven!
The app is free to download in the Apple Store or Google Store, and at the website you can print out the coloring pages. There are nine coloring pages that are free, and two other picture packs that cost $2.99 each (purchase through the app.) I think there are so many ways that this could be used to help students express their creativity, and each picture they create can be the beginning of a wonderful new adventure. I hope you will try it out and leave me a message how you could use it in your classroom.
Monday, February 24, 2014
It has been awhile since I have posted and I regret that. Over the last few weeks I have found a number of great apps that I want to share but I never seem to get around to actually posting the information. I am not doing so well on my New Years Resolution!!! Well, it is starting to feel like Spring is on the way here in North Carolina, so I am going to start over and with the dawn of a new season, find the time each week to share a new technology tool or resource with you. The days are getting longer, so I should be able to find the time now, right?
Since it is Mondays and my goal was to have Math Mondays, I want to share a great program I found called Thinking Blocks.
This program allows students to solve math word problems by first modeling the problem and then actually solving it. The program is set up in way that they must complete each step correctly before moving on. There are four categories of problems a; Addition/Subtraction, Multiplication/Division, Fractions, and Ratios/Proportions. Each category has six different levels, and then a random problem generator. Students can keep track of their progress to see how many problem sets they have completed in each level. Since this is free game that is part of Math Playground, students do not log in, so progress is not tracked for individual students. Instead it is logged on the computer, so if different students use the same computer it will keep track as if it one student, this is the only drawback. As each student begins a session they can reset the progress, and you could have them keep track of their individual progress in their notebook.
With the new Common Core Standards, students are expected to have a deeper understanding of the material and be able to explain how they solve problems. Thinking Blocks provides manipulatives that allow students to visualize the problem and how to solve it. Each set of problems also includes a tutorial of how to solve the problems. This program is recommended for elementary and middle school students, but I could see it being used with Algebra I/Common Core I students, who are struggling. There are two step equations and equations with multiple operations. There is also a grid with all the elements so that students could solve problems from a workbook. I think the program would also lend itself nicely to be used in whole group instruction with an interactive white board.
In addition, there are free Thinking Blocks apps for the IPad that work really well. Each category of problems is a separate app, so you only need to download what you are focusing on. I hope you enjoy exploring Thinking Blocks and please let me know if you use it with your class how it works out.
