Augmented Reality? For Real? Yes Really!

I'm going to disclaimer this right now...  I totally piggy-backed off of a Twitter conversation  going on last night and I stumbled upon pure educational gold.

So if you want to learn more about what I'm going to go crazy about right now... check out Two Guys and Some iPad's Blog:

Two Guys and Some i-Pads

So as I'm on Twitter last night, I run into a conversation about Augmented Reality (#AR).  

Check out our site: http://t.co/STN0PcHWcp for game changing apps and augmented reality in education!! #edchat #edtech

— Drew Minock (@TechMinock) June 16, 2013

So what is Augmented Reality?  I'm sort of figuring that out myself.  However if you get Webster on it and break it down, augmenting something means adding to or enhancing.  Reality is this thing we live in.  So what is happening is that our normal experience is being enhanced.

Think of it similar to 3-D movies, HD television, and the Xbox Kinect.  What you are experiencing is being enhanced by technology.  This concept is embodied by something called Aurasma, a new app and technology that is discussed below.

Imagine a classroom where your posters can now jump off of the wall.  Imagine posting student work with a video that explains it hiding in the air.  These "Auras" are just waiting to be created.  Students could use i-pods or i-pads over several images in a classroom or a website to learn more content.

I'm already thinking about a scavenger hunt type of process using this app.  But here's a great idea for all schools:

Imagine you are a PBIS school.  Normally reinforcing behaviors and having some sort of "kickoff" to teach behavior are part of the universal tier.  Imagine students making videos of how to act in the halls, how to act in class, how to act in the cafeteria, etc.  

Students could go around using mobile devices and view those videos that they helped to make.  All of the sudden a constant reminder of behavior could be in a school using mobile technology.

But as a history teacher, there's no doubt that making things come alive is the ultimate goal.  Aurasma can make that happen to an extent that we didn't have readily  available.  

Imagine hiding these "Auras" all over the classroom- invisible, waiting to be found.  Students would literally and metaphorically be "searching out knowledge."

That's engagement, and as the video said, a paradigm shift.  

If you want to learn more, check out www.aurasma.com.  And definitely give a look to the Two Guys and Some i-Pads blog.

If you download the app, try these two very quick Auras I made.  Hold your phone or device over the image:

This might be a gamechanger!

Mr. J.