Augmented Reality and Technologies in the Classroom
"If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's,
we rob them of tomorrow"
John Dewey
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New Media: Combining traditional medias such as books, radio TV with digital medias. Digital medias would include medias that are interactive or used for communication purposes.
The iPad is a small, hand-held computer with a flat touch-screen with internet access. Should we have an "iPad Classroom?" Will this benefit us? With incorporating these iPads as a technology being used in the classroom and not just for the work place or leisure its helping the students in the classroom be able to independently complete their work. They can take these projects they are doing at school and are able to come back to them and work with them as they please. It allows them to see these assignments in a new light and not that they have to just use a text book in order too look up information. They can now look at video as well. This also is beneficial to those who have a special needs in the classroom and might not be able to work as fast as others. They are able to work and see everything right in front of them and on their own pace instead of trying to keep up with the rest of the class. While watching the video in the top left, you will be able to see and experience what it would be like having an Ipad classroom. You can also see what the students can do with this technology while in the classroom and how this is beneficial. |
THE APP
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Through the usage of the iPad, you are able access to download "apps." There is an app for just about anything you could think of, some for free and some not. Some of these apps are used for activities or you can even download entire books. Students no longer have to carry around multiple text books, they can now wait until they get to the classroom and open the books through the iBooks. Having "apps" is allowing teacher to download different games or activities to teach the children in a different and fun way.
iBooks in an app on the iPad for digital textbooks. These textbooks are updated instantly when new information is revealed to avoid students learning information that is outdated. This would be beneficial especially for college students who spend hundreds of dollars each semester on buying books that are often barely used or become outdated quickly.
The SMART board
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The SMART board is an interactive white board used through a touch screen made for the classroom.
This board is a beneficial for teachers for many different reasons:
Good to demonstrate how to use different applications that are being used. The teacher is able to show through the projector included in the white board so the students know how to use certain tools.
The board is very colorful to catch the attention of the students. There are different colored markers, highliters to emphasize important points that are being made. Students react better to displays were there is some type of color within it rather than just black and white.
The board helps those who have different learning styles. For example if the child is a tactile learner they will benefit by using the touch aspect of the board as well as using the markers. If the child is a visual learner they are able to use the board to see what is going on and not just listening. And as for students who work better by listening they can have a class discussion about what is going on, on the board. Or if a child has trouble with their motor skills they can easily just tap the board and use their finger to write.
One of the most important is that it can be used for all ages. It doesn't matter if the child is in Kindergarden or a senior in high school. There are all types of programs and tools that can be used to various age groups.
Having this board can work for all types of classroom work. They can work together as a class with the board, they can work in groups taking turns with the board, or they can use it for individual work for presenting a project to the class.
The board encourages the use of technology. The SMART board can use any type of software so the teachers can use many teach many different programs to the students.
The boards are easier to clean. There is no mess made by using chalk or dried out markers when using a regular white board. You can use one of the required SMART board markers or even just your finger to write on and it is easy to wipe off and re-write on without some sort of eraser.
It is an interactive tool. Students can be at the board contributing to the lesson and not just watching the teacher write on the board.
It can be used to display images through the document camera, videos and even video tape!
Finished activities that are done on the board can be printed and saved for the students to refer back to at a later time.
This board is a beneficial for teachers for many different reasons:
Good to demonstrate how to use different applications that are being used. The teacher is able to show through the projector included in the white board so the students know how to use certain tools.
The board is very colorful to catch the attention of the students. There are different colored markers, highliters to emphasize important points that are being made. Students react better to displays were there is some type of color within it rather than just black and white.
The board helps those who have different learning styles. For example if the child is a tactile learner they will benefit by using the touch aspect of the board as well as using the markers. If the child is a visual learner they are able to use the board to see what is going on and not just listening. And as for students who work better by listening they can have a class discussion about what is going on, on the board. Or if a child has trouble with their motor skills they can easily just tap the board and use their finger to write.
One of the most important is that it can be used for all ages. It doesn't matter if the child is in Kindergarden or a senior in high school. There are all types of programs and tools that can be used to various age groups.
Having this board can work for all types of classroom work. They can work together as a class with the board, they can work in groups taking turns with the board, or they can use it for individual work for presenting a project to the class.
The board encourages the use of technology. The SMART board can use any type of software so the teachers can use many teach many different programs to the students.
The boards are easier to clean. There is no mess made by using chalk or dried out markers when using a regular white board. You can use one of the required SMART board markers or even just your finger to write on and it is easy to wipe off and re-write on without some sort of eraser.
It is an interactive tool. Students can be at the board contributing to the lesson and not just watching the teacher write on the board.
It can be used to display images through the document camera, videos and even video tape!
Finished activities that are done on the board can be printed and saved for the students to refer back to at a later time.
How Far We've Come
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Learning in the classroom has come a long way. Who would have thought that kids would now be learning through devices that would allow the student to actually get "inside" the lesson. Ipads, Smartboard, Ipods, Laptops they are all a huge part of learning in the classroom.
As you can see from the picture to the left, This would not be a common to see in a classroom a decade ago. Students would be looking through a text book to find information or even reading a regular paper back book. Now, all these students are on laptops to find information to find answers and look up information.
These things are not only teaching the students but the teachers as well. These teach the teachers how to incorporate the technologies into their lessons so that the students are relating things to their everyday lives. Students now are able to have these technologies available at home by downloading and reading books off of their ipods, phones, kindles etc. Having students learn at a younger age now about these technologies and allowing them to use them is going to prepare them for later in life. Now, it is essential that in order to get a job you need to be able to use the computer and its certain programs that are on it. By the time students graduate from all their schooling they will be fully functional in the technology world.
As you can see from the picture to the left, This would not be a common to see in a classroom a decade ago. Students would be looking through a text book to find information or even reading a regular paper back book. Now, all these students are on laptops to find information to find answers and look up information.
These things are not only teaching the students but the teachers as well. These teach the teachers how to incorporate the technologies into their lessons so that the students are relating things to their everyday lives. Students now are able to have these technologies available at home by downloading and reading books off of their ipods, phones, kindles etc. Having students learn at a younger age now about these technologies and allowing them to use them is going to prepare them for later in life. Now, it is essential that in order to get a job you need to be able to use the computer and its certain programs that are on it. By the time students graduate from all their schooling they will be fully functional in the technology world.
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These augmented reality activities are allowing students to become interactive in the classroom. They are becoming involved and interested in what they are learning.
This video to the left, shows the different ways that augmented reality can help students to learn in many different subjects They are now not just sitting there being forced to just listen and then complete a task about what they just learned. They can now learn for themselves how and why things work. Which is much more beneficial to their learning than anything else. These technologies are allowing them to understand and advance in their learning. |
Are these technologies helping us to learn and grow?
With these technologies we are allowing ourselves whether we be the students or the teacher to immerse ourselves into the world. It is no longer a world of just black and white, we are experience the world in all its many colors. Technology is becoming part of us, with all the many interactive activities that are forming to teach us new and exciting ways to do things. It is not making us stupid or anti-social. It is actually making us smarter by realizing that there are different ways to learn things and that learning can be fun. A lot of these activities incorporate you learning with someone else as well. You are working together through these interactive activities to learn, most of the time with these new technologies you don't even realize that you are learning.
Its true that you don't know where these technologies are going to take you. But isn't that the point? Not knowing where you are going is the only way to expand your mind and learn. Learning is about finding new ways to do things ant these technologies are doing just that. If you continuously are using tools that you already know how to use then you become familiar and stuck in the same pattern. These two things don't allow you to learn and move forward and grow as a learner. Having these technologies taking us to different places and fast allows us to continuously learn new things in fun and exciting ways.
Its true that you don't know where these technologies are going to take you. But isn't that the point? Not knowing where you are going is the only way to expand your mind and learn. Learning is about finding new ways to do things ant these technologies are doing just that. If you continuously are using tools that you already know how to use then you become familiar and stuck in the same pattern. These two things don't allow you to learn and move forward and grow as a learner. Having these technologies taking us to different places and fast allows us to continuously learn new things in fun and exciting ways.
Digital Youth Project
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"Social network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture. They have so permeated young lives that it is hard to believe that less than a decade ago these technologies barely existed. Today’s youth may be coming of age and struggling for autonomy and identity as did their predecessors, but they are doing so amid new worlds for communication, friendship, play, and self-expression."
- Mizuko Ito, one of the author's of the Digital Youth Project.
- Mizuko Ito, one of the author's of the Digital Youth Project.
What is this telling us?
What Mizuko Ito is trying to tell us is that is yes, maybe in fact these technologies are making today's youth that is using them to be anti social because these are technologies that require no face to face interactions. Our youth is using social networks, as well as video games and other online sources to communicate with their peers. Even now a days teachers can use these technologies like skype and google docs to communicate with their students. Students don't even have the need to come and communicate in a group anymore because of all the individual technologies that are now available. |
Are these technologies actually making us anti-social?
Yes, these technologies are in a sense making us anti-social according to Mizuko. Youth is using technologies that prohibits them to making any face to face interactions, it is all done through the computer or other forms of technologies now. However, Mizuko also is saying that all though these technologies are secluded the youth from the world outside of the computer or other technologies they are still learning to communicate. They are communicating through a "new world." They have these technologies are their feet and they are using them to communicate with their peers, teachers, parents etc. They are involving themselves in something that wasn't available to the youth years ago. |