Augmented Reality

My two favorite non-targeted apps were LiveButterflies and ARHouse.  In LiveButterflies, it was fun to move the iPad around the room to find the butterflies flying around.  The best part was that if you put your finger on the screen, the butterfly would virtually land on you finger.  There were different types of butterflies in the app, which was neat.  If you kept the iPad still, you might not be able to see the butterflies.  This why you have to move the iPad around to find the butterflies throughout the room.  I could see using this app for 5-6 year olds in Kindergarten.  If giving a science lesson about catepillars turning into butterflies, the teacher could discuss this process.  The teacher could then implement this app towards the end of the lesson to show butterflies and them flying around the room.  This would interest children and get them up and moving, as well as giving them a hands on learning experience.

I also enjoyed the ARHouse app.  You could choose different parts of the building to see the different views.  If I chose the top of the building, I could see down below.  If I chose the outside of the building, I could see the landscape and everything outside the building.  It was like you were really there at the building looking at everything in and around that building.  This would be good for a 3rd or 4th grade classroom studying science or even math.  The teacher could use this app to show how math and science is used in construction.  The builders have to know how to put things together as well as have formulas and use numbers to make sure everything is the right length and comes together exactly how it is suppose to.  The teacher could use this app as an example for either of these types of lessons.

My two favorite targeted apps were GWR 2015 and Quiver.  In GWR 2015, you were required to have the book as well as the app.  Once the app was downloaded, you would point the iPad to the specific places it had on the book for the app.  For example, the cover had one and if you pointed the iPad towards it, it was like the book came alive and a huge hand came out of the cover trying to grab you.  Throughout the book different pages had the symbol for the iPad, which made things on that page seem to "come alive."  This app would be a great tool for 2nd grade on up.  The students could be looking and reading this book maybe in a reading time or some designated free time.  The student could feel like he/she was inside and connected to the book with this app.  World records have always interested me, and I believe students would love this app.

I also thought Quiver was a very interesting app.  Quiver has many different coloring sheets a teacher could print off and then the students choose which sheet interests them most and colors it.  Once the sheet is colored, point the iPad towards the sheet and the objects on the sheet come alive.  I chose the Bunny with the robots in the background.  My bunny came alive and was being attacked at the robots.  She was then able to throw carrots at them to defeat them.  I believe this app would be good for students in grades K-2nd.  Coloring practices fine motor skills, and this is an important skill children this age are developing.  The students would also have a result for coloring their page.  They would get to use the app to interact with their coloring page.

I enjoyed using all of these apps related to Augmented Reality.  It was interesting to "place" ourselves inside these apps.