Augmented Reality
During my reading for this week, one of the questions that frequently cropped up in my mind is “Is Augmented Reality necessary?” Many of the readings talked about AR in a fairly abstract sense, claiming that AR will engage your students, motivate them, etc. but failed to convince me that the tools were there to put to great use. On the other hand, when shown video of AR tools available, some look very, very interesting and engaging. But back to my question, is AR necessary? In looking at some of the tools, I’m still wondering if AR is necessary to deliver essentially the same product. It appears in some cases to be using items like flash cards of blocks in the real world as a trigger for what might otherwise be video or virtual reality. With all that in mind, as an educator, if the tool has already been created, using it would in fact be very useful in the classroom for engagement, motivation, differentiation, individualization, etc. As a PE instructor, I was especially interested in the AR tool that turned gym class into a real life video game, where students threw balls at shapes projected on the walls. I can imagine plenty of possibilities using just this concept. I also have some experience with AR and VR welding, and can see lots of possibilities with these tools. With AR welding, it is a great demonstration tool, and can be used to help get students interested in actually taking a class. It can also be used as a pre-requisite to actual welding, where students must get to a certain skill level before going into the real welding lab. Programs can save money on materials by teaching students with AR first. From an classroom teacher’s perspective, the question “is AR necessary” doesn’t really need an answer. The tools have been created with AR, so take advantage of them and give your students the opportunity to participate in more interesting and engaging activities.
Computational Thinking
Should every student learn to code? There was a lot to digest from this week’s readings. Some things that really stood out for me were that not every student is going to be a computer programmer or software engineer, do we really need to add one more thing to the curriculum when our teachers are vastly overworked and schools are underfunded, and are we just doing the bidding of the big tech companies? So, with that in mind, should every student learn to code? I think the answer to that is yes, for several reasons. First, practically, all companies today are tech companies to some degree. Everyone has an app, and most likely a tech department – or outsources their tech to another company. We would be doing a disservice to students to NOT teach them with and about technology. More and more jobs REQUIRE some technological expertise, so the more our students are exposed to the better. Our students need more experience with data as well. In more general or abstract terms however, there are some global benefits to teaching students to code, and not all “coding” lessons require coding or even a digital device. Teaching students to code helps students learn to break down tasks or problems into parts, and process in a logical step by step way, which is beneficial across many disciplines. Teachers in fact have taught this in other ways for years. I remember doing a writing assignment on step-by-step instructions for doing something like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Of course, educators will need help in navigating HOW to teach students to code, which brings me back to my favorite subject, professional development. The United States MUST begin to value education in the way countries like Finland to, where we pay educators more and make them work less. We should be spending less time in front of students, and more time exploring, learning, practicing, collaborating, and planning so that the time in front of students is of a higher quality. To do this, students don’t need to spend less time in front of teachers, we will just need to hire more!
Eric Minore MALDT 