The Amazing Spider-man AR

I have been playing around with augmented reality for a few months.      We are at the beginning of AR possibilities and future developments will be exciting.  As much fun as I have had with it, I have wondered how it could be used in the classroom.

While at the Slide2Learn conference in July, I attended a workshop on AR facilitated by Nathan Jones.  Jones talked about how he uses AR in the classroom with his students.  Using AR to spark ideas for story-writing was one of the ideas he shared.

The Amazing Spider-man AR is a great app for Spiderman lovers.   By downloading the free app from the App store, and printing the series of free markers from the site, users can shoot spiderman's web, swing across buildings, capture baddies and climb brick walls.  Lots of ideas for story starters here.  I can see that reluctant writers could be drawn in to story writing this way.

The iPad as a Tool for Education

Longfield Academy in the UK have implemented an iPad programme. This report, published by Naace in July 2012, outlines how the iPads have been used for teaching and learning in the two terms since the programme started.

 The Executive summary is as follows:

"This study, one of the most extensive yet regarding the use of tablet devices finds that with the majority of pupils at the school now having iPads there has been a significant and very positive impact on learning together with further significant and still developing changes in pedagogy. In particular it was found that:

• The overwhelming majority of teachers regularly use iPads in their teaching
  
• iPad use is particularly strong in English, Maths and Science
  
• There is high demand from students for iPad use to be extended further
  
• Teachers have identified significant benefits for their workload and have also
  identified cost savings
  
• Use of the iPads is increasingly being developed for homework and beyond
  school activities
  
• Students are more motivated when using iPads
  
• The quality and standard of pupil work and progress is rising
  
• Both staff and student feel they can work more effectively with iPads
  
• Levels of collaborative working have improved
  
• Appropriate use of Apps aids learning
  
• All find the iPad easy to use
  
• Minor technical issues have arisen, often due to user error, but are readily dealt
  with
  
• Effective project management has been critical to the success of this development.
  The outcomes at Longfield clearly demonstrate the value of the iPad as an educational tool and the role that it can play in learning and teaching." (p. 4)