Augmented Reality in the classroom

Augmented reality in the classroom! First of all do you know what augmented reality is? Have you ever heard of it? Have you ever thought of using it in your classroom?

Let’s begin with what augmented reality is! It is simply the combination of the real world and the virtual (computer generated) . If it is done correctly you can not tell the difference. Augmented reality is also known and referred to as AR.

What is the importance of iAR?  AR allows our students to interact with the subject. It enhances their experience by giving them the opportunity to interact with what they are learning about. It makes learning fun! 

Why should we use AR in  our classroom? AR enhances their experience! Their interaction with the subject is hands on  and it makes the students want to explore and learn. 

One site that I love to use with my firsties is quiver  just go to their website. This provide coloring sheets that they are able to make come to life with AR. I use this site on Dot Day! Please check out their pictures below! 

Aren’t these amazing! Quiver has a variety of sheets for you to use just download their app and you are all set. 

How do I get AR? There are so many apps for you to download on your smartphone or devices to bring AR into the classroom! You can also buy products that are AR oriented. 

There is the merge cube by Microsoft that you can purchases for 19.99 and then download and purchase apps to use with it. 

How cube works is you download the cube apps to your device. Point your device at the cube. Watch the cube transform to whatever it is you are learning about! 

It is truly amazing!

Another AR app that is awesome is frogipedia. This is a lid app. It costs 3.99. But you are able to do virtual dissections. See the life cycle of the frog up close and personal. Watch tadpoles swim and learn about frogs! 

World brush is another app that allows you to interact with the real world around you.it allows you to paint whatever you see. What you add becomes 3D! 

There are so many AR opportunities out there! I hope you try some and I hope you share them with me when you do!! 

Dot Day

I have so much to blog about and I am so behind! I am sorry y’all! Life got in the way!!

I absolutely love the book, The Dot! I would read this to my kids every day if I could!

For those of you who do not know this book, it is a must have for your classroom! This book is about a young girl who says she can not draw. Her name is Vashti. Her art teacher has her just make a dot and sign her name! When she comes to art class the next week, there is her dot framed in a beautiful gold frame. Vashti says to herself, I can make a better dot then that! And soon she is making dots of all colors and sizes. The art show exhibits her beautiful work of art and then she gets to help a little boy who says he can’t draw a straight line! 

This book is amazing and is a great tool to teach your children about growth mindset! 

September 15ish is Dot Day! Classrooms all over the world are now celebrating this magnificent book! There are so many different activities that you can do! 

I love having my kids make their own dots using Kwik Stix Paint Sticks!!! These are amazing! They look like glue sticks but they are paint! They dry in 90 seconds and you do not need water!!!!!! It is a teachers dream tool!!! You can get these at Target or you can order them on amazon!!  Click picture for amazon link! 

Here are some of our dots!!!!

I also love to take their pictures on these special days so I set up a small area and get some props! I have them wear a painting apron, hold a paint brush and a sign that says dot day! They stand in front of a dot background!! Here are a few of my pictures!

There is an amazing song that my kids every year love to listen to! It has motions!!! My kids beg to listen to this all year after they hear it on Dot Day! 

Here are the words and the song from YouTube is embedded below! 

I have created a small dot day product! You can find it on my tpt store! Below are some pages from it. Click on the first picture for the link! 

And of course we must end the day with cool dot sunglasses!!! 

Dot Day!

Have you heard about Dot Day??? Have you read the book, The Dot written by Peter Reynolds?

If the answer is yes, then you will understand my passion and love for this day and book! If your answer is no, then read on and you will definitely see by the end of the post!!!!

Dot Day is a day to celebrate Growth Mindset! It is a day where creativity and the I can or the Power of Yet takes center stage! It is a day where your children will learn the most powerful lesson of all, Yes I can do it! All it takes is a little growth Mindset and the power of Yet!!!!!

Oriental Trading and their new site, Learn365 have so many amazing products to help bring this day alive in your classrooms!! First they have awesome decorations for this day! From polka dotted tablecloths to hanging dots to a polka dotted background for your photo shoot!! The melonheadz kids in the photo area are from her create set!!

Dot day is such an inspiring day for them to be creative! I love how they decorated their dots! We will be hanging these on the ceiling so when they begin to get that I can't feeling they can look up at their dot and remember that it is I can't do it yet!!

Of course we had to do the coloring of the coffee filter and then spraying it with water so they can see their dot spread! Just like vashti saw her dot spread! They loved this!! The excitement was awesome!

I love SitSpots!!! This is one of the best products I have ever used!! This year what better item to use to help them spread the power of yet and growth mindset but these amazing circle sit spots! So not only are they great for marking the carpet for sitting spaces but they are also great for dot day and spreading the knowledge of growth mindset and the power of yet! Check out their dots using sit spots! 

What can you create with just a dot! Using these paint markers from Learn365, my kids were able to create so many things! Check them out!

I used my Dot Day unit which you can click on the photo below and get it from my teachers pay teachers store!

The kids loved this unit! 

Fablevision has a lot of resources also! They have free posters and certificates for you to print off! I had my students hold one of the posters in their photos and they all received a certificate at the end of the day! 

I found the old fashioned candy buttons at a candy store in Lancaster so I thought they would be a fun addition to our unit! 

And to end the day my kids all got some cool polka dotted sunglasses I got from oriental trading! They loved this day!

Oriental Trading and Learn365 did not pay me for my opinions! I was given the products in return for my own honest thoughts and opinions, my opinions are my own and are not influenced by Oriental Trading in any way!