Augmented Reality Apps

I have to be honest here. I have only begun exploring these apps, but we have had some fun and fostered some creative thinking with them this past year. I thought the augmented reality apps were mind blowing at first, but after the initial excitement I wasn't sure how to implement them in ways that justified their continued use in the classroom. Having the intention to be rather finished with them, we found new and exciting ways to integrate them in a manner that would augment our curriculum. I also have to give a shout out to Two Guys and Some iPads for the resources that they share on their website and through their weekly web shows, which you can watch live. Their site is your one-stop-shop for using augmented reality in the classroom.

Aurasma (free) is an app that lets you create an interactive experience that viewers experience by using the app to scan an image. The experiences, which are called auras, can be photos, movies, audio, or whatever you can dream up, and are able to be created within the app itself. You do need to create an account, but that is free. Create a class account, have the kids make auras for artwork, school work, self portraits, and more. Then make sure parents have the app on their phones when they come to back to school night or open house... They'll be amazed. Aurasma's website has more information, examples, and all the help you'll need to get started. Here is a cheat sheet from Two Guys and some iPads for getting you started with the app.

ColAR (free) is an app that allows the user to turn a coloring page into a 3D experience. Visit the website for coloring pages, some are free, but others may cost you. When I used it with my first graders I told them I had something that would blow their minds, and BLAM! They loved it. I later heard from a parent who said her child let her know that "our brains were splattered everywhere." If you celebrate Dot Day, and "make your mark" on the world, there is a dot coloring page. The kids had WAY more creativity with this than I ever could have come up with myself. I later used the same page for students to create an image of the planet they researched, as part of their solar system science unit. I then took photos of them holding their virtual planet.

AR Flashcards (free) With this app, you print out the letter and dinosaur flash cards from the website. When you hover the iPad over the printout of the letter, called a trigger image, an animal pops up and comes to life while a child's voice says the name of the letter. There isn't much more to the app than that, but what a fun way to help with learning your ABCs.

AR Flashcards Space ($2.99) This app is just like the alphabet app, but the trigger images you print out from the website bring up planets in the solar system. Tap the icon and a child's voice will tell you all about the planet which you are viewing.

With Anatomy 4D (free) just print out the body trigger image from the website and you can see different systems of the body, such as muscular, skeletal, reproductive, digestive, and nervous. Word of warning, the images are anatomically correct so only use this with students mature enough to handle the content. This app is created by Daqri, which also has a web based AR creation tool, that does not require coding, for those of you who are ready for something more.

With Chromville (free) kids can somewhat create their own video game. Print out the coloring pages from the website and they will be used for the virtual world of the game itself. I'm still in the process of exploring this one, but I've heard so many good reviews that I had to include it here.

123D Make Intro (free) lets you turn 3D models into 2D build plans which you can design and see on the iPad, then create in real life from plans that you print out. I love when technology and hands on come together for something synergistic. Visit the Autodesk website where you can read about their other apps 123D Creature and 123D Sculpt, among others. There is also a version for your Mac or PC (also free) as well as 123D Design for the iPad that is compatible with 3D printers. Since we don't have access to a 3D printer (yet, but I see it in my future) I haven't actually used it for that, so for those of you who do, let us hear about it.