VR and AR - ARGH - Module 13 - November 20

 Well, I guess the title gives it away that I am pretty frustrated at trying to find an AR or VR resource to write about.  I was really excited about using Quiver since my students love to color but met with a lot of frustration getting it to work.  I was pretty much left with this red photo that did not come to life as advertised!  I am still working on it, but at the time of this publishing, I had not yet achieved success.  

photo of the Quiver app Life Cycle of the Butterfly.
Photo from Quiver's free collection (California State Parks)

The app indicates that you can download and print coloring sheets to color - no special crayons or pens are needed.  Then using the mobile app, scan the photo and watch it come to life in various ways that help you teach and connect to your classroom or library.  For me, it just never came to life!  But if you would like to try, go to Quiver!  I hope if you have success, you will teach me!

Watching the demo video on the Quiver site had me really excited thinking I could work the coloring sheets into life in the library very easily.  Every time I have had any exposure to AR or VR I get excited, but I have just never seen it actually play a consistent role in any K-12 classroom.  I am fully aware, however, of what a success other industries have had in using VR.  I loved the links in the class module that reminded me of Pokemon Summer and obviously that has been a very successful venture for the Nintendo company.  Airplane pilots train using simulators and welders are able to learn their trade using simulators.  But as of yet, I have not seen it used consistently in K-12 public education.  Perhaps private, charter, or online schools use it more successfully.  

About five years ago - maybe more, I was invited to Midlands Technical College to see a demonstration of Google Glass and Google Oculus.  I will never forget wearing the device and absolutely knowing I was in a room at Midlands Tech, but virtually experiencing being on a rooftop of a tall building where I was supposed to jump about two feet to the top of another tall building.  I absolutely could not make myself jump.  This video makes me laugh because at least I saved myself this embarrassment!  When I experienced being on these buildings and being in the ocean, I thought this was it!  The next big thing in education, but it just hasn't become all that prevalent.  Students may get an experience with it once or twice, but how are we really using it?  

Two tall buildings
Photo from Pixabay

Labster looks very promising for learning from what I saw in the demo videos, but it is still just staring at a computer instead of the fully immersive experience that I believe is possible.  That is how I felt about RoundMe - great panoramic video/photo experience, but still just looking - not experiencing.  Essentially taking Google Earth in a slightly different direction.  

How are you using VR or AR in your school on a consistent basis? I would really like to know where I could visit a school that is doing it right in an affordable, sustainable way.