Diary of a Techie Chick: April 2014

GTA 2014 ....

Today I took a step closer to becoming a Google Certified Trainer. I submitted my application to be considered to become a Google Certified Teacher and attend the Google Teacher Academy this summer. Over spring break I passed the tests and became a Google Educator.

Part of the application process is creating a 1 minute video showing how you innovate in the classroom or educational community to generate a positive change. Using some of my iMovie skills and pictures I had of my students working with a variety of tools I created the following 1 minute video clip. In the pictures you will see my students seeing a different reality via Augmented Reality, creating Green-Screen projects, and using a variety of Google Tools including Google Draw for illustrating. My favorite pictures are they ones of students using Google Glass. That tools has really blown the minds of my students.

I like to think that I inspire others to think outside the box, see a different kind of reality, to look beyond what they know, and to create something original. I hope this video shows that. It is really hard to put everything you want to say in only 1 minute. I wanted to add all the conferences and Edcamps I have attended as well as presented at and the many ways I connect and share Google Apps with educators. I think I would have needed 5 minutes just for that alone.

Playing with Glass....

My 6th grade students had a chance to sit down and experiment using Google Glass this week along with some Augmented Reality objects. I did a little demonstration on how to use Glass and the Augmented Reality objects my students' reactions were priceless. All of them wanted to try it for themselves and several wanted to know how it all worked.

For the Augmented Reality trigger objects we used Daqri's 4D Elements. I was able to purchase the wooden blocks from their Kickstarter campaign. Students wore Glass and captured their experience of watching these wooden blocks transform right before their eyes. They tried to see how many blocks when put together created a new element.

Recorded with Google Glass

My students would really love to see Google Glass and Daqri partner up and be able to see the augmented reality through Glass without the use of the iPad. After my students explored the 4D Elements cubes I gave them each a printout of one of the blocks. My students were ecstatic and put their block together.

Resources:

Tech Fun with Mrs. Wilson's Classes...

Technology in the classroom in general is a passion of mine. I love learning new techie tools and finding ways to use them in the classroom. Augmented Reality is quickly becoming a huge part of my passion and I love sharing it with others. I invited some of our younger students in our district to spend some time with my middle school students. We colored coloring pages from colAR and Chromville. After the kids had finished coloring their pages my students helped them scan their pages using the apps on their student iPads. The reactions of the little guys when their coloring pages came to life was priceless.

While the kids were busy coloring I went around with Google Glass and let the little guys try them out. We did learn that one size does not fit all when it comes to Google Glass. The pre-schoolers little heads were too small to keep the Glass active. It didn't matter though, the kids enjoyed posing for a picture modeling the cool glasses. I did use Glass to capture some images and video clips. My students tried to also capture video clips using Glass. We are still learning how to operate them so some of the video clips and pictures didn't turn out like we thought they should.

Daqri's Elements 4D Cubes

I also have Daqri's Elements 4D cubes. When the little guys where done coloring they had a chance to play around with the cubes. I kept hearing that it was like magic that those wooden blocks just changed changed.

I plan on having more younger students join my middle school students for more tech fun before school is let out for the summer. My students also had to color the pages just to see what fun things happened when the pages were scanned. I now keep a 3 ring binder with pocket dividers full of all of the Augmented Reality coloring pages.

Recorded with Google Glass.