Three Village Central School District STEM teachers, fourth-grade teacher Abby O’Leary, second-grade teacher Eileen Cole and their students were recently introduced to augmented reality through a visit with the 3D Bear Company.

Augmented reality allows viewers to layer computer-generated enhancements on top of existing reality. The students were able to use their own creativity to make their learning more meaningful when given the chance to create, interact and design what they learned on iPads. In order to create in augmented reality, students were involved in research, brainstorming and design, and then had a chance to present their creations. Mrs. O’Leary’s fourth-graders recreated scenes from a book they read in class, “The Tiger Rising,” by Kate DiCamillo. Mrs. Cole’s class conducted research related to dinosaurs and created scenes that showed what they learned, including a particular dinosaur’s habitat, diet and other interesting facts. 

The lesson also included a brief introduction to 3D printing, as often the designs created in augmented reality are later “brought to life” on a 3D printer.