This is Part III in a three part blog post which shares the work of my student generated APP-smashes in my Forensics classes.
All APP-smashes should begin with the learning goal, objective, or target: in the case of this project the learning objective was…
SWBAT synthesize essential questions and enduring understandings of the forensics class in the first marking period.
SWBAT create an APP-smash presentation that shows their favorite aspects of the forensics course content
APP-Smash
Then after the learning goal is established the students brainstorm what apps they can use to make their thinking visible. This particular group really likes the way that we use Augmented Reality in our learning space. So they were really ambitious and decided to use LAYAR and iPhoto and Pages for their APP-smash.
New Definition — Hybrid APP-Smash — I have coined the catch phrase hybrid appsmash. I do this because the students used their iPads but they also had to use the LAYAR application on the Mac Book Air to create the Augmented Reality. A purebred APP-smash would be made on the iPad a hybrid app smash is made on the computer and the iPad.
MI
The girls who made this multi-layered AR trigger in LAYAR were both strong visuals learners. What was really nice about this app-smash is that students who were the app-smash judges were strong visual learners so they were pulled into this experience. Too often when student to a presentation the class sits there passively not learning anything. However, not with AR — those student judges were up out of their seats and fully engaged in the AR/appsmash.
SAMR
After an APP-smash I like to use the SAMR model as a means of reflection. One AR trigger linked to pages app where students had to write down what they learned, another AR trigger linked to a movie about the fingerprint trigger on the new iPhone. Another AR trigger was a sliding fingerprint image gallery. Whether my students were the people who created the APP-smash AR or were the students who were judging the contest and actively engaged in scanning the various triggers the activity painted a vivid picture of a 21st century learning environment that has been invigorated and redefined by the use of technology.
mrspepedotcom 