AR

Augmented reality is different from virtual reality in one key way - it incorporates the technology into the existing environment.  The best example and probably the most famous is Pokemon Go, where people were "catching" Pokemons with their phones and on a map, it said there were Pokemon all around the city, but they really just used the app and the phone's location to simulate this environment.

Teachers are beginning to use augmented reality in the classroom to further allow students to simulate and explore 3D models, whether they are of the solar system, the skull, or an aquarium.  Some great resources for this purpose include the Merge Cube and the CoSpaces app.


The Merge Cube is an inexpensive foam block that can be purchased on Amazon.  I also found this printable one here.  I have one as well so if you are interested in using it, just let me know.



For further reading, check out this article with apps that can be used with the Merge Cube for AR and VR.

Google Tips and Tricks

Just a short post for a few features you may not be aware of in Google Drive.

1. Create a new tab and type docs.new, slides.new, sheet.new or form.new to create a new one of those items.



2. Use the "Print Setting and Preview" to hide backgrounds in Google slides prints, print with notes, or choose how many slides per page to print.





3. Under "View", choose "Master" and then you can edit the master copies of all slide types so it will have a consistent style and color each time you create a new slide.


4. Use slidescarnival.com and choose a slideshow you like.  Then choose to use it as Google Slides, make a copy of it and then you can edit it for a pre-made beautiful design that goes beyond what's available in Google Slides.