What I Learned At My First PLAYDATE

I spent the morning at PLAYDATE at TIES today.

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What is a PLAYDATE?

"PLAYDATE (People Learning and Asking ‘Y,” Digital Age Technology Exploration) is a space for us to come together and collaboratively explore these tools we’ve always wanted to learn more about. Modeled after an unconference or an EdCamp, the sessions will be participant-driven, exploration-based, and hands on."

This video helps explain what PLAYDATE is about:

Another blog entry coming soon with my learning from today, but overall I took away a few key ideas about what makes a PLAYDATE event successful:

1. Like an EdCamp, sessions are proposed and led by participants based on the interests of the group. 

2. Sessions are all about having a discussion, playing with the tool, device, software, etc., and trying things out. 

3. Time to just explore with no pressure is invaluable to thinking about how new technologies, devices, software, ideas fit it with curriculum and instructional practices. 

4. Having the new devices available allows you to explore and play without the pressure of having to vouch for the value-added component of something before you have even had a chance to try it out.  

5. People are key. Having knowledgable people who have tried things, devices, software to some extent already is critical. Being able to tap into their knowledge prevents you from floundering and losing out on the value of exploration with devices or software that have a lot of bells and whistles to figure out.

I give today a giant thumbs up and look forward to the next opportunity to play and learn.

Augmented Reality

Is augmented reality the next big thing in the educational world?

Aurasma has been available for about three and a half years now and although I had not heard of Daqri until this past summer, it has been in existence for about the same amount of time as well. Lately, these two apps have been getting a lot of mention on Twitter and YouTube, and I'm wondering if augmented reality might finally be making its way into the mainstream educational world along with 3D printers.

Through some behind the scenes work by Brad Gustafson (@gustafsonbrad on Twitter) of the Minnesota Educators on Voxer, a series of short videos on the value of being Connected Educators submitted by members of the group were edited together and the resulting video was linked to aura that triggers the video through the Aurasma and Daqri apps.

If you have Aurasma, scan the picture of the front of the Voxer group t-shirt and follow Greenwood Elementary's channel to watch the video.

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If you have Daqri scan the picture of the state of Minnesota icon to watch the video.

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Click here to play the video if you do not have one of the apps and cannot see the video embedded below.