Calling all Science Teachers!

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Camaal

Concept art for an interactive card game that combines chemistry and augmented reality technology

I’ve had an idea to combine Augmented Reality (AR) and education for a while. I specifically wanted to use it to create an interactive game to help students understand the relevance of the periodic table of elements. I’m not the best at chemistry and making compounds, but I remember having to memorize the table in the back of my Science book. It was no fun.

I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing teachers over the last six months and they all seem concerned about finding ways to keep their students engaged. What if you could create an interactive card game that used of audio, video, and 3D models to teach middle school students the basics of each element and how they interact using augmented reality?

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

What is a Teacher?

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Camaal

That's me at the desk with my classroom in the background.

For the past 6 months I have had the honor of working in Full Sail University’s Education Media Design & Technology Masters of Science program as an Associate Course Director. I’ve been busy and left my blog unattended as you can see. I never really thought I had much to say, but I would like to reflect on one thing today.

What is a teacher?
A desk sits in front of a class
Posters on the wall
Notes on a chalkboard
Desks are neatly arranged
A few papers on the floor
Books on the shelf
Someone enters the room before the students arrive
Erases the notes from the previous day
Opens the blinds
“Let there be light.”
Plays a little music the make sure the atmosphere is right
The clock ticks in front of the room
The teacher stands by to door
The sound of footsteps roar down the halls
One by one
A student enters the door to their four walls
Takes a seat
The teacher turns and says “Hello”
What’s in store?
A teacher helps a student explore why they continue to stepping through that door
Intrinsic motivation.

My experience over the last 6 months has helped me to see the teacher in me.
In my heart of hearts I want to help someone see themselves as GOD created them to be. I believe we are all born with an idea of what that is, but teachers help us take the risk. The best one’s you never forget.

No matter how much technology may advance, teachers still spend countless hours to prepare and set the learning atmosphere. Late nights are spent grading and giving feedback so their email says “Hello”. Planting seeds to help them grow. Hours are spent trying something new so the students can see a different approach to something they think they knew how to do. A teacher’s passion never changes. The light of a student who begins to believe in their potential and ideas shines as bright as it did centuries ago.

You can never replace the teacher’s role in inspiring intrinsic motivation.

My Summer at the Library

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Camaal

For the past few months I have had the privileged to work Auburn Avenue Research Library, Kennesaw State University, and Grady High School to produce interactive content for Google Earth. The idea originally spawned from research on the educational uses of augmented reality(AR) at Full Sail University. Unfortunately, we did not have the funding needed to truly reproduce an authentic AR experience, but it only inspired more creativity. Over the summer, the students have learned how to conduct research and publish multimedia for within a geo-browser.

Morris has been a true partner by helping turn this idea into a reality. He works at the library and has always extended a hand to ensure the students had everything they need to build their research skills. Did I mention that this it not within his job description? Deborah is a student at Grady High School with aspirations of becoming a journalist who knows how to ask the right questions. Queen is also a student, but she wants to become a marketing and communications expert with her hand on the pulse of the community. Marius is an upcoming designer that has a natural talent for adding the “wow” factor to any presentation.

A few months ago, I did not know any of these people but now we have formed an alliance and produced something that is truly amazing. This is only the beginning, and we are determined to bring AR to Auburn Avenue.

Revolutionizing Education at Full Sail University

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Camaal

ZD YouTube FLV Player

Presented August 6, 2010 at Full Sail University’s Education Media Design and Technology Advisory Board Meeting.

3D Problem Solving

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Camaal

Google SketchUp is a free modeling program that I recommend everyone try at least once. It was easy to get started modeling and the interface was very simple. My wife and I were looking to furnish our apartment, but did not know how much space we had to work with. I downloaded the floor plan from the website and began modeling it in 3D.

Google SketchUp allowed me to determine the approximate square footage of each wall and floor down to fractions of an inch. Taking this approach also allowed me to see where the floor plan was changed from the original architectural design. For example, the cable line was supposed to run on the opposite wall in the living room, which changed the entire layout.

Nevertheless, having tools like this has proven to be invaluable. Google SketchUp provided a new way to communicate and analyze my ideas. If you are really into 3D modeling, I also suggest you check out Autodesk.com.