Pokemon Go's Technology is Not Revolutionary, Educators have been using it for years

Pokemon Go was released this summer (2016) and the app has captivated the world. I have often heard from family, friends, and work colleagues how they have not seen anything quite like it before. However, having my educational technology background, this was nothing new to me.

Pokemon Go uses Augmented Reality to create an interactive experience in the real world. Using a mobile device's camera and GPS services, the device can show Pokemon and the user can interact with them (and other users).

What is Augmented Reality?

According to Wikipedia.org, Augmented Reality is "a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view."

Augmented reality apps have been prominent in education since the rise of popularity with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Educators use augmented reality apps to turn otherwise static learning experiences into interactive learning experiences. See this example below.

Augmented Reality Examples (2010 - 6 Years before Pokemon Go)

QR codes can offer a similar experience, although this does differ in some ways as QR codes stand out from real world objects.

Using QR Codes in the Classroom (February 2013) - 3 years before Pokemon Go

Even though this is not a new revolutionary technology, what Nintendo has done with this technology is quite revolutionary. This can also be seen in some of Nintendo's other projects, as the Nintendo Wii was not a technological powerhouse, but they added a revolutionary play style with the Wii Remote that got gamers off of the couch. As educators we should strive to be creative to find ways to use technology in an enjoyable and meaningful ways.

Comments

What Comes First, Education or Technology?

http://www.ictineducation.org/home-page/2016/2/24/what-comes-first-education-or-technology This is a good article about putting education technology in perspective. "What has happened is that the existence of the technology has enabled you to reconsider some of your teaching methods." Technology has sparked a critical change in education. When integrating technology in education, for the most part of the 20th century, the focus was on adding technology to already existing teaching practices. “I want to get people to start from the notion that there are educational things that they want to do, or educational processes that they would like to engage with, and then - and only then - talk about the technology.”— The death of the digital native... Technology is inspiring us to change what we are doing in our classrooms and how students are learning. Here is an example of how technology can inspire a change in teaching practice: 1990s Tech Example: VCR usa...

3 Tips for Classroom Discussion Backchannels: Class Tech Tips

A backchannel is a space where students can post questions, respond to prompts and participate in a discussion without raising their hand. You might set up a backchannel for students using the free tool Today’s Meet or have older students set up a Twitter account and tweet using a shared hashtag for a virtual class discussion. If you haven’t used backchannels before you may want to check out this post for a quick overview. So what does this have to do with BrainPOP? BrainPOP is a favorite resource for helping students dive into a range of topics. Read more on the link below. http://www.techlearning.com/blogentry/12230

8 Google Sheets Add-ons Teachers Need!

Google sheets is a very powerful, although a bit basic when compared with the industry standard Microsoft Excel. Google Sheets Add-ons add some of the advanced features of other spreadsheet programs into Sheets. These add-ons have allowed me to completely move away from Excel for all data entry. We ...selected for you the 8 most popular applications there. Using these add-ons will enable you to: Create graphs and forms and write complex math in your sheets Create and modify a planning schedule for project management in a spreadsheet; easily scaffold, manage and assess students projects in Google Drive ...see the article below for more http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2017/07/8-google-sheets-add-ons-every-teacher.html

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