Using AR/VR and Combing it with TInkercad and Icograms

We are continuing to work with our junior school students who have been developing for the first time with Tinkercad.   Students who are able to use the creative process typically are working from two fronts.   The first are the prints that make it from the concept stage forward into the creation.

The second significant portion of prints are ones such as shown left.   In these examples students are creating for the first time - however our experience as teacher shows us that while the creation process can be exciting the reality is that some of these designs can work as concepts but not actual prints.  For instance the design shown left was made by a young (Y3) student using Tinkercad.  The design was something that she was very excited to create, however aspects like the pins in the head of the students meant that it would not practical to print it.

By using the VR/AR aspect of Tinkercad the student was able to take her design and then use it to place her creation at a number of locations around the school.   The student was then able to write about these examples.   This has led us to a discussion about the creating designs and then using the design by testing it such as putting it in place (the student who is designing ear rings could AR/VR them into place so they could see how the design looks).   

This allows the student to have a practical experience using the AP and while the student cannot follow with a 3D print for the project it still has an active use.  Another aspect to consider is how filters might be applied to creative projects such as the one above.

An instance of this would be using iPads with the Pic Collage App.   A recent addition to this app has been the 'Magic Cam'.   This filer can be applied to any media and then AR/VR the result to change the image.

An example of this can be shown with the use of the Icograms 3D map maker.   In this example (shown left) the student in the classroom has used Icograms to create a farming scene.   Our school is a very rural based school and there are students here with predominantly farming backgrounds.  Icograms has an American-esq theme to its farming options.   

The student who is Y3 was able to create this map within a relatively short time frame, further time could have been spent sizing up all of the aspects of the farming scene (so for instance the cows should be close to the horse and the farmer similar.  In this example as well the student has not completed the floor plan for the grass as there are considerable areas of white on display.

However as an example this student then took a screen shot of the design, and decided to put it into the Pic Collage Magic Camera Filter.

The filter applied left is the Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom) filter.  In this the students original design has a series of changes automatically made (the creative duration is usually under ten seconds).  

This filer from the basic version of the App is one of a series that have recently been available.   There is an additional watercolour and Christmas variation.   There are also a multitude of further variations that are available for users of the APP who upgrade.

In our classroom the students have the ability to use their iPads create using Tinkercad and then apply the filter to media that they have created (it also has the ability to use the filter on photographs that they have take or have already on their camera roll).

The process to alter the photographs usually takes seconds to add details and create an engaging experience for the students.