![]()
Finding new and exciting ways to bring the joy of learning into the classroom is my passion. There is nothing better than seeing the sparkle in a students eyes when learning becomes magical. Recently I discovered a digital tool called 3DBear and my eyes sparkled as I marveled at all of the incredible ways that this Augmented Reality app could bring magic into classroom learning! It’s awesome!! In fact, you should check it out for yourself. The app costs $9.99 a month for a classroom subscription, and you can get a free 30-day trial by clicking HERE!!
Anytime I learn about a new digital tool, I think about how it could be brought into the gamified classroom. Over the past five years, I have layered story and game mechanics into my classes to create a gamified classroom experience for my students. I have witnessed the transformative power of gamification and play and the immersive and empowering learning experiences it can create. 3DBear is an Augmented Reality application that weaves beautifully with a gamified classroom environment. Let me share a variety of ways that you could integrate this amazing digital tool with gamification!
This quick tutorial video that shows the basics!
TEAM PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
Building trust and a sense of “family” is essential in my team-based gamified classroom. Providing experiences where students can bond and learn about each other’s passions and unique abilities is critical to a positive and memorable beginning. When students create team promotional videos within 3DBear, it is a fantastic way for teams to get to know each other. You can try this, too. Have each team create a video introducing their team to the class. Using the 3D letter models, teams will spell their team name. Each team member will select a 3D avatar that best represents them. Using the video feature they will introduce themselves, sharing something that they are passionate about and a unique skill or personality trait they bring to the team. These videos can be either shared with the teacher through an LMS or mirrored directly to the screen through the device. The characters they create can be used in other projects throughout the year.
SECRET MESSAGES
I love bringing a little mystery into the classroom to pique students’ curiosity. Creating a classroom character within 3DBear is a fantastic way to reveal special quests and challenges.
SCAVENGER HUNTS
Building onto the idea of secret messages, 3DBear would be an awesome way to create classroom scavenger hunts! Here are a few ways to do it! Scavenger Hunt Using a Google Form
Here's a video on how to create a 3DBear scavenger hunt in Google forms!
SIDE QUESTS
The opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know in a creative way are endless in the gamified classroom and 3DBear allows students to take their creations to a new level. In my classroom, students have opportunities to accept a Side Quest to demonstrate their understanding of the essential questions in the unit. The Side Quests are optional. However, if they complete them they earn Experience Points (XP) that help them “level up” in the game. 3DBear is an awesome option for a Side Quest. Using 3DBear, students can create in a variety of ways using varying backgrounds and models to demonstrate their learning, similar to what they would if they were building a diorama but in Augmented Reality. In addition, they can bring in models through other applications like Thingiverse truly making the opportunities for creation limitless. Students could also create videos or photos within 3DBear and then bring those creations into other apps to smash their creations together. So many possibilities! 3DBear is an extraordinary Augmented Reality application that can add magic to any classroom environment through amplified collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking! I know I have just touched the surface of ways that 3DBear can be integrated into the gamified classroom. I can’t wait to continue exploring the possibilities with 3DBear and Augmented Reality!
0 Comments
![]() My husband and I hit the road 2 ½ hours before the sun arose this morning with coffee in hand to attend the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute competition in Coos Bay, Oregon where three of my former students were competing. This event had been on my calendar for months and there was no way I would miss it. These students had been in the culinary program at South Medford for three years and this would be their final competition in high school. All the skills they’d learned so far lead up to this moment. When I left the classroom to be our district’s Tech Integration Specialist this School year, I knew it would be magical moments like these that I’d miss most. All of my student’s hard work culminated into authentic experiences where they have the opportunity to challenge themselves beyond what they think they are capable of; shining for the world to see. Today was most definitely a magical moment and I was so overjoyed I was invited to be a part of it. As I watched my former students with incredible pride, I thought about all the skills they’d learned in my classroom over the years and how much they'd grown. I thought about the fun memories that were made. The laughter and tears that were shed as life happened. The good. The bad. The happy. The sad. I also thought about the memories made this year without me. At first it made me sad. Sad that I hadn’t been a part of their Senior year. Sad that I’d missed a portion of their journey. However, that sadness was soon replaced by joy as I witnessed my former students interact with their new teacher. She was reminding them of the techniques they had practiced, and of all they were capable of. She believed in them, just as I did. I realized that by passing the torch this year, I had empowered a new educator to share her gifts. Her skills. Her passion. Her story. I had played a part in igniting my students' passion for cooking and now she was fanning the flame, giving it oxygen to burn stronger. Sometimes life brings us new adventures. It doesn’t mean that we are abandoning the people that we serve, but instead providing new opportunities for learning and growth. As we embark on these new adventures, we are able to expand and amplify our impact. The transition to a new role is emotional at times. I poured my heart into teaching my students and developing a culinary program. I absolutely loved it. However, this new adventure truly has empowered me to expand and amplify my impact. I’ve been able to share my passion for magical learning with new people. I’ve been given the awesome opportunity to spark joy and I am so incredibly grateful! ![]() As I watched my former student, Bailey, walk up to accept her first place trophy and $4000 culinary scholarship today I was overcome with emotion. In a few short months she would be embarking on new culinary adventures with a new set of educators here at Oregon Coast Culinary Institute. New skills. New experiences. New opportunities. I felt so honored to have played a part in her journey of discovering her passion and so grateful to her new teacher for nurturing it and bringing her to this moment where she had been given the opportunity to chase her dreams. ![]() To make this day even more special, I ran into a former student who was attending the culinary institute at the competition. She would be graduating with her culinary degree in a few months and it seemed like just yesterday she was in my classroom. As she shared about her culinary instructors, opportunities that she had been provided, and the incredible learning she has experienced, I thought about the "L" of my MAGICAL acronym: Legacy. Each day is an opportunity to make a positive impact on those we serve. We are writing our legacy one magical moment at a time. If in your your journey a new opportunity arises that allows you to expand and amplify your impact, embrace it. By stepping out on a new adventure, you just may be giving someone else the opportunity to fly. What an incredible gift we give students when our legacies are intricately woven into a beautiful design that empowers students to leave our schools and go leave a legacy of their own. Bailey, Kara, and Grace, I am so incredibly proud of you!
Thanks for letting me share in your journey. Valerie, I couldn't have passed the culinary torch to a more qualified, caring, and talented teacher. You are making an incredible impact and leaving a legacy that will last forever. ![]() Some may say I’ve gone a little BreakoutEDU crazy since we brought six boxes into our district in December. I must agree I’ve caught the fever! I have so much to share about the amazing adventures I’ve been on as I’ve witnessed learning come alive in every grade K-12 with a set of BreakoutEDU boxes and locks. It's blown my mind! There will be more blog posts to come, but today I will focus on how we've extended the BreakoutEDU experience beyond classrooms so families could also take part in the magic! It all started back in February when one of our elementary schools that had caught hold of the fever, approached me about incorporating BreakoutEDU into their STEAM Family Nights. I thought it was a fantastic idea and was super excited to help facilitate it. One of the teacher’s took the idea and ran, finding isolated clues of varying difficulties on the BreakoutEDU platform. We printed and laminated them to make sure they could stand up to lots of handling. To create as many stations as possible, we divided the small and large boxes and placed each of the 12 on a table with the corresponding clue. Every box was locked with the BreakoutEDU sign and candies inside. We also had some stations with a digital BreakoutEDU game set up as additional options. When families solved the puzzle, we took a picture of them with the sign and locked the box back up. It was an incredible success! After coming home tonight from the third successful BreakoutEDU experience I’ve helped facilitate for a STEAM night, I felt compelled to share how I set it up in case other schools would like to do something similar. ![]() Resource Preparation:
![]() Facilitators: Select 3-4 staff members that can help facilitate each station. Give them a key containing the combination codes and give them a run through of how the puzzles are solved so they are able to guide families as needed. Location: Each STEAM night that I have facilitated took place in the school library and it worked perfectly! However, you could make this work in a variety of spaces. Just make sure you have a space where families can gather around the box and have room to solve the puzzle. ![]() Station Set-up: Place a locked box, corresponding clue, and scratch paper/pencil at each table. If there are computer stations in the space you are facilitating, set up a few digital games for families to rotate to. Families can start at any station they choose. Once they unlock a box, they can take a bookmark (or other item, if you choose) out of the box and have a facilitator take a picture of them holding the BreakoutEDU sign. I think it would be really fun, though haven’t done it, to have Polaroid camera to take pictures of each family as they solve it so you can send them home with a keepsake from the experience. Or, have a green screen set up to take a picture in front of! Facilitators will lock boxes back up as they are opened so the next family can work to solve it. It is possible to make this work with only two facilitators, but I have found that four works perfectly as some are needed to help guide families when they get stuck and others can be looking for boxes that need to be relocked as well as restocking with bookmarks, etc as needed. This system worked exceptionally well and the families loved the experience! The number of stations seemed like the right amount for crowd flow as there weren't any families waiting for a table to open up. Incorporating BreakoutEDU into a STEAM or other type of family night is great way for parents and guardians to witness the 4 C’s (creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking) in action as well as create a challenging, fun, and memorable experience. I would highly recommend bringing BreakoutEDU to your next STEAM or family night! Such an amazing time was had by all! ![]() I love reality television singing shows. Partly because I can not sing. At all. In fact, singing “Happy Birthday” is a serious struggle for me every. single. time. I’ve always thought it would be amazing to belt out beautiful tunes on key. But it’s more than that. Even though I can’t sing a tune, I feel a connection to the journey these contestants are on. I can relate to their passion, their dreams, their drive. They touch my heart with their stories. It’s a beautiful thing to watch them take huge leaps of courage in spite of incredible and sometimes heart wrenching obstacles. This season as I’ve watched American Idol, one contestant in particular has captivated me from the moment that he auditioned. When a humble Alejandro Aranda walked into the room it was obvious he was lacking self confidence. However, when he opened his mouth to sing and began strumming his guitar, it was absolutely captivating. In fact, I had to replay the performance multiple times because I loved it so much. The judges watched him in awe and when the song was finished Luke Bryan said, “I feel like I’m in the presence of greatness”. Katy Perry told him, “I think you’re really special. I think you’re an absolute genius.” The look on Alejandro's face when he heard these words of affirmation was a mixture of shock and awkward disbelief. As he walked out of the auditions without a soul other than Ryan Seacrest to greet him, his face reflected pure joy. Immediately my mind flashed back to the hundreds upon thousands of students that have entered my classroom over the years with similar looks of doubt and disbelief. To see splashes of joy as they begin believing in themselves and what they are capable of is indescribable. That’s the magic moment as teachers that we live for. As I watched Alejandro walk away from the judging panel tonight after finding out he was moving to the Top 20, you could almost feel his increased confidence and joy. He turned around and said, “Thanks for believing in me.” Wow! What powerful words. As I reflect on my own transformative journey, I realize how vital it has been to have people along the way that have believed in me. The truth is when you are chasing your dreams, it can be lonely. Not everyone is rooting for you. Not everyone is excited for you when you win. Those “believers” mean the world to me. They pick me up when I encounter self doubt. They challenge me when I feel like the next leap is too high. They celebrate my victories. They hug (sometimes virtually) and reassure me when I fail and help me to get back up again. They remind me how far I’ve come, and what I’m still capable of. They see me for who I truly am and who I was meant to be. They help me believe in myself. We all need people in our life that believe in us. Find those beautiful souls; they are special. Be that person to someone else, because there are a lot of precious gems out there that don’t know how brightly they can shine and we have the incredible honor of helping them see their true beauty. |
Tisha RichmondCulinary Arts teacher, educational consultant, international speaker, and author of Make Learning Magical, Dragon Smart, and co-author of the EduProtocols Companion Guide for Book 1. I'm passionate about finding innovative ways to transform teaching and create unforgettable experiences in the classroom. |