In my freshmen class we read Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. We analyze the speech for the rhetoric used, as well as MLK’s gift for public speaking. We do discuss this in tandem with To Kill a Mockingbird, which also deals with issues of race and prejudice. I found an app called Freedom Stories AR which presents stories of oppression and struggles for freedom. This tool would pare nicely with this unit as a supplement in engaging students in the realities of those less fortunate than ourselves. In the article, “Augmented Reality: The Future of Education,” the author states, “Augmented Reality applications in education provide new ways of teaching and learning, bridging the gap between the virtual and real world.” Through the use of this AR tool, issues from almost 100 years ago can be brought to life.

Students have the ability to hear and see those freedom fighters from yesteryear tell their stories as they interact with them using this AR tool.

 

 

 

Lessons can be transformed, allowing students to not only read the text, but interact with it.

Undoubtedly, the written text maintains it value over time. However, through the use of AR technology, the print text can be enhanced to create an experience for young learners.

 

 

 

By allowing the two modes of presentation to work in tandem, student learning can expand while their understanding of texts, issues, events, and cultures can become a reality.

 

 

 

 

 

If our end goal as educators is to assist our students in internalizing their learning and to encourage them to apply it to their lives outside of the classroom, AR is a tool to use. Through the expansion of texts to include these AR apps, students will certainly reap the rewards.