Life: It's all a matter of perspective - A really fun video!

I love optical illusions.  They show us how our brains really work - and it is not necessarily the way we think they do!!

Remember my post on Cognitive Sciences and how our brain perceives reality?

How about my post on the DIY Dinosaur Illusion?

Well, my daughter (you know... the tour guide in Israel http://www.yeshisrael.com) knows that I go crazy over this sort of stuff and sent me a great video from Tech Insider on Professor Kokichi Sugihara and his amazing works of art and physics!  It is well worth the 1.47 minutes of you time to watch!

click this link to watch the video

Awesome, yes?!!! 

This next one will just blow your mind!

Click this link to watch the video

Want to know HOW it's done?  Well then, lets turn to Devon at the Make Anything// 3D Printing Channel on YouTube where he explains how this works AND he has made a 3D printable version that you can download and play with yourself!

Click this link to watch the video

Now, it that wasn't enough, Devon went on to make a... Well, I will let you watch it yourself!!

Click this link to watch the video

As always, I solicit your comments on the blog.

Yossie Frankel

Tech Specialist - CIJE

Checkout my blog: www.technorebbe.com

Twitter @yossiefrankel

YouTube Channel: YossieFrankelChannel
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yossiefrankel

Go Go Gadget Augmented Reality!

I was sitting at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf next to Olympia Medical Center last week, enjoying a nice decaf ice coffee, when a smartly dressed fellow in a business suit walked in.

Nothing unusual there - you see that all the time at these coffee shops.

Oh, did I mention that he had his eyes glued to his smart phone?

Nothing new there either - modern society and all that... always checking email and texting...  

What was strange to me was that he was scanning the coffee shop with his smart phone, like he was looking for something.  It reminded me of the cartoon character Inspector Gadget.

I asked the fellow what he was doing.  He looked a bit sheepish and said that he was looking for Pokemon.

WHAAAATTT?!!

It seems that for most of last week, I had been living under a rock and had no idea about the latest craze going on across the world.... Pokemon GO

https://youtu.be/2sj2iQyBTQs

Using any smart device with an active Internet connection, you can go hunt for those elusive little critters with the help of Augmented Reality(AR). People are just going crazy doing this!

This supports what I have been saying for the last two years (I will let you scan my blog archive for my previous posts on AR/VR) about how Augmented Reality (and Virtual Reality) is here to stay.  The question now becomes, how do we leverage this in our classroom to enhance the learning experience?

While I have given examples before (here and here) and with even newer technology, you can create Augmented Reality scavenger hunts that can include school landmarks.  Imagine, the graduating class creates digital historical content to leave as a legacy to incoming freshmen via totally engrossing AR. When those freshmen graduate, they do the same thing. This could become a link and generational connection that creates continuity to alumni!  (Are you listening Development Directors?? Imagine the possibilities!!)  

Think about creating a connection between your classroom and the community.  Create tours of local landmarks (Like Jeff's Gourmet in Pico-Rob, Los Angeles - Hey Jeff, do I get a free hamburger for mentioning you?? :-) that includes video interviews or detailed history... all available with AR.

"Great," you say, "But how can this be done?  It must be really difficult."

Well, no... it isn't!  Let me explain...

My wife recently forwarded a really cool post (israel21c.org) to me about the Jerusalem Tower of David Museum's first ever hack-a-thon.  At this event, the winning team came up with an innovative idea using Augmented/Virtual Reality and gaming to engage museum visitors. Basically, they created an AR/VR game using a great new app from Israel called Waking App. 

https://youtu.be/ZAZhFEQ-AN8

After reading the article, I just had to try this so, a one minute download later, I had the Entiti creator running and within 20 minutes, I had my very own first AR program running!  It was soooo easy to use and yet so powerful!

So, my readers, there is no longer any excuse!  The future is here, now!!  We CAN do this!!

As always, I solicit your feedback on the blogsite.

Yossie

Yossie Frankel

Tech Specialist - CIJE

Checkout my blog: www.technorebbe.com

Twitter @yossiefrankel

YouTube Channel: YossieFrankelChannel
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yossiefrankel

This is the 'Droid you are looking for - Sphero in the classroom!

In Star Wars, the Force Awakens, the 'droid BB8 has turned out to be one of the most lovable new characters.  So well liked that there is even a BB8 remote control 'droid made by Sphero 

So, imagine my geeked-out excitement when I found out that Sphero also has a full-fledged, STEM integrated, entry level programming/coding, problem solving educational product called SPRK!  I watched the four minute promo video (below) and was blown away by the possibilities.  You know what... let's save 6 paragraphs and have you just watch the video yourself...

Click here to watch the video

So, if you are like me, the very first thing you want to do is see this product up close and personal and... thanks to the InTELA (www.intela.org) tech day being held here in Los Angeles on August 4th... you can!!

My co-coordinator for the event - Doug Hinko - actually uses this device at this his school!  He has a whole school pack and has volunteered to do an hour long, hands-on, workshop!!  All you need to do is register!  No charge for the day and lunch is supplied by the good folks from CIJE (yes, I convinced my boss to supply lunch! :-)

The event starts at 9am sharp (8am is registration) and here is a quick run down of some of the things that will happening during the day:

• Keynote (9am) "Using Blended Learning to Transform Schools" by Clifford Maxwell (a member of the Cristensen Institute who oversees the Blended Learning Universe website - the definitive source of Blended Learning Resources).
• Expert presentations on Apple's new iOS 9.3, Teaching with Apple, Coding with Apple and school integration of Apple products
• Meraki Wifi and its MDM
• Telecommuting for absent students with Kubi and Zoom
• Sphero in the classroom (with Doug!)
• The 6 lenses of questioning - a classroom methodology to improve critical thinking  and high order thinking skills (HOTS)- presented by internationally renowned speaker Batsheva Frankel.
• and many more!!!

We are sifting through more presentation submissions from InTELA members so we will be announcing the full session schedule shortly!  It is going to be an amazing, jammed-packed day that is perfect for Teachers, Administrators, Tech Coordinators, Ed-Tech specialists and, like me, educational techno geeks!!!

Click THIS LINK to register today as space is limited.

As always, I solicit your comments on the website.

Yossie

Yossie Frankel

Tech Specialist - CIJE

Checkout my blog: www.technorebbe.com

Twitter @yossiefrankel

YouTube Channel: YossieFrankelChannel
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yossiefrankel