Now we’re getting into the creepy stuff… artificial intelligence. Genuinely, this scares the living daylights out of me because of how advanced it is and just how much it is capable of. Even though it scares me, apparently it’s not enough for me to actually try and stay away from it. It’s in Siri and all the google assistants which I use all the time, apparently Zoom uses it too which I use at least once a week, and at this point I’m convinced everything I own with a battery in it, is listening, all the time. Comforting, I know. We also talked about augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Augmented reality is actually super cool. I think my first introduction to it was at the Vancouver Aquarium when I was 10 during their 4D show where they had seats that poked you, saltwater that sprayed, things that swiped your ankles. It amplified the viewing experience of the film so much and made it far more entertaining.
Virtual Reality also seems really cool, although I’ve never used it. However, if you’re ever bored, watch someone else use a VR headset and you won’t stop laughing while watching them fight invisible people and walk into walls. I think this is something that would be crazy beneficial to a classroom. You could use VR to immerse students in an experience to a far greater extent than ever before. Just thinking about it, I’m imagining guiding a tour through jungles in the Amazon Rainforest, walking through historical sites in their time of existance, witnessing historical events in “real time” to get a better understanding. Even during COVID, this could be used for VR field trips to go and explore new places in your local community without having the hassle of organizing a full field trip.
Here is a promo video for the 4D movie at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Here is a VR field trip on the history of the USA
