The augmented reality sandbox is
essentially a device for experiential
learning that uses 3D imaging and a
projector to project topography
on to sand based off of its proximity to
the 3D sensor. And what the AR sandbox
allows us to do is first have the kids
create their own terrain so they can
build their own mountains and valleys
and mesas, but then immediately as they
do it, it creates the topographical line
so they can see the difference in height
and the difference in slope and they can
see how they all interact together in
real-time. We have a technology
coordinator who helps us find different
things to help us with using technology
in the classroom and online there was
this project she sent it to me and I
immediately said, "We have to do this."
The energy of the group has been
fantastic I think it shows the benefit
of something with real authentic purpose,
you know, them going downstairs and
checking with third grade teachers on
what they need working together on the
multiple parts of it. So there's
construction parts there's technological parts.
This is basically more of the
technology side of our AR sandbox using a
Kinect and a projector that we're actually
going to get. Basically this is how we
detect the distance of the sand and that's what projects the image on the sandbox.
So as you can see here that as I move my hands forward and backwards, the colors change.
So for example, if I was really close this
would- a red would signify the tip of a
mountain peak or if I moved it really far
away until it got to blue, that would signify water.
The original reference on the UC
Davis site is that it doesn't come with
really useful dimensions for, "Okay, this
is how tall it has to be" or "This is how
tall your wall should be." it's something
that we've had to figure out ourselves
and through the power of 3D modeling and
mathematics, we've sort of done it.
The third grade students...  it's going to change their entire view and how they look at geography
and understand cartography.
Watching the third graders reaction to the sandbox
I didn't want to tell them how to use
it because it's sand and it goes based
off of their movement so getting to
watch them just move the sand and watch
it change with them and discover that
themselves was something that I've been
looking forward to the whole time and
they make a different discovery every
time they move the sand in a different
way.
I thought it was really cool because you got to experience the levels
of different landforms.
It's more helpful for understanding and you can also make it rain and snow, which I thought was pretty cool.
I liked it because it
was very realistic, like you can make an
archipelago or you can make up modes
around it.
You can make pools or little lakes.
And it's very realistic because it has
all the graph lines.
And the higher up you get,
the lighter the color will get.
And then if you get your mountain high enough,
it's like it's close enough to the clouds.  
It looks almost like snow at the top.
And then, put your hands back. Take your hands back.
And then, give it a second to render.
Wait, everybody move your hands away.
And there you go.
Snow!
Let's make it bigger
More than the specific, like skills
they're learning on any project it's
really important to just go through the
process of making something because you
don't hit the same kind of roadblock in
like making a physical thing or
programming something that you would in
like writing a paper or you know you
just you hit different things and
there's no replacing that kind of a
moment where you're like, "I'm stuck and I
don't feel like I'm ever going to get unstuck."
And then you do and you overcome that.
So right now, I'm just taking a brief break
because we're running into, I
guess we're running into a bit of an
issue with the way that the legs are going to go in.
The more that happens to you, the more opportunities they have to do that,
the more they recognize when they are in that place
and the better tools that they have to
cope with that.
In Avenues we're taught a problem-based
learning style and a lot of things we do
and a lot of the lessons we do is, 
they're interactive. So that's sort of given me
and I think all of the students
the opportunity to learn really good
problem-based skills and to be able to
push through challenges in projects.
It's really synonymous with what we've done
here because even though it's not,
you know, a biochemistry project or a math
project or the history project we've
used the skills we've learned working in
groups, sort of pushing through
challenges and problems and delegating
roles to organize ourselves in this project
and it's been really really helpful.
I think the greatest piece of this is
seeing the students look at their work
and sort of how, even somewhat surprising
what they created.
When Justin put together the box, he just stood there
and looked at it and said, "Look what we did."
I mean, you know, so those 
moments I think are... that's why I do this work
it's when the students get
inspired by what they've created,
but that's just really satisfying
