Mixing Realities

http://www.schooltechnology.org/2011/05/01/new-student-technology-photos/

As technology grows, so do our abilities as educators to reach and teach our students.  Through a ton of new interfaces, such as standard QR codes to advanced Leap Frog Tag Readers.  These types of interfaces begin to connect our real physical world to the interactive online one.

My mixing realities between real and fake, students can experience their feelings, thoughts, and activities on a whole new level.  With the ever growing pressures for students and teachers to perform well in the classroom, it may prove to be beneficial for the classroom setting as a whole to break away from physical reality, where consequences matter, into the virtual world where we can suspend the physical consequences for a while.

In many youth, spending time online via social networking sites, live role playing games, or internet usage,  has allowed them to suspend their reality and adopt a new identity for themselves; an alter ego of sorts.  

http://www.operationtrooplift.org/tag/cheats

This new alter ego may become harmful if left to run wild, in which many cases of cyberbullying may appear.  However, this alter ego may prove to be a powerful tool, in which more shy children can be given a stronger voice to their ideas.

http://iphone.appstorm.net/roundups/lifestyle-roundups/100-social-networking-apps-to-feed-your-internet-addiction/

While I have personally never seen nor experienced a successful classroom where their is intermixing of virtual and physical worlds, I plan on incorporating it in my classroom.  I see a lot of potential in giving my students the options to express themselves in another world.  As I see it, many teachers are open to the idea of assigning multiple options for a project, ex: a powerpoint, a speech, an art exhibit, etc.  It makes sense to me that by having the students participate in online worlds as an option for a project/homework/free time, just as those other options are there.