The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

“With Object Viewer from Merge Cube, students and teachers can convert their 3D designs into augmented reality (virtual) objects they can hold and preview on the MERGE Cube. Students can also preview their creations prior to 3D printing to ensure accuracy. Teachers can use Object Viewer to convert 3D models from popular libraries such as Google Poly and Remix 3D into virtual objects to illustrate complex topics and bring lesson plans to life.”

*Just a note that when you reserve a VR kit from CMLE, you also gain access to technology similar to Merge Cube. Our VR kits include AR technology called the ARCube, which you can learn more about here. Reserve your kit today!

Platform: iOS & Android
Cost:  Free, but need to purchase the Cube
Grades: All

The Merge website has a ton of information for educators, including ways to incorporate the Cube into STEM projects and makerspaces. The Grantwood Digital Learning site has this article sharing ideas for using the Merge Cube in your classrooms as well as other integrations to try with the app. This article from ISTE shares other ways to use the app in your classroom.

This video (2:50) shows a few examples of using the Object Viewer with the Merge Cube:

If you are interested in the best apps for your library, media center, or classroom, you can read our 2019 series here or find all past apps discussed in our archives.