Teaching Math with AR: Inside the Classroom of an ACE of the Month

What starts as curiosity can quietly become a calling. For Mokhamad Baidowi, a mathematics teacher at SMAN 2 Tuban, East Java, that curiosity was sparked in 2021 when he first encountered augmented reality technology, and it hasn't stopped since.

Today, he stands as one of the most accomplished members of ACE (Assemblr Certified Educator), the teacher community built by Assemblr EDU for educators who use AR and 3D technology in their classrooms.

First Encounter: "How Can a Virtual Object Feel Real?"

Mr. Baidowi first discovered Assemblr EDU in August 2021, at a time when AR technology was gaining serious momentum alongside the then-rising wave of Virtual Reality. What drew him in wasn't a workshop or a mandate, it was wonder.

"I was incredibly curious about how a 3D object on a phone screen could appear as if it were right there in the real world around us," he recalls. That question, about the line between the digital and the physical, became the foundation of an entirely new approach to teaching math.

Joining ACE: Building Connections Across Indonesia

Just one month after starting with Assemblr EDU, Mr. Baidowi joined the ACE community in September 2021. "What motivated me to join ACE was the chance to communicate and exchange experiences with fellow members about 3D/AR technology," he explains. "Through ACE, I've been able to build relationships with teachers from all across Indonesia."

That sense of shared mission and broad connection has kept him deeply engaged in the community ever since.

AR in the Math Classroom: Making Learning Feel Like Playing

When it comes to putting Assemblr EDU to work inside the classroom, Mr. Baidowi has a clear and deliberate approach. He doesn't just use AR as a visual aid, he builds interactive experiences around it.

His method starts with introducing students to Assemblr EDU and getting them to create their own project materials. But the real magic happens when he turns math topics into edu-games, an AR-based learning game built with Assemblr that makes abstract concepts tangible and engaging.

Tips from the Top: Stay Curious, Keep Sharing

When asked what keeps him productive and motivated beyond the classroom, Mr. Baidowi's answer is disarmingly simple, and deeply human.

"Keep learning, because learning has no time limit," he says. "And there's a special motivation for me: the enthusiasm to keep sharing, because sometimes even the smallest thing we do can have a big impact on someone else." It's a philosophy that captures the spirit of ACE itself: a community of educators who believe that knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied.

Mr. Baidowi's journey—from a teacher who wondered how AR worked to a national voice in AR education —didn't happen in isolation. It happened inside a community that encouraged him, challenged him, and gave him a platform to grow.

The ACE community is open to all educators who want to explore the potential of 3D and augmented reality in teaching. Whether you're just getting curious or already deep into AR-based learning, there's a place for you here.

Are you ready to start your own ACE journey? Register here.