Wearable Technology

(1) Virtual Reality Headsets - taking kids places they may never visit themselves in real life. Before I came to Downingtown to teach, I taught six years in Philadelphia, exactly where I was born and raised. As a young teacher, I would always ask students what they knew about airplanes, about the beach or the boardwalk being that we're only an hour and a half from Atlantic City. I was always so shocked at how the majority of these students have never left the city. Describing scenes and showing pictures never really worked in building the background knowledge they would need. Now working in Downingtown, I work with 99% of learning support students and again find myself using videos and manipulatives to bring these places to them. Having virtual reality headsets has changed this for educators and students alike. It allows the teachers to take students to places across the globe and even under the sea. Giving the students an opportunity to "see" what it's like in all pa...

Students Learn Best When You Do This…..                   I liked reading this because it is information gathered from students.  The good thing for me is I do many of the things that the survey found out already.  I also picked up some ideas that I don't do and intend to try to incorporate into my teaching.    The  most common thing I noticed were that students like hands on activities to complete or to do interactive activities.  This is something I strive to do because I learned long ago that lecturing for the whole class is not something most kids enjoy.  Personally I don't mind it but as we know many students struggle with this type of learning so by incorporating activities we can make learning more engaging and fun.  I am looking forward to trying to incorporate wearable technology activities because it can facilitate learning...

Wearable Tech Taking Education by Storm   Virtual reality is something that I would love to do in my classroom.  The article mentions that one can use it to provide "creative and historical worlds for students to explore. "  This would be great for my Western Civ. Class the possibilities are limitless.  I never knew one could use VR to do this.  Allowing kids to experience other historical eras is something that would really enhance the learning experience.   Being able to use VR to visit a World War One trench or Ancient Greece or Rome would be awesome for the kids and bring history alive.  The major drawback would be the cost however.  The other article I read mentioned visiting museums but the idea of visiting eras really intrigues me.  I also could use it for my psych class.  We use visual distortion googles for one of your units that shows how the brain adapts , but VR goggles could be used fo...

21 Ways to Motivate Students                   This article was intriguing because although I knew a lot of these strategies, some did create an "aha" moment for me .  Point number 4 states that a change of scenery creates novelty for the brain and is a good way to keep students motivated.  One suggestion is to take kids to the library for research.  I think this is a great idea because since we have become a 1 to 1 district I have not gone to the library.  Kids often ask to work in the hallway or in different area of the room.  Movement and changing spots are what students like to do so with set expectations I think it could work.  This change in scenery could be a great way to motivate kids and I will try to do this more often.   Competition and student choice ( varied activities) are other great ideas that I have done but have gotten awa...

https://cloud.googleblog.com/2015/05/announcing-Expeditions-taking-students-places-a-school-bus-cant-go.html      I am summarizing this article after finding additional information on a couple of the AR apps that I became interested in while summarizing "Wearable Tech In the Classroom: Taking The Education Industry By Storm". I mentioned that I would be doing further research on two items in particular; Google Expedition and the Brain AR App. Well, I struck oil! In this article, they actually provide a link for the Expedition site so I immediately clicked on it to investigate further. As I began my research, I was hoping to find a couple of virtual tours of medical facilities or museums within Expeditions that are available to the public. I am ecstatic! There is plenty of sites and virtual tours of the human body, medical facilities, and even one where a student can spend a day with a surgeon! Other examples of what is available now include book...

36 Ways to use Wearable Technology in the Classroom"                   Google Glass looks like a winner and could be helpful to teach students in many ways.  This article really helped open my eyes to what can be done with this technology.  Some of the ideas are not applicable for my class but many did.  I liked the idea of using Glass as a way to take pictures and videos while keeping one's hands free which sounds like a great idea.   Students won't have to carry a camera and can use their hands to do other things such as direct students in a video, pick objects up and record them , and allows for lots of movement and freedom.  I could also have students make and edit presentations and go on live field trips to places that might be too costly to do because of cost and other issues.  I also like the idea that if a class does go on a field tri...

Wearable Technology in the Classroom: What's Available and What does it do?   This was a very informative article and it gave me several ideas to implement in my classroom.  One of my classes is Western Civilization and we often talked about architecture and art.  The ability to use Google Cardboard to take virtual field trips to the Parthenon, the Colosseum, Versailles and many other places we learn about sounds like an affordable and fun activity to make history come alive.  Autographer and Narrative Clips sound like cool programs that allow students to create slideshows or highlight reels of their school day and could be used to record their progress on collaborative projects.  Muse although very expensive would be a cool thing to use to measure brain waves during sleep.  I could use this during our units on the brain and consciousness in psychology.  The author mentions that technology can be distract...

Hi Here are 2 article responses Thanks

COLOR BLIND GLASSES https://youtu.be/DRZ4T3Ex7xw - Making Color Possible: Learn about the science of our life-enhancing eyewear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS5vvuToj74 - Student Sees Color for First Time With EnChroma Glasses | NowThis Imagine a world where you see only 10% of the colors of a normal human and believe that's how everyone else views the world. Then maybe later in life you are informed you are color blind. I think of all the classrooms around the country that are beautifully decorated in a variety of vivid colors and unfortunately, children and adults go through life thinking of the dullness. Wouldn't it be great to show students and adults what the world really looks like when you can see every color? Andy Schmeder who is the CEO, co-founder, and inventor of the EnChroma Glasses. These glasses have changed millions of lives by simply allowing those who are color blind to finally see color. Something so simple that you and I may take for granted. I imagined...

GOOGLE GLASS https://www.teachthought.com/technology/30-ways-google-glass-education-might-work/ - 30 Ways Google Glass In Education Might Work First and foremost, I know the title of the article isn't necessarily a promising one when you hear that there are many ways a product "might work". But I have to say, I liked that the author used those words because it doesn't mean these ideas will definitely work for everyone. Having a list of thirty suggestions was definitely overwhelming, but I was able to narrow it down to my top 5 ways I think Google Glass would work for me as a teacher:   " Document lessons - Document lessons that require demonstration and hands-on experience." "Teacher Evaluations - Make teacher evaluations, removing the observer from the physical classroom." "Identify Learning Disabilities - Have a specialist or a behavioral agent observe children for signs of a learning disability as they work in their classroom with their t...

FITBIT https://hechingerreport.org/fitbit-education-turning-school-data-tracking-game/ - Fitbit for education: Turning school into a data-tracking game  I was wondering if there were other ways to use the FitBit other than tracking information such as the steps the students have taken for their health class or their heart rate for their gym class. In this article, I found that a school district in Fresno, California used an app called Strides which collects data based on what accomplishments the students make in school. It will reward students who attend school regularly, earn good grades, who are recognized by teachers for participation and for those who participate in after school activities. The students have an opportunity to level up, so it keeps the students motivated to keep moving along in the program, with its game-like features. There is no way to move backward; it's all based on positive reinforcements. While reading, it was interesting to hear about a student who said ...

VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSETS IN EDUCATION https://medium.com/@openGeeksLab/10-benefits-of-virtual-reality-in-education-driving-future-of-edtech-16750212e0d6 - 10 Benefits of Virtual Reality in Education Driving Future of EdTech Watching and hearing the reaction to the students who experience virtual reality for the first time tugs on those teacher heartstrings! This article shares several other uses for virtual reality headsets such as vocational simulations allowing the students to feel what it's like to work in their field of choice. Another idea is allowing the students to study the human body or being able to travel to the college of your dreams for a VR campus tour. It would be great to get these in the hands of our students to experience life outside of our districts by giving them unforgettable experiences especially for those who may never leave the area in which they reside.

AR GLASSES - FACIAL RECOGNITION: https://wtvox.com/fashion-innovation/wearable-tech-education/ - Wearable Tech Education – Top 10 Changes For Years To Come; https://atelier.bnpparibas/en/smart-city/article/education-smart-glasses-improve-teacher-student-communication - Education: 'Smart' Glasses To Help Improve Teacher-Student Communication Have you ever been out shopping or just taking a nice run on the bike trail and you bump into a former student who says hello to you, but you cannot recall their name? (This happens to me quite often.) Well, let your AR glasses help you out when you are in this pinch. There is a facial recognition feature that will allow you to take one look at that student and give you all the details about him/her with what's included in the school's database. I absolutely love this idea! The article shares several other features, but this one stood out for me. The first article said it would allow professors of large class sizes to get on a more...

APPLE WATCH :  https://youtu.be/jHX3Z9f680w - Tech EDGE, Mobile Learning In The Classroom - Episode 63, Apple Watch for Teachers: University of Nebraska Guy Trainin; https://youtu.be/u3OXJRloygk - Apple Watch in Education: Paul Hamilton; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHuBBogXuC0 - Best Apps for Apple Watch - Education: Apple Fox When it comes to electronics, I'd like to say that I'm a pretty frugal person. It's just that I can't fathom spending hundreds of dollars on one item, except maybe if they're a really great pair of shoes that can last me years. In fact, it took me years to get a smartphone, I thought what a waste of money. Then my husband gifted me my first iPhone and my life was changed!  However, I'm back to my original mindset about the Apple Watch. One would say I'm very skeptical. Why would one want to spend so much money on one watch? Why do people want to always be contacted? Do these Apple Watch people have to be connected to the tech wo...

https://elearningindustry.com/wearable-tech-in-the-classroom-taking-education-industry-storm      The first thing that comes to my mind with incorporating wearable tech into the classroom is expense. This is going to need to be addressed sooner than later since wearable tech is apparently "taking the education industry by storm". After reading this article I am excited to investigate a couple of suggestions that may not cost anything to incorporate into the classroom. Since this is a class about different medical professions available to students and an opportunity for students to assess if they truly want to get into medicine it is great to incorporate as much real-world experiences as possible. We do have clinical experiences for the majority of the year, but with what is happening with COVID-19 today, what would happen to the program if the hospitals decide to cut the student programs? This is a real fear that many of our instructors and administrat...

      https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/21-simple-ideas-to-improve-student-motivatio/      The compiled suggestions in the article on how to improve student motivation I found to be an awesome motivator for me as an instructor and for my own professional development.   Obviously, this is meant for our students, but I truly find such value in it for myself as well.   My goal is to incorporate all 21 ideas into my curriculum and classes for next year. It is a win-win situation. I would say out of the 21 items that were listed there are many that have already been incorporated into my curriculum. Some of them, however, can use some revision. I also need to stay focused and keep these items alive for the entire school year.       As any school year progresses, it becomes difficult to keep 30+ seniors in high school motivated with their schoolwork. They are all focused and totally mot...

  https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-things-you-can-do-in-about-10-minutes-for-a-smoother-running-classroom/      At this time in my career, I feel that my instruction has become routine and complacent. (I'm about 3 years from retirement).   In this article, the suggestions to utilize in the classroom are essential and really piqued my interest. Many of them have already been incorporated into the daily routine, but many are reminders of how these need to continue to be incorporated and revised along the way. It's great to refresh that motivation for myself as well as the students!        I really like the idea of having a parent sign-up sheet during our orientation to invite the parents into the class as a guest speaker. We are all very busy so the use of SKYPE or ZOOM for a guest speaker would be an awesome way to incorporate our busy, professional, parents while providing a bit of variety to the class. ...

The Classroom: Taking The Education Industry By Storm   https://elearningindustry.com/wearable-tech-in-the-classroom-taking-education-industry-storm   This article concentrated on three wearable web technologies VR/AR, smartwatches, and muse. After reading the article, I looked further in AR/VR technology, since I didn't have a clue as to what it actually entailed. Wow. What an amazing tool to allow students to have real-life immersion into a topic. This would give such a deeper understanding and interest for students, and adults, if they could actually afford this technology. As with everything that is new, hopefully, the pricing will be more affordable soon, or schools may have the opportunity to have a firm bring the technology into their schools to use for a period of time. This would be a great business venture for the tech college graduate.   The smartwatches, I have seen and know more about but do not own one yet. I could s...

36 Ways To Use Wearable Technology In The Classroom https://www.teachthought.com/technology/36-ways-to-use-wearable-technology-in-the-classroom/             The article talks about HUD, Heads Up Display, which is a hands-free wearable technology in the form of goggles/glasses. In particular, the author spoke about Google Glass, which was created in the early 2010s but was short-lived due to privacy issues in 2015. The glasses had a camera that some were using inappropriately to film others without consent in public places. It now is being used to train medical professionals and interestingly with children with autism. They allow these kids to actually see "emotions".             The article was from 2015, and included ways to use this in classrooms such as recording field trips, teach a hands-on skill, attendance taking for teachers. Some of the c...

25 Things Successful teachers do differently https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/25-things-successful-teachers-do-differently/ This article inspired me as I read it during this time of uncertainty. We as teachers are expected to teach on-line, something we are not comfortable with and try our best to keep some amount of normalcy for our students. The author spoke about the twenty-five things successful teachers do differently and it made me reflect on my online teaching. Number one hot home with the point of having clear objectives. These marking period four objectives have changed some for my class since we aren't able to observe in the hospital. I have had to re-think ways of getting my students "different" experiences that will not replace these observations, but engage them in scenarios that we "may" have encountered. Another one of the points made was to have a positive attitude. I believe this has been more of a challenge on-l...

How to have a smooth running classroom https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-things-you-can-do-in-about-10-minutes-for-a-smoother-running-classroom/ This article shared some great ideas for a smooth running classroom. All of the normal routines are now changed and we have had to come up with online routines and have faced new challenges of conducting class in this manner. One point made was having a way to quiet the class. Well, this is an easy one on zoom with the ability to mute a student if they are interrupting during instruction. I haven't had this happen but have instructed the students, that in the event, I have this ability, and can also place them in a breakout room, and will be having a one on one discussion with them about their behavior. Another great idea that can also be used for online is to have the students share in making up the rules. I actually did this by sharing a whiteboard and had the students write suggestions on how we shou...

Five smart ways to use wearable technology in the classroom https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2019/12/15/wearable-technology-in-the-classroom/             This article reviewed the following five wearables that can be used in the classroom: GoPro cameras, activity-tracking wristbands, smartwatches, earbuds/headphones, and VR glasses. Using any of these can add to instruction in many classroom environments. Taking video with either the GoPro cameras is an excellent tool to have students complete projects of their hand-on learning. I could see using this while doing my CPR instruction with students. The activity tracker is not only good for the PE instructor. I could utilize this tool taking pulses in the Allied Health class and in a lesson on metabolism and calories burned. The use of smartwatches is endless. From time management, accessing on-line materials, games, note-taking, recording instruction, ...

https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2019/12/15/wearable-technology-in-the-classroom/   I love the technological opportunities that are being supported for use in education. Things have changed dramatically since I was in high school. Wearable technology of the day MAY have been an analog watch at the most. My classmates and I would be considered privileged to even have a watch to use to keep track of time. "When is the bell gonna ring????"    Headphones??   First of all, they were gigantic and needed to be plugged in to the stereo/turntable to be able to listen to the music coming through the radio or turntable (again, if you were a privileged home). In school we would have been sent right to the principals' office and told to stop "listening to that garbage"…i.e. Rock-n-roll. Most likely a student would be lucky if they got their device back at the end of the school day, and parents were not called. And to think that listening to music may...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=u8tnYt30L-A In this video, I like how the speaker took us back to some of the first wearable technology, such as the wrist watch. I also noticed he shared three categories that wearables fall into -  activity monitors, head-mounted displays and smart watches. Based on other readings and the new information I am learning, it seems as though the head mounted display may be the next big thing. Other than the smart watch, it's surprising that wearable technology hasn't taken off more. My guess it is the affordability and its accessibility to the consumer market. Unfortunately, what comes with those technologies is security. How secure will these technologies be? And how much of your life is really private anymore if the norm will soon be to have wearable technology. And if wearables make life more efficient, will further demand be placed on the human being? Although rather fascinating to be so connected to information and data a b...

https://www.edsys.in/how-wearable-technology-revolutionizing-classroom-learning/?amp https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-web-2-0-p2-3486624 https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-web-3-0-3486623 When reading this article, I couldn't help to think about a class that I recently took and its connection to Wearable Technology. In this class I read about the evolution of the Internet.(Articles above) In the articles I read, the internet was first named Web 1.0  a "static information dump where people read websites but rarely interacted with them." (Nations) Today, Web 2.0 is in full swing, an "interactive socialweb facilitating collaboration between people." (Nations) Outside and inside the professional settings Web 2.0 connects "with other people who can put anything they want online." (Nations). This has lead to a "more social, collaborative, interactive and responsive web." (Nations) The next logical step is the transition to Web 3.0, which isn't fu...