Wearable Technology

I love the idea of having virtual reality in the classroom. Having the ability to examine museum pieces, building structures, and artwork could prove to be a valuable resource. However, this is something I would definitely like to check out myself to make sure the benefits outweigh the costs of money, prep time, and class time. This article mentions the "Muse."  I didn't know I needed a brain sensing headband until I read this article - just kidding. I could definitely see how this could be a valuable tool for a particular student population but I would be extremely cautious in actually using the technology in the classroom. This is a staff email account managed by Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.  This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender.

I like how the article starts out with the question: Why don't students come to school inspired to learn? It seems like it is easy to find an answer to this question depending on who you are; content, curriculum, excessive testing, too much TV/video games, boring …  Then the article goes on to define what learning is: Learning is the iterative and personal act of becoming a human being through painful, joyful, and complex personal growth.  And finally, the challenge,  the article presents questions trying to define what type of inspirational teacher you are going to be.  This challenge is my favorite part of the article mainly because it allows for teachers to inspire according to their own strengths.  This is a staff email account managed by Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.  This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error pleas...

Always interesting to read a list of responses from students.  I think most of these ideas serve as a good reminder to focus on being a caring human, creating a relationship with the students, and to try to make the curriculum as interesting and hands on as possible. I think we all are craving a meaningful experience in the classroom/life. This article is a reminder for me to strive to create a meaningful learning experience, show my personality in the classroom, to be empathetic and to focus on every one of my students in the journey. This is a staff email account managed by Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.  This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender.

I was glad to see that gopro was considered a wearable technology. I would love to see my students creating tutorials and documenting the projects they are creating. I always worry about the learning curve in editing a video and how much time it may take away from the curriculum. I also read about virtual field trips.  I would like to know if I was able to use this to explore museum pieces that relate to my classes; especially woodworking. This is a staff email account managed by Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.  This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender.

I think all the time about how I can create the least restrictive environment for all my students and especially students with disabilities.  I do not teach in a traditional classroom - my classroom is a wood shop that is noisy and dusty most times. Communication is difficult at times in the classroom and incorporating technologies that create a least restrictive environment is essential. This is a staff email account managed by Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.  This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender.

https://www.filamentgames.com/blog/virtual-reality-classroom-3-real-world-applications/ I wanted to do more research about Virtual Reality and after researching, I came across the article, “Virtual Reality in the Classroom: 3 Real-World Applications.” This article discussed ways teachers can implement such technologies. One that I found to be low cost and engaging are Google Expeditions which are now referred to as Arts and Culture Expeditions. Using this technology, teachers can tailor each exploration for their curriculum. This opens up a while new world of possibilities for any student who has access to a smartphone (and a cardboard VR headset). Virtual field trips allow students to explore places they have read about or seen in books. It gives them an enhanced, more meaningful way of learning about the subject matter. I also imagine using this to celebrate the diversity amongst my students. They could explore towns and important areas of where they/their fami...

It's easy to tell students to take out their iPads and get on an app, but there should be more thought behind the app and the purpose for using it. This article brought light to the WHY behind an app. When choosing an app, it should be engaging, developmentally appropriate, have an instructional purpose, motivate students, and be easily accessible. Although our district has an "App Committee" who approves apps, I think it would be beneficial to have moments where teachers could research apps that may be beneficial to their teaching. We are never really given to time to delve into enhancing our lessons with technology. A great time to do this would be during professional development days when teachers are grouped by grade-level teams across the district. Teachers could break up into subject areas and find apps that have all of the characteristics listed above.   

https://www.teachthought.com/technology/apples-official-guide-teaching-apps/  According to this article, there are 5 factors to consider when choosing a learning app. These 5 factors are:  1. Engagement  2. Developmental Appropriateness 3. Instructional Design  4. Motivation 5. Accessibility  The article is very short, simple and straightforward forward. The main point was to research your apps to best support your students and their interests as well as support your teaching and lessons.  Angela N. Hunger 

Ted Talk https://youtu.be/u8tnYt30L-A  This was a very interesting topic to listen to. Gonzalo discussed the timeline of technology and how it has evolved over the centuries. When we got to 2009, technology seemed to be very technically advanced. It was also interesting to see how much we have evolved over the years.  I was impressed with the medical aspect and how wearables can impact health care. Wearables can help us collect data for medical research where doctors can learn more about the body and how to help us.  Wearable technology is going to make a huge impact in our future.  Angela N. Hunger 

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/why-some-teachers-are-against-technology-in-education/  This article discusses the problems with the #edtech conversation. Some teachers are all for teaching technology and some are completely against it. I for one think it is a great tool and all classes, regardless of age should be using and teaching technology. It is the now, it is the future, it is what kids know and it is what kids like, can relate to. Now, more than ever we are all relying on technology within our classrooms due to the pandemic. Without google classroom, zoom ans the online materials I used this past school year, I would t have had a class. We stayed 100% virtual since March 2020. We still have yet to return to our classroom. Without technology, this would t have been possible, and for that I am thankful. The article talks about about how technology is designed to stir emotions, and emotions are getting stirred in both directions. They make some valid points that technolo...

https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/jul/28/wearable-technology-classroom-virtual-reality  When I was scrolling through to find articles to read, I saw the photo attached to this article and it made me want to read further to find out what they were doing.  The kids were very young, so of course I wanted to learn more. Kindergarten is not as technically advanced as the older grades, so finding new, fun ways to implement technology for young learners always interests me.  In the photo, the young kids are in a classroom and have cardboard goggles on their faces with huge smiles. The device they are using is called "Expeditions", it's a new classroom initiative unveiled by google. It's literally a folded piece of cardboard with lenses attached to it. It can turn a smartphone into a VR viewer! The possibilities are endless with this device.  My district is very low income, so realistically I know we will never be a district with high tech technology for our d...

https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2019/12/15/wearable-technology-in-the-classroom/ I found this article to be very interesting to learn more about different ways I can incorporate wearables into my kindergarten classroom. Although a lot of this is geared towards older grades, I found thy the VR glasses are amazing. We have cancelled our field trips to the zoo, aquarium, and apple orchard a few years ago due to the lack of chaperones.  Having a set of VR glasses in my classroom would be the best! I could teach my students about certain areas of the world, and we can take a trip there without leaving the classroom.  Honestly, I never thought about this before. I'm definitely going to take a look into purchasing them for my classroom.  Angela N. Hunger  -- Angela N. Hunger

Article #5: 7 Characteristics Of A Digitally Competent Teacher      ( https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/7-characteristics-digitally-competent-teacher/ ) As the title states, this article describes characteristics of digitally competent teachers.  To summarize, digitally competent teachers have a solid understanding of different types of technology, are open to trying new technologies and determining how useful they are, and are responsible with and respectful of digital information and privacy.  They also understand that technology in the classroom should be utilized in conjunction with other tools and methods.   Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers have had to incorporate technology into their lessons every single day.  New platforms and apps, new teaching and assessing methods, and new ways of communicating with students had to be learned quickly and simultaneously.  While this was, unquestionably, a difficult task, I think it is important as a teacher...

Article #4: Students Learn Best When You Do This. And This. And This. ( https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/students-learn-best/ ) This article posts the responses of 50 students when prompted to finish the sentence, "I learn best when the teacher…" While each answer is unique, it is easy to find some common ideas of what helps students learn best. Students like to be involved in the learning process and they learn through hands-on activities and working with their peers.  Demonstrations and specific examples are really helpful, as are having teachers who are relatable and passionate about the subjects that they teach.  On the other hand, students say they do not learn well from lectures, worksheets, and other non-interactive methods.   While this information is probably not surprising to many teachers, it is interesting to think about these ideas and how they relate to wearables and other technology.  I think that technology can definitely help make lessons more hands-on a...

Article #3: Why Some Teachers Are Against Technology In Education    ( https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/why-some-teachers-are-against-technology-in-education/ )  This article explains that many teachers feel strongly about technology use in the classroom (both for it and against it), and explores why teachers may feel negatively about technology.  Some of the reasons include the following: Change.  It can seem like education is constantly undergoing changes, some of which don't seem to amount to much.  This constant changing can leave teachers feeling exhausted and resistant to changing things just for the sake of it.  The integration of new technologies into the classroom can be included in this for some teachers. There can be a failure to identify different types of technology (learning models vs. learning platforms vs. types of technology, etc.).  Without being able to place different kinds of technology into the appropriate category, teachers may not be able to adequately ...

Article #2: Wearable Tech In The Classroom: Taking The Education Industry By Storm ( https://elearningindustry.com/wearable-tech-in-the-classroom-taking-education-industry-storm ) This article provides a more in-depth look at three different wearable technologies and how they might be used in the classroom.  The first technology discussed is virtual reality (VR).  VR systems allow students to explore both current and past environments without having to leave the classroom.  However, VR headsets can be costly and therefore not feasible for all schools.  The article mentions that it may be possible for students to turn their smart phones into VR headsets to lower the cost, or that donors might be willing to sponsor VR sets to classrooms.  Google Expeditions, although  no longer available for use, is discussed in detail.  Through this app, students were able to visit past and present civilizations, including Mars.  While Google Expeditions is gone, it appears that many of the "expedi...

Article #1: Five Smart Ways to Use Wearable Technology in the Classroom ( https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2019/12/15/wearable-technology-in-the-classroom/ ) This article describes 5 ways to incorporate wearable technology into lessons and learning activities.  First, wearable cameras such as GoPros can help students create video projects in an easier way.  Once they put on the cameras, students don't have to worry about positioning or moving their equipment!  Next, activity trackers such as FitBits can teach students to become more aware about their activity levels, learn about nutrition, and keep track of things like heart rate and sleep cycles.  Smartwatches, like the AppleWatch, can also be useful by helping keep students on track and on-task.  The article mentions that students could potentially use smartwatches to cheat, and so teachers should be mindful of this when using smartwatches in the classroom.  Wireless or Bluetooth headphones also have practical uses in the classroo...

Wearable technology in the classroom: what's available and what does it do? https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/jul/28/wearable-technology-classroom-virtual-reality In this article, it was stated that, "The key benefit is that users can explore and interact at their own pace, allowing for simplified review of learning," Higgins explains. "Studies show that AR can also increase the speed and retention of learning in addition to widening the spectrum of accessibility within groups of pupils." This really stood out to me.  We are always looking for ways to improve learning and retention for our students while also differentiating for a variety of learners.  I believe that it is important to deliver instruction to students using multiple modalities (print, picture, video, auditory, etc.) and VR and AR could now be added to that list while using a wearable device.  The authors did go on to discuss a viewpoint of one teacher who saw some disadvantages as ...

The Best Google Cardboard Apps of 2021 https://www.lifewire.com/best-google-cardboard-apps-4693328 My search for compatible Google Cardboard apps led me to this website to try and find the right immersive experience for my students.  This article also suggested Google Arts and Culture for virtual reality tours of museums. They also brought up the idea of Google Earth VR.  In my classroom, the kids and I love to use Google Earth to visit the locations we are studying, and when assigned work is completed, some will fly to locations like the Egyptian pyramids, go down to street view, and try to find their way inside the pyramids for a tour.  So, Google Earth VR sounded like a great experience! As it turned out with more research, it seems as though Google discontinued Google Earth VR for cardboard as per a review on the Google Cardboard app on July 12, 2021.    CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this email message and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee(s) and...

Google Arts and Culture 9 VR Tours You'll Love https://artsandculture.google.com/story/mwJiZHf_Y7FfLg As I started researching more about Google Expeditions and picturing all of the possibilities in my classroom, I realized that I would need to learn more about Google Arts and Culture, as Expeditions was discontinued as of June 30th this year and rolled into Arts and Culture.  What a loss for me! Many of the features and expeditions mentioned in the articles listed on the class website do not seem to be available any longer now that Expeditions has moved to Arts and Culture.  This website was a good starting point to help me get acquainted with the Arts and Cultures feature.  I began with the virtual reality tour of the Temple of Juno, which then led me to other ancient Roman sites that connect directly with my curriculum including sites and artifacts of the Punic Wars. It was great to be able to click around and see the landmarks from different angles and travel down the pathways ...

Wearable Tech: Taking Education by Storm https://elearningindustry.com/wearable-tech-in-the-classroom-taking-education-industry-storm The information that most struck me here was the information about Google Expeditions. They even mentioned an expedition to Ancient Egypt which is a perfect match for my curriculum! They also mentioned a Google Expedition to Mars, which would be a great connection to our science curriculum.  If I could find funding, perhaps through our school district's Foundation, using Cardboard in more than one class could help strengthen my case for spending the money.  There was also an Expedition to Edinburgh, UK to the National Museum in Scotland to visit the Ancient Egypt exhibit.   As I was reading and picturing this in my classroom and on my academic team, I did think of some challenges. Many of my 6th graders have their own cell phones that they could insert into the Cardboard devices, but some do not.  I would have to come up with a COVID compliant plan t...

5 Ways to Use Wearable Technology in the Classroom  https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2019/12/15/wearable-technology-in-the-classroom/ This article talked about using Google Cardboard which is a simple form of virtual reality glasses.  It is a simple foldable cardboard box that looks like a pair of VR glasses.  In the back of the box, there is room for a smartphone that can run an app such as Google Expeditions.  Using the glasses eliminates the distractors of the environment around the user and helps to immerse them in the experience/location/museum, etc.  A 2-pack of glasses costs $25 on Amazon.  As I consider this for next year, I realize that we will still have some COVID restrictions in place which may necessitate one Google Cardboard for each student.  I anticipate having about 100 students on my team and Everythingpromo.com sells 100 for $238.  There is also technology to help them create their own virtual spaces.  As I read this, I thought about the endless possibilities for my a...

10 Characteristics Of A Highly Effective Learning Environment by Terry Heick https://www.teachthought.com/learning/10-characteristics-of-a-highly-effective-learning-environment/   This article reinforced some of the learning I believe is happening (or at least I think is happening) in my classroom environment. I want my students to ask questions. I want them to ask questions that I may not even know the answer to. The subject that I teach has awkward, sensitive, and embarrassing content, this is an area that is hard to achieve. I do offer a question box that students can ask anonymously. The box is usually empty.  I may have to try using technogly, where they can ask from home and still be anonymous. Since my subject area is always changing, many times I do not have the answers and I let the students know when I do not know the answer. At times we can find the information together or I will try to find the answer by the time I see that student again. I agree the learning should ...

Amy-Ted Talk How wearable technology will change our lives The smartphone gave us the ability to connect to human knowledge anywhere we went. But the question: “What’s next,” was right around the corner. One of the most important trends that is happening around us is wearable technology. This technology will change our lives in a variety of different ways.  One trend that researchers have noticed is that in 5.5 years, 25 % of the U.S. will adopt wearable technology. And from there it will only increase.  We are in the fastest innovation period of history based on our technology and the trend it’s following.  Something that stuck out to me was when Gonzalo discussed the medical aspect of wearable technology. Wearable devices will allow us to make more efficiencies in data collection, which will allow doctors and researchers real time data to learn more about the body than ever before.   Wearable technology is opening the d...

20 Easy Things You Can Do For A Smoother Running Classroom contributed by Julie DeNeen and updated by TeachThought Staff https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-things-you-can-do-in-about-10-minutes-for-a-smoother-running-classroom Reading over this article, gave me some great ideas to try, lifted my self-esteem for the ideas that I already have in place within my own classroom.  I do believe though that some of these ideas are not manageable right now in the public school system because of the pandemic.  One specific idea is the format of the learning area. With certain restrictions on what is allowed and what is not, setting up the format of a learning area is now in the hands of the district.  I also think the pandemic has changed how an educator can decorate their learning space. One of the items to help make the classroom run smoother was limiting distractions in the classroom. Placing curtains or rugs may not be an option anymore. Having a personalized bin for students with tiss...

What Are You Going To Do To Inspire Students? by Terry Heick https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/what-are-you-going-to-do-to-inspire-students/ This article discussed the question' Is inspiration missing from schools'? It did not talk about wearable technology specifically, but I do see why it was on the list to read.  My thoughts are though, will wearable technology or technology, in general, be the answer to the question in the article, " Why don't students come to school inspired to learn"?  I am not sure.  Many thoughts on why inspiration is missing in school are mentioned in the article. It also states that we should focus on what we can change/control, the curriculum, assessments, and the instruction instead of playing the blame game.  As educators, most focus on what can be monitored and what is required of them. Trying to inspire a classroom with many different personalities is not usually what is monitored. I agree with that. We are asked to do so much i...

Amy- Five smart ways to use wearable technology in the classroom The purpose of this article was to share ideas about ways we can use wearable technology in the classroom. I find my brain tends to veer towards iPads probably because that was the first big technology push I needed to learn as a new teacher 11 years ago. This article was informative because it opened my eyes to other ways we can use technology, not just by using an iPad. While my friend, Lauren, has a GoPro and we used it on our vacation to record all the fun we had, I never thought about using it in the classroom. However, it’s an incredible idea that captures the student’s point of view. One concern that I had with wearable technology was my age group, Kindergarten students. But by strapping this on, they don’t have to worry about setting up a camera and can get going right away in an almost completely, independent way.  

Amy- 20 Easy Things You Can Do For A Smoother Running Classroom This was a quick read which gave suggestions and ideas about how you can setup or manage your classroom. After teaching so many years, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut doing the same thing we’ve been doing for years. A few suggestions included furniture setup, ways to best manage time, and instructional techniques. While it wasn’t specifically tech-related, it did offer me some time to reflect on my own classroom. The first suggestion was: “Set up your classroom in an ‘active learning’ format (15-30 minutes). If your room allows it, arrange the desks in small groups with no obvious front. You can do your instructing from the center of the room instead.” This type of arrangement is something that I am committed to try out. Before the pandemic, we received new furniture to help aide in the flexible seating model such as wobbly stools, dry-erase board tables, rocking chair...

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/21-simple-ideas-to-improve-student-motivatio/ It is important that teachers are always working to motivate students to learn, grow and work at their full potential. I love that this article offered so many useful suggestions on ways to do that. Using positive competition is a huge motivator with middle schoolers. They love small rewards or even just bragging rights to be the winner of a competition or game. Competition can push students to stretch themselves, work harder and excel. It can also help foster a classroom community, as long as competitions remain respectful and friendly. Positive competition also ties in with tracking student progress. Most students want to do well and want to achieve and improve. A way to motivate students to compete with themselves is to track progress, share progress and celebrate any improvement or achievement, no matter how small. This pushes students to work harder and can help them really see how far they have co...

https://www.teachthought.com/learning/10-characteristics-of-a-highly-effective-learning-environment/ As I began reading this article and came to '10 Characteristics of a Highly Effective Learning Environment', I decided I would use it as an honest checklist for my own classroom. And if I'm being honest, I'd say that my classroom is functioning at about 6 out of the 10 characteristics. After reading over the 10 characteristics, the one area that I could certainly work to focus in my classroom is questioning. I don't know that my students often ask 'good' questions. As an ELA teacher in a 53-minute period, responsible for all reading and writing standards, I know that many of my lessons move quickly as I have so much content to cover. While many students ask questions in my classroom, I don't know that they are necessarily 'good' questions. Asking 'good' questions connects back to creating a classroom environment with a risk-reward procedur...

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/what-are-you-going-to-do-to-inspire-students/ (I think) Most people chose education as a career in hopes of touching the life of at least one student. The article begins by saying that we have failed to inspire students and teachers. But my first question was who is "we"? I was hoping that the article was going to provide a theory or idea to answer the question, "Why don't students come to school inspired to learn?" Instead, the article presents many questions worth considering and asks the reader to come to her own conclusion. How does a teacher consistently model curiosity? Maybe students are just spoiled? Is it technology? Are parents or teachers to blame? I like to believe that I inspire my students – or at least some of them. And I know that I have – whether I have inspired a student to enter a poetry contest, write a story, try out for a team or just stay true to their authentic selves. But I know that the students th...

https://www.teachthought.com/technology/36-ways-to-use-wearable-technology-in-the-classroom/ Last year, my team and I taught an Arabic-speaking student who moved to the United States from Egypt. The most useful way to have used wearable technology in my classroom would have been as a translator when she first began school with us and feeling very overwhelmed with all of the change. Other very useful ways to use wearable technology in the classroom is to create demo videos to which students can refer. This is particularly useful in a class such as math or in a multi-step lesson. This allows students to refer back to the video if they find themselves lost on the next step. I also loved the idea of monitoring students during field trips, especially those in a large space such as a zoo. Field trips can be very stressful for teachers to stay in contact with and keep track of students throughout the day. I also like the idea of teachers utilizing smart devices to push information out to stud...

How to Have a Smoother Running Classroom – 20 Things You Can Do In (About) 10 Minutes for a Smoother Running Classroom --  https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-things-you-can-do-in-about-10-minutes-for-a-smoother-running-classroom/ While I pride myself on my classroom management, I am always open to learning new strategies to help my classroom run even more smoothly. Many of the suggestions involved things I currently do in my classroom. My favorite classroom management strategy that was suggested in the article and one that I implement every day is to stop starting the day or class period with roll call. I start every class period with "Good Things" where I pull a handful of names out of a cup of popsicles sticks and ask each student to share something good – big or small - going on in their life. Then we celebrate the "Good Thing" as a class. It is a quick and simple way to build a classroom community and positive rapport. It also allows me to get to know my s...

Why Some Teachers Are Against Technology In Education by Terry Heick https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/why-some-teachers-are-against-technology-in-education/ This was an interesting article for me because I am not sure how I feel about Technology in education. The author talks first about change that occurs in education, someone in education comes up with a bright idea and puts it in motion. Most of these "bright ideas" do not work out the way it was intended. For educators, it seems to be more work.  I believe that I fall into the category of the statement, "Technology seems all lumped together." Meaning social media, learning devices, Ipads and so much more are all under the same umbrella.  So learning your content area, the curriculum, teaching styles, and everything else with learning new technology, can be overwhelming. Those of us that are not comfortable with technology are the ones that would question technology more than those that are comfortable using...