Wearable Technology

Wearable Technology is the "promise" of the future. Google, for example, has released Google Glasses, and the prediction is that they will be widespread in the next few years. Wearable technology is essentially a computer that one can wear. Google glasses are able to record videos and pictures. They can give text notifications, they can bring information right to the eyes. It is activated through voice command.
Wearable technology, such as Google Glasses, seems scary. Perhaps that sounds old-fashioned, to be afraid of new technology, but to me it sounds like a whole redefining of what privacy is. There is so much room for someone to be invading your personal privacy without even know it. Can these glasses record videos and photos without anyone but the wearer knowing? I would assume the answer is yes. Even with phones it's hard to know if someone is taking a picture or not.
Wearable Technology makes me imagine that there is no "unplugging". You can literally just walk around, hands free with your "computer" on and just one word away. You can take a photo or record a video with barely a blink.
Wearable technology, if it becomes the popular trend it's predicted to be, will change the way we view technology as a society, as well as how we define public vs private space.

Final Reflection Blog Post

Technology continues to leap forward, advancing faster than the average person can keep up with. The generation growing up currently has never known life before smartphones, tablets, and a widespread availability of free wifi. Kids are growing up in a technology-filled world. They learn to multi-task, watching TV, texting with friends on their phone, and checking Facebook on their laptops. As a result, kids are learning in a different way. They have a deep connection with technology, and can use it in a myriad of ways.

I’ve personally been very interested in the way that smartphones play a part in education. No matter what teachers want to say, it cannot be denied that smartphones are a factor in education. Whether a student is using their phone to research a topic in class or sneakily snapchat their friends, the phones have a role in the classroom. I wanted to explore the way teachers and students use smartphones in the classroom or for schoolwork.

I created a survey that asked three questions anonymously. “Do your teachers generally allow you to use your phone for educational purposes in class?”  “How do you think using your smartphone in class would affect your learning?” “Do you check your phone or use your phone in class for non-educational purposes (texting, Facebook, Snapchat, etc)? If yes, how often?”

I asked these questions of my Content class. In my content class, I have 26 students. 23 students answered in some form of “No” for the first question, with 3 students answering “Yes”. Out of the students that said “No” 9 of them said some form of “Sometimes it’s allowed if I ask.” So, at least at the high school I am in, students are generally not using their smartphones in class. Some students have used their phones on occasion, to look something up or to play music while they work. However, students are largely not using their phones as technology towards learning in their education.

For the second question, “How do you think using your smartphone in class would affect your learning?” I got a surprising result. I predicted that most, if not all, my students would want to use their smartphones in class and would consider it to be beneficial to their learning. Instead, only 12 out of the 26 students thought it would affect their learning in a positive way. The following response represents the way many of the negative answered, “Using my iphone would be distracting.” An interesting response I received was “I use my phone with homework, but I wouldn’t use it in class.” It seems that students associate their phones with their home life, not their school life. The students who thought it would be beneficial to learning said a few different things. One student said it would help to be able to access the internet during class. Another student said he/she listens better while being able to focus on something else at the same time. One students said that it would help him/her to look up words in class (I’m in an English class).

For the third questions, “Do you check your phone or use your phone in class for non-educational purposes (texting, Facebook, Snapchat, etc)? If yes, how often?” I received mixed responses. 14 students said they never check their phone in class, 12 students said they do check their phone in class for non-educational purposes. One student wrote that he/she checked at least once per period, if not more. The general response was a few times throughout the school day, but not every single period.

This survey led me to a few conclusions. First of all, not one student in my class said that they did not have a smartphone. Smartphones are everywhere. Students WILL use their smartphones, whether for educational purposes or not. I believe that smartphones could be used in an educational way.

Our school district does not yet have one to one devices, but it probably has almost one to one smartphones. 

In the article "Using Smartphones in the Classroom" written by Edward Graham, a teacher, Ken Halla is quoted, saying "Not every classroom can get a laptop every day, so [devices like smartphones], even if you have to pair up, become something useful for teachers."

Phones are a distraction, and they can be a liability (social media), however if monitored well, have the potential to be a great classroom tool. Students can use their phones to work together on Google Docs or online apps. Students can research topics. Students can look up difficult words as they read. Students can Skype. Students can use Google Translate. The possibilities are endless.

This question honestly did change the way I view phones in the classroom. By talking to students, I realized that there really is a possibility of phones being a useful educational tool inside the classroom, not just for homework. In the last week, I have started suggesting that students use their phones to help them write their answers to discussion questions. I tell them they can use it to look in the book only, not the internet. The students are able to access a free version of the book, and use Control+F to find the quotes they wanted to cite. I had only one group use phones, because I was just experimenting, and not ready to manage a whole class of phone-users. the group with phones wrote more, and had more insightful comments than any of the other groups.

Reflection on the class:

I learned a lot in this class. For me, the most valuable aspects were the conversations. I already have a pretty strong understanding of technology, but this class taught me to question norms. Why do teachers use technology, or NOT use technology in certain situations. How can technology not just replace something, but completely revolutionize different aspects of education.

One tool I really learned about was Google Drive. I was aware of the tool, but I had a simplistic understanding of it. Using it every week, I feel way more comfortable with it and actually use it in my everyday life now. It was not something I had any interest in before, but now I use it multiple times per day. I almost do not know how to function as a teacher without it. 

I also learned a lot about Apps. I know a lot about the fun apps, but I never really researched educational apps until this class. I think it's really good to be aware of whats out there, to be able to talk to students about Apps that could potentially be helpful for their education.

I also started following education blogs through this class, and I started reading http://www.edutopia.org/ regularly and have found it to be helpful and thoughtful. 

My vision of technology has changed more than I thought it would. I learned to question a lot more, and I broadened my perspective through this class. My Dad is a Computer Science professor at UCSD and this class prompted quite a few conversations regarding technology in the classroom.

Before this class, I had never heard of "flipped classrooms" or blended learning. I think that was one of the most interesting days for me. I initially felt really strongly against flipped classrooms, but it has spurred me to continue researching and reading about it. There is a flipped classroom at DPHS, which I have observed. I still feel a little skeptical, but I'm starting to see the benefits more than I did. 

I also realized that there is no stopping technology. It's "easier" to ignore it and keep things the way they always have been, but technology is advancing, and it would be a disservice to not allow technology into the classroom. Students are not going to ignore technology, and we, as teachers, should use technology to reach our students, as well as give them the best educational experiences we can.