Games Can Make the World Better

What an interesting video! I have yet a new perspective for gaming. This type of gaming goes beyond learning in the classroom, these are games that could help solve real world problems! I have never been a gamer or very good at games, but this idea intrigues me. I find it interesting with "the world saving games" that have been developed. I will try to share the "world without oil" game with my coworker who teaches environmental science.

One thing that I am guilty of as an educator is not giving my students the adequate feedback after assignments have been given. With games, this feedback is given immediately which is extremely important in the learning process. Can games merge with learning? I think they can, but it is much easier to think than see. I have seen the effects of simple games in my classroom, but I feel as if my games make students board after long periods of time. With games that have purpose, like the world saving games, I believe the issue of interests wouldn't be a problem in this case.

Urgent Optimism, Social Fabric, Blissful Productivity, Epic Meaning

In the video below you can find Jane McGonigal's thoughts and hopes of making games the way we solve world problems. The Urgent Optimism gives us hope on how games make us optimistic we can solve difficult problems. Social Fabric was described as how gamers can play with each other and develop such an interesting relationship and have a strong bond of trust. Blissful Productivity describes users spending countless hours trying to solve problems and investing their time in their virtual achievements. Finally Epic Meaning gives gamers some satisfaction and want to keep coming back to continue to raise the bar.

With all of the points that Jane has, I think it is extremely important to take gaming seriously. It makes so much sense that we could harness the use of gaming into real world problems to make the world a better place. I have questions about this technique though. What about more complex issues such as cancer research or AIDS research? Would we only target people who are experts in the area, or anyone in the world?

Click on the picture below to go to the video!

Traditional Designed VS Virtual Designed Classroom Instruction

After reading the two articles Social Learning Theory in Second Life by Michele Smith and Zane L. Berge, and Different spaces but same places: Possibilities, pitfalls and persistent practices in SecondLife by Julie Willems, I can see how my perspective of SecondLife for education is changing. In this post I want to reflect on my ideas of use of SecondLife in education after reading these two articles.

Traditional Learning

When I think about traditional teaching and learning, I think back to my days in high school. I can remember only being presented with facts and ideas and no real in-depth learning was taking place. Our school was in a very poor district with limited technologies. I rarely had a presentation by powerpoint and most of my classes still had chalkboards. If I were to go to a classroom 100 years ago, I would see almost the same thing. So, traditional learning has definitely made an impact on my life and how I view education. 

I feel that students can effectively participate in class if they are engaged, the material is relevant, and students are applying that skill or showing they can meet that objective. With traditional learning, many of these aspects are very difficult to accomplish. As a student, it didn't take much effort by a teacher to keep me motivated. That has continued with me as a college student and now a graduate student. I believe traditional learning is needed at times in the classroom, but for the 21st Century learner, traditional learning is a thing of the past.

Virtual Learning

This is a topic that I have some knowledge of, but only because of my recent assignments from FNDS 6223. Virtual learning is something that I had not imagined could be used in an educational sense. I see virtual worlds as a place for people to escape into their own land and dive into their interests. Both articles show benefits to using virtual learning with students, but we see that there is a need for more theory development and more study. Virtual learning can take you to places traditional learning cannot: vritual field trips, scavenger hunts, visiting virtual museums, and so much more. Is traditional learning effective in a virtual learning world?

From some of the pit falls found in Different spaces but same places: Possibilities, pitfalls and persistent practices in SecondLife . we can see some of the reasons why traditional instruction is not a fit. From students flying around during a lecture to others chatting back and forth, we can find the same distractions of traditional learning in the virtual world also. So, from these findings we can see there is more need for studies and instructional strategy related to virtual learning in virtual worlds. I plan to really think about how virtual worlds could be used in my biology classroom. I think Genome Island will be a great place to start!

SecondLife: Vist to Edtech Island

In this quest, I was able to invite my wife to help me. In this quest, I was able to visit Edtech Island. I really enjoyed the island and explored it before my wife arrived. I really think the gaming museum was the most interesting. I couldn't read all the signs because of my internet issues, but I saw many different games that have been used in education over the years.

Again, I am so amazed at how creative some of the users are to be able to create these islands and the components of the island. I built my box with no trouble at all, but I wasn't able to find the sand box. I did find an area of sand to build, but I didn't have permission to build there. So I moved to another part of the island, and finally I was able to build. My wife joined me and build her own box, but she didn't get in the screen shot because…..well, her clothes weren't fully loaded. Here is my box on Edtech island!

SecondLIfe; Exploring Genome Island

For this assignment, I wasn't able to find Eagle Island, but in a way, I am glad I didn't because I was able to stumble upon Genome Island. As you know, I am a science teacher, so this was obviously a great choice. I will highlight some of my thoughts and feelings below, along with some of my pictures.

First of all, I can't tell you how much fun this was exploring the Island. This Island was all about genetics and how genetics relates to the world. I even watched a presentation about new AIDS testing and how genetics is playing a part in that. I explored some of the labs that show different real world applications for genetic testing. I was so excited to see how SecondLife really could be used in education. There were so many hidden things such as a surf board and a cat I could chat with. I even got a chance to explore Mendel's pea garden! I wasn't able to complete the scavenger hunt, but I know how I could use this in an educational setting. Students could explore different aspects of genetics through the scavenger hunt but in a virtual world. This is AMAZING to me!

Some fun things I did was surf, chat with a cat, explore the laboratories, change the daylight from day to sunset and sunrise, and fly around the island and enjoy not bumping into things. I really do see how this could be used in education but I still have questions. Would I have to build my own island for my specific class? Could more than one user build an environment for an educational class? There is also the concern for child safety in SecondLife. The ability for strangers to chat and talk is very easy. There are also many different types of adult content that would not be appropriate for students or in an educational setting.

So, to sum up my visit to Genome Island, WOW. I really had no idea that I would have this much fun exploring a virtual world that isn't real, but is real. I can't wait to explore the island again and again!

Here are some screenshots I took while at the island!

Researching Virtual Worlds

With my first article, I would like to briefly tell you what it is about and how it can help educators in using virtual worlds in education.

"Technical Problems Experienced in the Transformation of Virtual Worlds into an Education Environment and Coping Strategies" 

by Murat Coban, Turkan Karakus, Asiye Karaman, Fatma Gunay and Yuksel Goktas

In this study, the authors observed Second Life and OpenSim. These two platforms help users create environments for others, anyone can join from access to the internet, and both have been used for educational purposes. The study helped researchers identify 5 themed problems with designing virtual worlds for educational use. The 5 themed problems identified were: 1) Physical environment in which the platform would be established, 2) The platform to be formed, 3) Design decisions, 4) Characteristics of the environment in which the application would be conducted, 5) End user. The authors point out that the platform limitations were the biggest hurdle developers faced when designing these learning environments. The authors suggest that instructional designers should look at these potential problems before designing material for learning purposes and work around them.

Coban, M., Karakus, T., Karaman, A., Gunay, F., & Goktas, Y. (2015). Technical Problems Experienced in the Transformation of Virtual Worlds into an Education Environment and Coping Strategies. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 18(1), 37-49.

"An Augmented Reality-based Mobile Learning System to Improve Students’

Learning Achievements and Motivations in Natural Science Inquiry Activities"

by Tosti H. C. Chiang, Stephen J. H. Yang and Gwo-Jen Hwang

In this article, the authors studied how augmented reality could enhance motivation in an inquiry based lesson. Two groups of 4th graders were used in the study, one control group and one experimental group. Students in the experimental group were given an augmented activity of plants and were allowed to use tablets and smartphones outside. The augmented views the students saw were text, video, pictures, and animations that moved as the tablet or smartphone moved. The experimental group showed increase in the following aspects of engagement: 1) Motivation, 2) Attention, 3) Relevance, 4) Confidence, and 5) Satisfaction. The authors conclude by saying they will continue to study the motivation of augmented reality and look into behavior patterns that are associated with them.

Chiang, T. C., Yang, S. H., & Hwang, G. (2014). An Augmented Reality-based Mobile Learning System to Improve Students' Learning Achievements and Motivations in Natural Science Inquiry Activities. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 17(4), 352-365.

Moving around: Second Life

I have really been intrigued by what I see in Second Life and I'm glad that we had the assignment to go to the "New Resident Island". I wanted to highlight some of the things I learned in this blog post.

I think second life is a great way for users to express themselves in different ways than they normally would in real life. I learned how to work many of the basic controls on the new resident island. I really liked the zooming feature which will allow me to take a closer look at detail as I look at the new signs that help me learn the game.

I also learned how to join groups. I am now a member of the new resident group. I will explore this farther as I explore Second Life more in time. Some of my other experiences is I LOVE to fly. This gives me a new view of the Island or where ever I might be in Second Life. I can get from place to place in a snap. Some things that seem to hinder my experience is the time it takes for the worlds to load. I this is not a major issue, but it is something that bothered me at first. I'm also nervous about what other people my try to interact with me in Second Life. But, just like real life, I can choose to ignore them and have my own experiences. This is a very social atmosphere, but I think I would prefer to explore Second Life on my own.

10 Best Gadgets

When looking at the 10 Best Gadgets, they all seem to have the same things in common. They are all wearable, or have something to do with vital reality or augmented reality. The number 1 technology on the list was a virtual reality product that makes user feel as if they are there: OCULUS RIFT. It is difficult to see how this technology works without actually using it yourself, but you can definitely tell that the users are certainly engaged in something that seems so real.

A couple of new wearable technologies that were listed are the Pebble Steel and the Intel Smart Earbuds. The Pebble Smartwatch as been around for a while now and is starting to have new functions like telling you when traffic is getting backed-up ahead of you, or when your tank of gas is close to being empty. Also with the Intel Smart Earbuds, we can see how fitness tracking can be done in a different place other than your wrist. The Smart Earbuds can track anything that most of the fitness bands can, but this device can track your heart rate in real time and can give you a detailed graph on your smartphone.

The other technologies listed were 4K televisions and video recorders and also a projector. The reason I connect these technologies is because of their increase in affordability. Technology is constantly changing and many new technologies are much more affordable which is great of the 21st century classroom. The way teachers present material is changing and if we don't use the technology that is available and affordable, then our students won't be engaged and they will tune us out and focus on what their interests are, such as gaming. What if we could incorporate video recording and ask students to make a move, then they could project their project to a 4K TV so the entire class could see? I believe our students can be engaged by all of these technology and I believe these technologies will shape future classrooms.

Rewarding the Brain with Games

As I go through the course, I continue to have new thoughts of gaming in the classroom. When I watch this video, I see how gaming could benefit me in my classroom. In our school in Baldwin County, every student has the opportunity to have a Macbook Air. The students use these computers everyday in my classroom. Time after time, I hear teachers talking about how the technology gives students the ability to do things they want to do, instead of their school work; such as playing games. That is where I want to focus this post; with the reflection of the video "Seven Ways Games Reward the Brain".

As Tom Chatfield explains how the brain wants to be engaged and excited, I think about students in my classroom. These students are no different than other people who love to play games. The games give them a satisfaction. They help the student to become confident and to continue. They keep students engaged.

Teachers get so frustrated when students are playing games rather than paying attention in class or doing the assigned work. With the gaming format in mind, what would my classroom look like? Would my students be engaged with my activities more than they are now? How could I reward students as they progress through the class? I believe all of these are questions that go through my mind as I think about gaming in the classroom. But, one thought that will probably always hold me back is this: How do I get students to the maturity level to move on to the next grade? In other words: How can I prepare them for college when no one else is using these engaging tools? Would it be fair to my students to learn this way and then, the next year, they are completely unmotivated and not willing to learn? 

I hope to explore these questions much farther as I progress through this class. From the video, I think about how FNDS 6223 uses a point system to gain a grade. This philosophy is very similar to my professor at the University of South Alabama, Dr. John Strange, in which he openly doesn't like grades.  He taught the class EDM 310 but is now retired. I believe if he could see what we do in this class, he would certainly approve! Also, badges and awards are a big part of this class that I do enjoy. I get the same brain satisfaction as Tom Chatfield describes in the video. 

I hope to continue to explore how I can incorporate gaming into my classroom, but at the same time, give my students the opportunities to grow and become successful students in future classes. 

Tactus Technology

The first time I saw the video, I thought this was a joke. I have never seen technology like this. With the Tactus technology, normal flat touch screens can become a touchable button in an instant. The best way to describe this to someone without showing them is it is like bubbles rise out of the screen right on tope of the keyboard of your smartphone or table. This is amazing! The makers of Tactus claim this type of technology allows users to become more focused on their writing than how they are typing. I just have a few questions about this technology. Does this new touch interface use battery or draw any power? I'm sure it has to, but this is not mentioned in the article or the video.

This technology can be used on more than just smartphones and tablets. The inventors of Tactus have been researching the idea of using this in automotive, aviation, and things such as gaming and remote control. The idea is that the surface can morph into many different shapes and buttons. I feel like this technology would be great in education and save some of the heartaches of the smart board technology that many have been critical of in past years. I can see students surrounding a flat table surface that projects images and shapes of different sizes and the students interacting with the bubble keyboard and moving objects around on this new and exciting technology.

Augmented Reality Post

Article Summary

The article I chose to analze is called "Interaction in a Collaborative
Augmented Reality Environment" by Holger T. Regenbrecht and Michael T. Wagner. This article describes ways to view objects in an augmented view. When researching the different articles for augmented reality, the authors make mention of the difference between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality ( VR), in which the VR is all considered to be in a virtual world and AR combines the virtual world with the real world. In this article, the authors show how one can experience virtual objects in real life. They show a "cake platter" model where makers are place on a turn table type object that marks where the 3-D object will appear. The only way to see the 3-D object is to place on special viewing glasses that allow you to see the objects. They also show how one could view an actual computer desktop (2-D object) along side the 3-D object with similar markers. The idea of this type of AR would be for meetings or presentations. The presenter could show an object or presentation in a meeting and allow users to turn the table to view the object or presentation. They could also see details about the object with the 2-D desktop right next to the object.

In education, I can see this being a tool in art classes, biology classes, physics classes, anatomy, engineering, and so much more. This tool could be used to show groups of biology students a species that they had never seen before. The object could be viewed from all angles and explored by students with the 2-D desktop right next to the object as you are looking toward it. In an anatomy class, students could explore different tissues and organs in a much different way. What if anatomy students had an augmented skeleton that had bones that could be analyzed right from the viewing glasses? Engineering students could view a robot model they had been working on before they actually build it. I think the list could go on and on for how this technology could be used in the classroom right now.

3-D Printing In My Classroom

I have a friend that teaches at a school where engineering is starting to become a huge deal. He went to special training for STEM education. His class is in need of 3-D printing so they can test out the designs they can make. Josh has shared many ideas he has had about 3-D printing, and one is printing robot parts that his students can design! I hope to give you a few examples that will help you see my basic ideas for 3-D printing.

For Biology

I, on the other hand, teach 9th grade biology and 10th grade physical science. For biology, I know just the way I could use a 3-D printer. My students have trouble visualizing DNA replication and protein synthesis. Sure, there are many models of DNA I could order and also manipulatives for protein synthesis, but none of them actually show the processes of these concepts. I could create all the different enzymes that are used to break DNA apart and place it back together, and I could make ribosomes and show how they read tRNA to make proteins.

For Physical Science

For my physical science classes, I could definitely use a 3-D printer.  Just a few weeks ago we were learning about simple machines. I really didn't have any material that was fun and active for my students. A 3-D printer would have been great for allowing students to create their very own simple machine! This would help keep students motivated, but also show them how simple machines are used in everyday life by building one.

These are two ways I would use a 3-D printer in my classroom. I still think that 3-D printing is too expensive for every classroom to have one. Would a 3-D printer be a technology tool that would benefit my classroom? Definitely Yes! To other teachers, this might be a different story. Maybe someone who wants to donate a 3-D printer to my classroom will see this post and send one to me!

Online Learning Trends

There are many trends that are current in online learning right now, and I chose one that I wasn't really familiar with to discuss here.

Cloud Based LMS

Cloud Based LMS (Learning management system) is a way for companies and cooperations to send teaching material to employees securely and through a cloud based storage system. When I first read about this technology, I thought systems like Google Drive or iCloud, but these services don't count as Cloud Based LMS. The reason is because they are not built specifically for learning material, they are strictly storage services. I think Google and Apple could use their services to implement LMS, but LMS 's are designed specifically for companies to instruct their employees. Without having to bring all your employees into a central location to teach them a new skill, LMS allows companies to teach and train from anywhere there is internet access.

Some benefits for this service is there cloud based system is secure and protected from outside users. Privacy documents or employee's personal information would be kept safe using these systems. The down side to Cloud Based LMS is their services cost for implementing, as apposed to Google Drive, which is free. Pricing fro Cloud Based LMS's have a huge range: anywhere from $300- $5,000 a month, depending on how many users you would like on your system.

Common Features

Most of the LMS's I have seen have a structured and easy user interface. The learning content is much like traditional online content with modules that can be accessed with learning material inside those modules. Most of them have quizzes and tests that can be assigned. They all have some type of communication between users and the facilitator or instructor. Some of these LMS's offer Gamificaiton to reward users for completing task. Litmos is one of those that offer badges and points to help increase participation within the LMS.

Conclusion

Cloud Based LMS is a great tool for companies, organizations, and cooperations to teach and train workers. They are easy to use and vital to many companies. These systems can be pricey, but many free trials are offered to present an organization with the best fit for them before purchasing. I must say that I have learned more about how training can happen with these LMSs. The big idea for these learning management systems is to cut training cost, give training material to employees easily and at all places, and also getting feedback from data collected from quizzes and assessments.

Here is a list of the most common Cloud Based LMS's:
The Ultimate List of Cloud-Based Learning Management Systems

First Second Life Experience

I have seen alternate worlds like this before, but have never really understood them. I think the best way to describe second life is a place where you can go virtually, and do anything you want. You can walk, run, or fly. You can sit, stand, or view your surroundings. You can buy art work. You can buy services just like real life. It is so different and so open, that I'm not sure if I will spend much time there just exploring.

I really do admire many of the people who create worlds and objects in SecondLife. They truly do have talent. I believe that very creative people will definitely enjoy this. I, on the other hand, have a hard time navigating through the world. I do enjoy being able to fly where every I want to go. Another thing users can do is interact with one another. I believe this is a cool feature, but I don't necessarily believe I would talk to people I didn't know in SecondLife.

I do believe this is a very interesting and great interaction with a whole new way of thinking about worlds, and what people would like to do in this SecondLife world that they wouldn't do in real life. I do believe this will grow on me as I continue to to explore and learn different things about SecondLife. And by the way, SecondLife ISN'T a game!

RealSense Technology By Intel

First of all, what is RealSense technology?

Looking through Intel's web page, I can see there are a number of different components to RealSense technology. The first component we will see is gestures. RealSense technology allows users to interact with their computer screen with hand movements, head movements, or facial expressions. The 3D camera built into the computer measures in three dimensions, allowing for more unique was of interacting with what is on your screen. This technology can also be used to recognize your face, which can unlock your user on the computer. 3D scanning and printing is all done with this new technology. Another component of this technology is depth perception. With similar 3D cameras, RealSense technology can measure and scale a picture's size. If you wanted to see the distance one object was from another, snap a picture, then allow the software to measure and present the distance on your screen. This is also used when focusing in pictures. The camera recognizes the layers in a photo and then allows the user to focus different areas of the photo. You can change the focus as many times as you want with one picture. Another way to use this technology is called Immersive Chat. This allows those in a video chat to wipe away the background in their camera, and replace the background with something else. This is like using a green screen, without the green screen!

What does this mean for technology?

I believe that some of these technologies are more practical than others. Sure, it would be cool to control a video game with your hands, but would it be useful for painting or sketching digitally? The only two uses I see for that function of the technology is gameplay and some type of drawing or painting app.

3D scanning and printing has increasingly become popular in the last several years, and I believe this is where Intel could really make an impact. If more people have the technology to scan objects (our even their face) the more likely they are to print something with a 3D printer.

Another way that I think this technology will change the way we take pictures is through the focus feature on a smartphone or camera. If you have ever taken pictures, you probably have seen the effect where part of the picture is in focus, while the other is out of focus. I really like this effect and it is sometimes hard to recreate with smartphones. With RealSense, this is a normal feature and can easily be done not only once, but change the focus many times on a single picture. This is a great idea and one I think with be integrated in to almost all smartphones in the near future.

Video chatting is a great way to connect with those who are far away or not able to meet with you face to face. Intel uses their technology to identify you in the video, separate you out of the shot and apply any type of background you need. There are other technologies that do this also (Photo Booth on a Mac). This is great when you want to meed with someone and present something unique and place it in the background. Also, if you were in a beautiful place on vacation, you could place your background with someone else and let them experience your surroundings without them actually being there.

What about Education?

I can see some uses for this in education. This would be a great way to engage students in collaborating outside of school to work on projects. Students could present their projects in the background in a video chat. Students could scan 3D objects and print them on a 3D printer without any extra software. I also thing students could be more creative with project building with these new tools at their fingertips.

Top Teacher Apps

I did some research to find the top 10 apps and narrowed the search down to 5 apps. I must say that my opinion of the top apps are different than most writers. So, I will give you a hybrid list of my favorites along with some others' favorites.

5. Class Dojo

This app is a behavior management tool that allows teachers to track and view behavior of students. Students can also connect and see how well they are doing in class. I like the fact that this application can be used on any device, not just a smartphone or tablet. This tool uses positive reinforcement to encourage students to continue good behavior. This app is free and available on iTunes and Google Play.

4. GoConqr

This app is new for me, and it was difficult to find any information about it. I learned that GoConqr was formally known as Examtime. This app allows teachers to build communities of learning material for students. From here, the teacher can share test pre questions, allow students to create mind maps, create quizzes, and so much more. Another cool feature of this app is it allows students the ability to prepare study time with goals and achievements. This app is also free and available on iTunes and Google Play.

3. TED 

I have always been inspired when watching many of the TED conferences and speakers. The TED app puts all of the wonderful speakers right at the finger tips of teachers in this app. There are hundreds of educational videos that can be found in this app. This app allows you to add playlists and bookmark videos for later use. This app is free and available on iTunes and Google Play.

2. Remind- Formally Remind 101

I have used this app for the first two years of teaching and I love it. This app allows teachers to send out reminders to students and parents of upcoming events and dates. I use this to remind my students of tests that might be coming up soon. Add your classes, your students enroll in your class, and then you are ready to send out reminders. The system works by sending text messages to your students, but the students never receive your cell phone number. The app works great and is free on both iTunes and Google Play.

1. Kahoot

This is my number one teacher app for 2014-15. I have not used Kahoot, but I hear so many teachers explaining how great it is to use in the classroom. This app allows teachers to create short, engaging review questions and display them as a presentation in the class. This will give students an access code to the survey or quiz. Students then are in the Kahoot and are ready to answer questions. The best way to explain this app is through a video, which I have posted at the end of this blog post. Kahoot is free to download from iTunes and Google Play.

VGo; Video on the Move

VGo First Impressions

As I look at the pictures in the article, I immediately see a use for this in schools. I can think of at least 3 students at my local high school who could benefit from such a unique and interactive accessibility technology. I can imagine myself as a homebound student who has been learning from home using a text book and being relayed watered down lessons from all of my teachers. At my high school, that is possibly 8 classes of work, tests, quizzes, and no direct interacting with any of my teachers. This technology could change that.

I also think that school systems and technology coordinators will opt to other means of communication instead of this technology. There are two very useful video conference tools that are free: Google Hangouts and Skype that can connect the student from home and to the teacher or class. I believe that the VGo definitely has some good qualities, but I'm not sure that most school systems will jump at this opportunity to allow their homebound students be mobile. If I were the technology coordinator at my school system, I would definitely take a hard look into this technology, but I believe Google Hangouts and Skype are better choices as far as cost and practicality.

What is required for a VGo Robot?

The VGo must be connected to the internet at all times. This is an important aspect of the robot, because if it is not able to get to class to class, then the interactive part for the student will be diminished. The VGo does offer connectivity to Verizon 4G and LTE, which could be a good choice if your WIFI connectivity in your school is minimal. In the high school I work in, the VGo would have little problems navigating the hallways, as our school's WFI infrastructure has been recently upgraded. A VGo robot can cost $5,000 with no extra add ons, such as extended battery life and 4G or LTE connectivity. There is also a service contract that can be purchased through VGo Communications.

To conclude this post, I do think that VGo telepresence is a great tool for homebound students who need social interactions with their peers and teachers. But, I don't think this is a technology that many technology coordinators will be willing to issue to their schools, especially if the school system is large. If you think about cost, in my school system there are 46 elementary, middle, and high schools. If the school system bought 1 VGo robot for each school, that would total to be $230,000. For smaller systems or just for a specific tier of school (ex. just elementary schools) this would make more sense. The VGo is definitely something to watch for in classrooms as technology becomes more mobile and more efficient.

Wearable Technology

Fitbit Flex

I must start my post with one wearable technology that I know very well and I own. The Fitbit Flex is one device that only has to be taken off if you want to charge it. It is a very small device that fits into a small wrist band. The Flex can track your steps, calories burned, sleep frequency, and exercise activity. The battery is not bad, with 5 days as a regular charge. The Fitbit Flex is a great tool for the everyday user who wants to become more active but still very useful to someone who regularly exercises.  You can sync your Fitbit Flex to your smartphone and the stats are displayed right on your phone. From your phone, your stats are uploaded to your online Fitbit account where you can view data in more detail. Here is a short video to give you an overview of the Fitbit Flex.

Here are some screenshots from my Fitbit Flex app and desktop dashboard:

I think the Fitbit Flex is a great tool to use in the classroom. I can see this being used in physical education classrooms as these wearables become more affordable. Students can actually track and monitor their progress as they exercise everyday at school.
Read this article to see how the Fitbit Flex has already helped one school tackle some health and fitness issues: http://www.gazettextra.com/article/20131227/ARTICLES/131229855

The Samsung Gear 2 

I have been thinking about smart watches lately, especially with the announced and soon released Apple Watch, but I have been struggling to find a connection with education. Since the Apple Watch still hasn't hit the wrist of consumers, I will focus on a watch that has.
The Samsung Gear 2 has anything you could want from a smart watch. It has a large screen, camera (Which is absent from most smart watches), and a good battery life (about 3 days). The Samsung Gear 2 has health tracking and a heart rate monitor, which seems to be the new standard for health tracking devices.

I can see this as a teaching tool more for teachers than a learning tool for students. As a teacher, if I need to lecture, I like to walk around the classroom to monitor what my students are doing on their computers. With a wearable smart watch such as the Samsung Gear 2, I could easily present a presentation on the smartboard and move from one slide to the next with a swipe of the watch, while at the same time, move around the classroom and monitor each student.

In terms of the students using a device like this, I believe many teachers will see it as another distraction, just like many teacher view cell phones in the classroom. But, I believe that if we can use these tools to engage our students, that is where it will be most valuable. Instead of saying, "OK everyone, get out a pencil and a sheet of paper for this check on your understanding", what if we say, "OK, I just emailed you a survey to see what you learned today, open your email on your smart watch, complete the survey, and then I will give you more instruction". I think the second statement is much more engaging for students in the classroom today, because they are all digital natives and use technology everyday.

G-speak Blog Post

G-Speak

After doing some research on the g-speak computer technology, my first impression is "WOW".  From my research, I can see that g-speak was created with a vision to take computer interfaces, and change them completely. Lets look at how it applies to the real world and how companies are using it now.

How it works

G-speak technology uses multiple screens, hand gestures, three-dimensional space, two-dimensional space, and physical objects to show images and data. Looking at the list above, you can see how different this interface is from normal operation systems that we use today; keyboard and or mouse. From the move Minority Report, the g-speak technology idea was shown, and today the very same concept and design is used. I think the best way to explain what g-speak looks like is to actually see it. Check out the video below:

Who is using it?

G-speak is all about the spatial environment in which the user can travel and move throughout the interface. The company that is offering g-speak as a technology tool is called "Oblong Industries". The Chief Executive officer  John Underkoffler says that in five years, when you buy a computer "you will get this" referring to the g-speak interface. Even though it isn't widely available to everyday consumers, many companies use these technologies. In cooperate environments, this technology is definitely useful. With deadlines and meetings across departments, there is a need for continuity among projects. Check out this video that shows the practical application of the g-speak interface.

Mezzanine: Innovate Your Workspace from Oblong Industries on Vimeo.

What does this mean for us?

As a teacher, I try to find how this can (and will) change the way I teach in my classroom. If the technology is shown to be as useful as the creators suggest, the possibilities in the classroom could be great. With Smartboards and Interactive whiteboards having mixed reviews, I believe this type of interface has something that can overcome the negative stigma that technology has in the classroom. For instance, students participating in a project based lesson could collaborate more efficiently through an interface like this to build a product or a model of a produce. Not to mention the level of engagement this would bring, students would be much more active in their own learning with this type of tool. I can see students in a classroom learning about biology with rich graphs and models of population economics or sunlight amounts projecting right along side of the actual entity the graphs are describing. As students search the globe, they can explore different parts of world with gestures and manipulations with their hands.

The Compute Stick

First Impressions 

Looking at the Intel Compute Stick for the first time, I was total amazed at the size of the device. It is hard to believe that a whole computer can fit in the palm of your hand. The Compute Stick runs Window's latest operating system 8.1(Windows 10 is coming soon) and offers 32GB of storage with 2GB of RAM. There are even ports for micro USB and standard USB. It is an incredibly small computer for $150.

It's impact on Education

I am trying really hard to find a place for this in my classroom, but I feel like there are many more options that are much more feasible. Let's analyze this…. In order for the compute stick to be of any use, you must have some kind of display. In most cases, you need an HD TV to display content from this device since it uses an HDMI port. Sure you can find a cheap HD TV out there, but you are now up to at least $250 for the Compute Stick and the TV. I believe that a Chromebook is a much better purchase for the money. The price of the Acer C720 Chromebook is $229. It is much different than the Compute Stick because it runs its own Google operation system. Google has its own document suite which is all saved in the cloud. The document suite (Google Drive) is free with 5 GB of free cloud storage. It has all of the functionality of a normal computer, it is just based online and needs wifi for its functions. This laptop is light-weight and very portable. Other options that make since are this Asus Transformation tablet that can convert from a tablet to a laptop with a full keyboard. The refurbished price for this tablet is right around $250. 

Here are a couple videos you can watch so you can see some comparison between the Compute Stick and the Chromebook.

Google Glass in Education

My Thoughts on Google Glass

When thinking about my first encounter with Google Glass, I can remember being excited about it but, on the other hand, I really didn't think that it would become something that many people used. I say this because of the shape and how it is worn. I remember the team from Google sky dived and parachuted wearing Google Glass, while at the same time they were streaming video from Glass in a Hangout, talking to a huge group of people as they were falling.

Info About Google Glass

Google Glass pairs to your smartphone for its internet capability and can also connect through wifi. You can't buy Google Glass right now, but when it was available, the price was somewhere around $1500. The battery life is a concern when thinking about purchasing one of these devices. It has a touch pad on the outside of the plastic housing, but can also be controlled by voice. I think that the hands free feature of Google Glass makes it unique. Google Glass can be used in the same way that many smartphones can now, but it adds another dimension when the device is hands free. I like the feature that allows one to translate objects that you might see. If there is something written in a different language, you can translate it by asking Glass to translate.

Google Glass in Education

In terms of education, I can see many ways it could be useful. Virtual field trips could be completed with hangouts from one person (or more) and streamed to a classroom to show many students at once the place one would be visiting. I can see science projects being documented as the student records themselves hands free preforming an experiment. If students are working on a task, and are not able to complete that task in school, they can complete the task at home and record using glass to show that they have completed it. I'm not sure if this is a device that will be affordable by many school systems as the $1500 price tag is a big concern. I would be great to get a class set of these and just explore to see what students can come up with in class assignments and projects!