Wearable educational technology can increase ability of a child to interact with environment more naturally, at the same time being innovative and creative. Students can now get a hold on information without any obstacles. This technology will change the way we work, live and not just learn. The positive side of it is that devices are really lightweight. What will all of this mean for the teaching and the future of education? In the age of technology, in which we are today, government is constantly investing and increasing the production of wearable gadgets and indeed they are on the classroom horizon too. Just 2 years ago the market for wearable technology was estimated in worth over $9 billion dollars, with almost 60 million devices shipped worldwide, and it’s only expected to grow even more.
But, the question is, are students really prepared for this kind of level of communication and level of access? Do we need to embrace it or control it? We need to consider what would be the needs of teachers once this kind of technology gets implemented successfully. Teachers have to be able to maximize the potential of technology in order to deepen or accelerate the students learning. But for this to happen districts have to invest really extensively for fully professional development of teachers. People who adapt to this technology early will have it more easy then those who will require great deal of training. As the few years in the past showed us that we should not turn on a blind eye from advancements in the field of educational technology we must also focus on how the students are learning and interacting in the digital world. Many teachers are fast when it comes to including technological habits on classrooms, but sometimes the change can be really slow.
Some of the wearable technologies that could be used are Google Glasses, Smart Watches, Keygloves and headsets for virtual reality. If you wonder what they are used for well, Keyglove are form of wireless gloves that are being used in design, art, music, gaming, control of devices and gaming too. Glasses for virtual reality are giving students close experience and allowing them to have object interaction in the environment. Google Glasses allow teachers and students to take pictures, search, record video and even translate and answer questions in different language. There’s even application that will allow students of medicine to watch different real time procedures.
Seeing how far we came with technology I can recall Walkter Cronkite that was filmed in 1967 where he stated that our homes will be transformed into computerized or virtual communication console which will only grow being more impressive. Anyway, history has shown us that each new technology sooner or later reaches mass consumption and spills in every part of society, including education. It’s predicted that the market for wearable technology will be well worth over $12 billion dollars by 2018. But the real question still remains and that is, whether or not schools will be able to accommodate wearable educational technology and connectivity.
