As the world around our schools change, as does our students. We need to take a hard look at the current practices that we feel are adequate, and examine them under a future ready lens. This lens needs to consider many elements, here are some of the guiding questions:
- Do your students make decisions that impact their learning path?
- Can the resources you use, be accessed on any platform? (Including what you see below)
- What physical changes can happen in your classroom to support this?
In my opinion, the next thing that will hit education is the wearable devices. Pictured above is a product that is available today. It is the Doki watch. Today, it is considered a digital babysitter, and it will open the door for much greater possibilities. This watch is directly connected with an app that parents can install on their devices. From there, kids can text, call, or video chat with Mom and Dad so they are always in touch. It also comes with GPS location so you always know where they are. Finally, this watch comes with an SOS button for emergencies.
I can see tools like this making a large contribution into schools. Imagine the possibilities of this in just Physical Education class. Here is what I see: Students walk up to a station and grab a watch. Once all of the watches are on, the station then projects up a teacher. This teacher is not in this building, but at a building nearby. The teacher begins by telling the kids about the game they are going to play, and the rules. Once he is finished, they kids start playing. As they play, the watches inform them if they are out, or in. The watches connect with the game that the teacher explained, and help to enforce the rules of play. While the kids are playing, the teacher is can do his own check in. He pulls out his phone, and open the app. From here, he sees and overhead camera view of the game being played, he also sees a scoreboard of who is succeeding, and who is struggling. Finally, he can see a chart, displaying real time BPM on each student. When the game is done, a horn is signaled, and the student places the watches back in to charge.
This is just one example that will present itself in the future. It is a major change, but one that is conceivable today. As technology growth continues to ramp up on its exponential path, possibilities will come up that the imagination cannot perceive. This shift
will happen, and it
will happen in the near future. Take steps today to make sure that your skills are essential, not replaceable.
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