Learning is Change

I am excited to see how we will use it, but I found this article rather helpful in pulling together my thoughts.

Seeing the Classroom through Google Glass | EdSurge News

Using Glass for Reflective Practice I was excited about getting a hold of Glass, but unsure how I would use it as a meaningful tool and not just a fun new toy. I asked students around the world, who suggested activities like recording a school day to “show people what we do,” wearing Glass on the swings or in the garden to document hands-on activities, and using it to teach someone how to ride a bike. The ability to be hands-free has been a huge asset in the classroom as I can capture the work we are doing and my own teaching without having to stop and stand behind a camera or my phone. I started to see the potential for seamless documentation where I could reach up and tap the camera button to snap a photo or start a video while talking or even showing the kids something with my hands. At first, Glass was a distraction. Students would stop their work and run over to ask questions and try to touch it. But over time, they grew accustomed to the device and Glass simply became just another accessory to my outfit. I began to use Glass to document a range of activities from a student field trip to projects like making a silent movie. I’ve also used it as a way to record and observe my own teaching practices. For lessons that I teach multiple times, I have been able to review my Glass recordings and then adjust how I teach them with the next group. One example is our first grade keyboard project, where each student typed a key in Microsoft Word, printed it out, and assembled them as a group into a full keyboard. I used Glass to help me capture and later observe which students struggled with inserting a shape or changing the font size and I changed my instructional language to be more specific or to add more details. I documented students cutting out the numbers and letters and attaching them to plastic containers that would make up the keys. Watching the Glass videos, I saw that it was hard for students to wait for their turn to put their key up on the bulletin board so I added more questions about where certain keys were located or how to make certain symbols (e.g., shift + 1 makes “!”) to keep everyone engaged while we worked. This is just one example of how Glass can document student activities and interactions that can be easy to miss in a bustling classroom.

lauren mccarthy

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