How many of us feel as though we have left a part of ourselves when we leave our smartphone behind? Or that we are disconnected from the world when we don’t have our device with us?
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While I know that there are some out there who do not feel this way and still believe in the “old fashioned” way of things, most of us have moved forward to where technology has become an essential part of our lives. We live in times where technology is becoming not only something that we use on a daily basis but something that is becoming a part of us.
With the evolution of the smartphones and tablets we are more connected to information than we have ever been. We are quickly moving in a direction where we feel as though we cannot live without our devices. Technology is evolving so quickly that it is actually becoming a physical part of us. With how fast technology is moving they are quickly finding ways for technology to actually improve the human body. In fact, Ray Kurzweil in Futurist: We’ll Someday Accept Humans as Computers talked about how in the future it will be possible to see, “...nanotechnology -- microscopic computers -- that will be 1,000 times more powerful than human blood cells and injected in people's bloodstreams to give them superhuman endurance.” While this looks to be our future we do have some things coming our way that could be the next step in making technology a bigger part of our lives.
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If you’re a big tech nerd like myself, or even if you are not, you may have heard of the next “BIG” thing that is coming our way. It is called Google Glasses. Google Glasses might be the next piece of technology that you will be wearing that you can simply not live without.
As talked about in, Project Glass: An Extension of Self, Google Glasses is closing the gap between us simply using technology and it becoming an extension of us. In a class that I was in, we had talked about how looking at your cell phone while out at dinner is rude and there were various points of view on the topic. Google Glass sets out to help this and many other situations by keeping the user aware of what is going on around them and even have the glasses become a part of the conversation or task. In fact, Google Glass has already been used to show students in one part of the world an completely other place in the world in real time. The implications for this kind of technology is amazing.
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As we look to the future, we don’t know exactly how technology will become a part of us but we do know that it will become a part of us. For someone like me, and hopefully someone like you, this is very exciting and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
P.S. - One of the places that I get a lot of my technology news is www.endgadget.com. Feel free to follow them on Twitter or go to their website!
There are obviously good and bad things about technology becoming so intermingled into our everyday life and how we get through the day. I feel there is one thing that is already becoming an issue and something that we will have to experience a culture shift in before we completely integrate technology as a constant extension of ourselves. This is the issue of privacy. We are starting the shift but people will have to become comfortable with the fact that any time you are anywhere, people around the world could be watching and documenting your every move. I think eventually this will not even be a thought, and some people are already there. However I feel education is not there and this will be a huge shift. I believe there will be a time where students are equipped with something like Google Glass and come into class and school recording everything they see and do all day. Intrusive on the teachers? Maybe, but think of the benefit this brings to a student that really wants to learn and can go home that night and review the "notes" (video of that day) for a deeper understanding of the material.
ReplyDeleteBig Brother- Google? Your "Orwellian" hypothesis is truly riveting, "Big Brother" maybe 15 year old kids with Google glasses! WoW! But the opportunities to video tape lecture- heck to send one of your buddies to class in college with google glasses and you stay in bed! As a teacher, i am scared about 1 thing- it could transform the classroom into a cyber classroom, and I am glad that I am on the cutting edge, but I do like being in the classroom, working with students. The possibilities are limitless
DeleteChristian, I think that you brought up a great point about privacy. I believe that society is in limbo right now because on the one hand they want everything that they do to be private but on the other they want to share a lot of what they are doing with the world. This is very hard for many people because the only way to truly stay private is to stay out of the digital world which is near impossible. Sure, you can minimize your digital footprint but it is still there and there is still information about you on the internet. Try and Google yourself. If you look hard enough you will find yourself in either a picture or some kind of website. With that being said, I think that people are becoming more accepting of the fact that they no longer have the same privacy as they used to. Whether or not it is a good or bad thing really depends on the individual but the reality is that privacy is slowly but surely being eroded and eventually will be very minimal.
DeleteThese are great points, Dion. The lack of privacy is such a reality, one which I don't think our students truly understand! Maybe this should be our goal as educators, to make sure students are aware of the risks of publishing personal information and risky pictures online. I would be curious to see what other tech-savvy schools are doing to address these issues.
DeleteChristian, I agree that technology can be a marvelous thing for education. In fact, I try to integrate Google Docs and other things into my classroom. However, I have to bring up the fact that not all classrooms are ready for such technology. In my experiences with elementary age students, technology like Google Glass would be a tremendous disruption and an ineffective use of the product. I think we need to consider where and when this type of technology is needed...college lecture? Absolutely. Third grade science....never.
DeleteThanks Dion. Google glasses is phenomenal! The applications are endless. Technology is moving so fast,exponentially, compared to recent achievements. Nanotechnology, and real team integration is phenomenal, but the ability for us to manage this growth of technology is the real challenge. We have to be able to research and see what the benefits are, and if they outweigh the negatives, or are there any negatives? Regardless, the technology is impressive, and the achievements of Google cannot be underplayed. The question is - where does it stop?
ReplyDeleteI think that Andy brings up a great point about the exponential growth of technology and whether or not we are ready for what that technology will bring. As technology moves forward there are parts of society that are not able to keep pace which means, at times, negative consequences. The most prominent example that I can think of is the internet laws and Congress. Our lawmakers are so behind one making the necessary changes to laws that people are slipping through the cracks on a daily basis. The other problem is that I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon which means either we will have to adapt or suffer the consequences of our inaction.
DeleteI agree that we need to plan and look ahead but there's no way for us to know what the future will hold. I'm not sure that we could even fathom what is to come in technology, which in my opinion is OK right now. As long as we continue to improve and use technology to solve problems, I say we don't put a limit or try to pace ourselves. Fear of the future shouldn't comprehend our innovative and developing world of technology.
DeleteAnother aspect of this is that our laws and moral codes are not advancing with the technology. Privacy and copyright laws are archaic and outdated when looking at these new technologies.
DeleteAs I read this article, I couldn't help but place myself on the side of people who like things to be more traditional. I do believe that we should stay current with technology and embrace the amazing possibilities that it all can bring, but I have to ask myself, what will this fast-paced evolution cost us? I already see too many people with their heads buried in cell phones and tablets all day long. I don't see friendly conversation while waiting in line, or even much dialogue between family members at a restaurant. Placing the screen directly in front of your eye will not engage a person any more, as the Google Glass developers would have you think. I believe this particular technology will only serve to separate people more from each other by giving them a "private" movie screen or internet connection. I can only hope that while people use technology for good (i.e. medical improvements and education) it does not become an "extension" of ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly amazing how much technology has integrated into our lives! As I read through your post, Dion, I can't help but to envision what our classrooms look like when these technologies take over! Can you imagine Google Glasses in the classroom??? Wow! Kids could take virtual and highly realistic field trips to places in the world (or out of this world) we could only dream of taking them! Perhaps they could even interact with their environment, and even interact with people around the world. Cool! I'm envisioning the kids taking a virtual trip through a roller coaster, and the kids mapping out the acceleration and forces as they go! How neat would this be???? I wonder if there could be a way to make them feel the weightlessness on a Roller Coaster....I'm sure it's down the road in the future! The possibilities are endless.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to use Google Glasses! Kids are going to be very excited about the possibilities it offers.
DeleteWould love to use google classes in my classroom... especially because I do not take field trips often. We could have some awesome conversations about architecture and other world renown places to see that would be so worth seeing this way instead.
DeleteGoogle glasses could also lead to unbelievable experiences in global competency and global awareness. Next to physically traveling to foreign places and experiencing the culture first hand, google glasses will provide you with the 2nd best experience. Being able to speak with natives of other countries and see what they are seeing at the same time will be a much more feasible way to immerse yourself in another culture. Can you imagine linking up with someone wearing google glasses in the middle of a well known sporting event, foreign war, natural disaster or any thing else major you can think of.
DeleteAs I think about how technology is taking over our lives I think back to an experience I had this week, when I spent 5 days with 98 8th graders. At the airport after our first flight the kids, literally, ran off the plane to get to the charging station first. Today's generation does not know what to do without their devices. The students I was with could not imagine not having their device at all times, they even struggled to power down when we were taking off and landing.
ReplyDeleteTechnology clearly does not stop just because you are in the classroom. There are so many new things that we use in the classroom to enhance learning. Google glasses is just one of the many new things that will bring new life to the classroom. I look forward to using this in my classroom.
I totally agree!!! The students are soooo addicted to their devices!
DeleteThey do not have a clue ... about the following: respect and appropriate time for usage... etc.
I did have a couple students today that were 'confused' about when they could use their own device.
When we went into some of the museums to tour... they were more worried about charging then seeing what we were there for!
To me, these post are sad and scary, and I sometimes fear that I am following this path as well. What are we losing as a society as a result of this increased technology? With the wealth of information at kids hads, is work ethic falling to the side? Are we losing our ability to communicate verbally?
DeleteI agree Ben, I see more and more students who have issues communicating face to face. On a recent trip, I had kids texting each other and they were sitting right next to one another.
DeleteDion, I agree, the future of technology is really exciting, but it's also very scary. It is very scary to think about injecting any type of computer system into your body to enhance the body's productivity, as was suggested as a possibility with nano-technology. I have heard a lot about nano-technology and different technological advances that nano-technology could possibly lead to. It's incredible and also a little unnerving. The article that Dion referred to about accepting computers as human was really fascinating, but also kind of ridiculous. Computers may be able to recreate complexity of thought based on what we program them to have, but any human resemblance a computer might have is because it was intentionally given by another human.
ReplyDeleteThere is a book called FEED by M.T. Anderson that really follows the privacy aspect of this that we are discussing. All students have a "chip" in their brain that allows them access to limitless knowledge. Kids go to school to learn how to "manage" their feed. The book is a dystopian novel and the irony is that everyone becomes dependent on the Gov't, these large corporations, and their feed, making society much less educated. I fear we are following some of these warnings. Although the technology is pretty neat, are we sacrificing anything along the way?
ReplyDeleteIs this a book that you think could be read by fourth and fifth grade advanced readers? It sounds like a great book to spark debate.
DeleteDion, your blog post puts me in mind of deaf and hearing-impaired students I used to work with in a local school. All of the children had technology-enhanced devices to help them hear; many had cochlear implants, which are artificial intelligence and electromagnetic devices that are planted in the body. There are already similar prototypes for bionic eyes that can focus and send information about an image to the brain. The developments in nano-technology are fascinating. I can imagine microscopic computers circulating through the bloodstream to detect arterial and hear disease, and ones that help monitor if people on medication are on a therapeutic level of medicine. I have trouble discerning the difference between thinking about people being addicted to their tech devices, or if we are just adapting as humans, and our devices are just part of us now, like contact lenses.
ReplyDelete