Chris Toy

12 Years ago the laptops came to Maine middle schools and quickly changed how teaching and learning happened in the 7th and 8th grades and throughout the K-20 spectrum. I’m reminded of, then Governor, and now Senator Angus King describing how Wayne Gretzky dominated ice hockey by skating to where the puck was going rather than where it already was. It appears that the decade of laptops may be making way for mobile cloud-based devices such as tablets and smart phones. In less than half the time it took for laptops to displace desktop computer labs, tablets have been adopted by more than half the schools in the MLTI project, and that’s in addition to several elementary schools and high schools who have also “followed the puck” in a similar direction. So, an interesting question is, “What direction might the learning technology puck be pushed next?” One possibility is something called Google Glass, a portable, wearable, connected digital device that allows the user to interact with it using voice commands and hand gestures. It also has the ability to snap digital images and record audio-video clips hands free from the perspective of the user. As in the past, Google has rolled out a pilot program inviting a limited number of users, or Explorers, to experiment and engage in conversations about their experiences. After proposing to make “First person cooking videos” on YouTube I received an invitation to order Google Glass. You can view the early results here. It’s been very interesting and convenient. I no longer need to schedule creating videos around family and friends who are patient enough to point and shoot, shoot again, and reshoot multiple takes. I can do it myself! Google recently provided the first group of Explorers with three invitations to share with colleagues. If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities of Glass just post a reply with your ideas of how you might use Google Glass in your work, and I’ll forward an invitation to the first three responses. The idea is that you’re interested enough to purchase Glass for $1500. Feel free to post questions and to visit the Glass website here. Whether or not you are interested in buying Google Glass you can follow the conversation by joining the Glass group here. There are some great ideas and challenges being shared. And whether or not you are up for buying, where do you think the puck is going next?