The
prospect of integrating the technologies discussed in the New Media
Consortium's Horizon report into a classroom environment is both exciting and
intimidating. It is an interesting time
to be a teacher (or a prospective teacher, as it were) as we are on the cusp of
an entirely new generation of learning.
Technology has effected most of our lives in some capacity, and it is
vital that we integrate these new methods of learning into the classroom to relate to our students and capture their
attention. Conversely, it is natural to
be intimidated by the future as it could very well become a struggle to maintain
relevancy in a landscape that is always changing. Nonetheless, I consider new technology a useful, powerful tool in educating students.
Specifically, the wearable technology
described in the NMC report would be a huge asset to art students and any
individual studying the visual arts.
What
struck me as most fascinating from the report was the likelihood of incorporating
Google Glass and similar devices into the curriculum. When Google Glass first came on the scene,
the function that I heard most about was facial recognition technology. It would not be a stretch to carry this
technology over to the visual arts, so that students can identify the date,
style, and creator of a particular piece of work. If my students and I are taking a field trip
to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Google Glass could inform the students of
specific information and details about a piece that might not be obvious at
first sight. This could rejuvenate
anyone's interest and appreciation in a particular painting at a museum such as
the Met where a viewer can easily be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of artwork
before them.
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