Reflection

Assignment three was definitely on my mind since week 5. As this is my first course in the MET program, I quickly realized after assignment one just how much learning I had to do, and fast. I have spent a lot of time thinking about, and discussing with colleagues at my elementary school about technologies we use/don't use. Each week, when a new technology was presented in MET 520, I tried to look for ways that it fit into my teaching, or ways these technologies could transform teaching. After a few weeks of pondering, it came to me one day while helping a student struggling with their writing.

For a student with delayed fine motor skills, there are currently no ways for them to improve their writing independently while completing an assignment such as a journal. Over my 6 years of teaching primary grades, I have encountered students who get frustrated with their fine motor skills each year. I try to have them practice in their free time tracing letters on paper and Ipads, playing with play dough and other to improve their fine motor skills. In grade 3, when talking to student services about a child struggling to write, they suggested that by grade 4 and 5 they would be able to use text to speech apps. This doesn't help them with their problem either. The only way that I have had students with fine motor skill delays be able to write their ideas are if I write them on their sheet and they trace over or copy them. They were dependent on someone else to help them do their work. No wonder these students are frustrated.

After spending a lot of time exploring VR/AR/MR I realized that the answer is right in front of our eyes. By using the emerging technology such as augmented reality glasses, students would be able to independently write. After researching, I was elated to discover that Miscrosoft is launching Hololens 2 next year. Microsoft has taken a huge percentage of the educational technology market in the last few years. Microsoft has also announced that it is looking for educational partners such as Pearson books to create Augmented Reality apps for wearable devices.

Pros of my venture:
-Microsoft seems to be setting themselves up to take wearable devices to the classroom level. Pairing the Scribe Right app with Microsoft through a monthly subscription fee fits together seemingly.

-Research suggests that wearable devices are going to take off in 2019 and there are lots of rumours apple will be announcing a technology in 2019. More technology on the market would mean a lower price point.

-technology has earned a bad reputation for delaying motor skills in children, why not use it as a tool to fix the problem.

-Schools have been creating larger and larger budgets every year for technology, Microsoft even has education ambassadors in schools.

-As wearable technology gets cheaper, and there is an increase of students with delayed fine motor skills, I believe Occupational Therapists in schools will be stretched thin. Using Scribe Right, will allow students to work on their printing not just in their 20 minute OT session a week, but all the time in class.

Cons:

-Currently Hololens and similar devices sell for about 3,000 dollars. I don't think this is a feasible price point for schools.

-The technology is so new- we do not have research or recommendations of usages of Augmented Reality headsets on elementary aged children.

-Microsoft might be able to create something that works with Office 365 and Hololens for printing. For example, they already have the emergent reader tool.