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So yesterday I started looking around in Google Labs. I tend to look around there every once and a while to see what’s new.
Posted is a feature that I never had saw before, Google Voice Local Search.
Google Voice Local Search allows you to call 1-800-GOOG-411 – say the city and state, then the business, or category. Then Google returns the phone number, and if you want details, you can get an address too.
First of all – I’m sure that the voice recognition technology is not really that new – but won’t this help make that technology better. This technology – while employed in a limited scope at this point – there are always future possibilities. If a learner could say a word and have options presented to them… it could open up exploratory learning in a whole new dimension. I haven’t sat and just thought about possibilities, but I’m sure I could come up with a number of potential opportunities.
Second- it’s free (as for now). I’ve never before used 411. I think the price is too high, and never had a need for the service. Using Google’s free service, I think I can find a use or two now.
Like I said, sometimes Google is so cool – Google 411 is cool. Now, if we can just help Google to look towards helping apply their cool technology to improving education.
So today I received a frantic message from my wife about how she was going to buy a new vacuum. We have been talking about this purchase, and decided that no -we would wait. So in the middle of giving a training a voice mail is left – and poof the decision is reversed. Frankly, I’m glad, the floor was taking a beating and the the old vacuum just wasn’t cutting it.
This post is not about the decision to buy the vacuum, it’s about the actual vacuum. We’ve been looking at several different brands. Sara’s brother, who has just started selling Rainbow vacuum systems, even came and gave us a demo. We’ve talked to relatives – and finally decided that we wanted to try the Dyson vacuum system. I’ve resisted for a long time, plus we’ve never really been positioned to spend so much on a vacuum. After replacing multiple vacuums, it was time to do something.
As I gain more experience in instruction, training, and design – I become more and more sensitive to design.
Day 1 – the Dyson has impressed me. There is something edifying about the experience or vacuuming with it. Maybe because our old vacuum wouldn’t pick up anything – I have really enjoyed the tactile feel and the way I can visibly see dirt being removed.
It seems that are also a good number of user centric features. For instance – instead of having to carry the vacuum up the stairs to clean the stairs – they built a longer hose (my wife said 17 ft, though I haven’t verified) that doesn’t seem to loose suction. Make sense. It seems to run more quiet then other vacuums I’ve owned. A canister that emptiness from bottom. Smooth lines and curves – it’s actually more attractive then most vacuums I’ve seen (our is the yellow one).
I think Dyson got a lot right.
The New York Times is reporting on schools that are dropping laptops from the classrooms [Read the article].
There are lots of reasons for dropping laptops – the cost of keeping up with the technology- not only the computers but the infrastructure to maintain the usability of the equipment. Some are critical that more students are using them fun and personally use – much more than learning. I think all of the criticisms are fair… technology certainly has it difficulties.
I wonder though, what are we loosing by giving up on using technology in the classroom. One of the major criticisms is that scores of the students haven’t improved – measuring performance should be a critical consideration (although it would be interesting to see what tools are being used to measure performance).
Unfortunately, I wonder if the school systems have adequately prepared the teachers for using technology in the classroom. Please don’t take this wrong – I have a great deal of respect for the abilities of teachers – but I know a good number who aren’t ready to use technology in the classroom. One of my friends that teaches in a middle-school commented to me recently that he was the first teacher in his school to even have a website. Why doesn’t anyone else have a website at his school – they don’t know how. That’s one problem. Compounding the problem is the issue of time. Teachers seem to have way more to do than time permits – so on top of everything else they have to become experts in teaching with technology.
My favorite quote from the article:
“The art of thinking is being lost,” he [Tom McCarthy] said. “Because people can type in a word and find a source and think that’s the be all end all.”
Hmmm. Maybe, but regardless of technology (pen, paper, laptops, 3-D immersive environment) critical thinking is challenging to think. But, it seems that technology could be valuable in assisting with this… but by no means should we expect technology to do the job.
Perhaps we should:
Probably lots of things we can do- but before we get up on technology in the classroom – maybe we should look at the bigger systemic issues and see what we can do -since technology isn’t really going away anytime soon.
I just read an article in the New York Times [check it out] on the newest video game – that instead of a controller is a bike that the preschooler pedals. Now without totally destroying the merit of the idea, I can definitely see the need for such a device… because some movement and exercise is better than nothing, right?
Having young children myself I can imagine the desire now…
“Dad, can we please get that bike? So and So has it and they can do x, y and z with it….”
For a little while it would be cool as they pedal and explore, but then like most toys it would get old…
Okay – beyond that even – what about the learning aspect of the games? I’m no expert in learning associated with movement, but it seems that we’re trying to cross several different paths of the education experience – pedaling and learning letters, numbers, math, etc… I know my 4 year old is really just figuring out the riding bike thing [how to pedal, steer, get up the hill, etc...) - I'm not sure that riding a faux bike will help learning.
It seems that the load on the little learner to divide tasks and keep focus on more than one seems to limit learning more than help. Maybe all of those of us with kids should try to spend a little more time reading and working on numbers, or going outside and playing with the kids, rather then leaving it up to a bike to teach.
When they get the game that teaches kids to ride without training wheels - I'm in.
Edit: I just read a post on a blog from Christian Holljes [ Read his post at Not a soccer mom ] who invented this product. He says,
“I invented this product and licensed it to Fisher Price because there are 12million obease children and lots of stupid videogames. Little children can be active while learning…how is this sad? This does not replace a regular bike or other activity games but as we developed this we can see the immersive quality and fun that can be derived for pedaling and turning to learn and think.
Latest research indicates that we learn best while active. This is a good thing and very much needed!
Christian Holljes
president
Newgent, Inc.”
I’ve asked for more info on the research, we’ll see what comes back….
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I am a fan of technology. I love that I can reach out and have millions of pieces of information at my finger tips. Technology is a great thing – except when it’s not.
The last few days I have been fighting with technology – mainly my work computer and have lost several (8 +) hours -and it sucks. I am not a programmer, and as much as I like technology – my abilities are limited. During this fight it is has given me an opportunity to think about the use of technology in learning
I believe though there is a disconnect between learning and technology – and we have become so dependent on technology – that we sometimes forget the nuts and bolts of learning… we forget that learning is primary and the tools are secondary. In fact, I think sometimes we spend a lot more time thinking about the tool then the content.
I will admit that the delivery, the methodology, the tools that are used to provide access to the learning are important – but what if I deliver junk? The learner won’t care whether they were in the classroom, in a virtual environment, a simulation imitated the real environment near perfectly, or it was written on a piece of paper. Content is still KING, and its time to remember that tools are great (love them!) but let’s make sure we’ve got the content solid- and deliver in the way that is going to make the most from the best and most appropriate tool.
