What if you could know immediately after giving a lesson how students reacted to it?

Experts say an increase in wearable technology will make this a reality for more and more teachers year after year.

"As smartwatches, wristbands, headsets and other wearable products become more sophisticated, expect to see classroom networks of these “ultramobile” devices interacting with each other and enabling students and teachers to share digital information as never before,” says a new District Administration article.

According to the article, learning apps will soon be synced with wearable devices to offer teachers a whole new way to implement learning.

The District Administration brings up a recent trend that has captivated young and old minds this summer- Pokemon GO- and how wearable tech might be able to turn this trend into a learning phenomenon.

Learning apps combined with wearable tech could create a “Pokemon-like activity to get students up and moving around the campus,” said Robert Craven, senior director of technology at Tustin USD in California to District Administration.

The District Administration points out that while the increased educational opportunities are exciting, being proactive about security concerns is a must.

"The deployment of wearables will clearly have management implications for IT. For example, smartwatches might be included in district BYOD programs, meaning IT will need to be aware of the security and application management issues of these devices as well as smartphones and tablets,” the article says.

A recent report from Research and Markets articulated just how much wearable technology use is expected to increase.

Wearable tech, or specifically products that can be mounted anywhere on the body of a user depending on requirements, is anticipated tol grow in classrooms by 45.52% over a four-year period.

The report also brings up similar security concerns as seen in the District Administration's article. 

"Since wearable devices have wireless capability, it may challenge the security of institutional data. Data access protocols and physical controls may be compromised by students and teachers either intentionally or inadvertently,” the report’s summary says. 

Read the full article here.

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor

8/24/2016