A few days after our discussion on technology based classroom assessments, I saw a really interesting segment on the local Fox News. In the segment, the reporter profiled Nantucket Elementary School in Crofton, Maryland, a school that is using a device called a SMART notebook bracelet to send assignments, reading material, and long-term projects back and forth between home and school. The SMART notebook bracelet is an electronic bracelet that comes with a 2GB hard drive within the band. Selling for only $50, it is a relatively inexpensive way for a student to take information to and from school.
The bracelet unsnaps and plugs into the USB port of any computer. I think this is a great use of technology. Technology should be used to make our lives easier and more convenient. Imagine a child who struggles with copying down homework from the board every day. He/she can download the assignment and will never be at home without an assignment again.
Children today are very tech savvy and to keep them engaged in learning we need to come up with meaningful ways to use technology. With the SMART band, students can crate power points, interactive projects, and other more engaging learning tools. The developer of the SMART band calls the device a Digital Portfolio. The student can save work on the band for the entire quarter and then give the device to the teacher to review and grade periodically.
The potential downside of the bracelet is that it assumes each student has access to a computer. In these tight financial times, educators cannot assume such access. The question becomes does the school system provide the computers for each student. This could be become a major issue that prevents widespread use of the bands.
The bracelet is in the pilot phase so it will be interesting to see the long range results. We need to make sure we are not using technology just for the sake of using technology. The SMART band notebook however seems to have real benefits for student learning.
References:
Retrieved from:www.myfoxdc.com/.../md-students-have-schoolwork-on-the-go-with-smart-
Information on the SMART Notebook bracelet,
http://smarttech.com/us/Solutions/Education+Solutions/Products+for+education/Software/SMART+Notebook+collaborative+learning+software/SMART+Notebook+SE+collaborative+learning+software
Hi Stacy,
ReplyDeleteWow – what an interesting blog post! I have never heard of the SMART Bracelet notebook. So it’s basically like a thumb drive worn on the wrist? Does the teacher have a special set-up for loading information to the bracelets? Do the kids load info as well? I will have to look at the links you mentioned. While one would think the bracelet would prevent a lot of lose-the-homework problems, I can also see where some kids out there might actually lose the bracelet itself. I also wonder if some parents would prefer to look at emails or paper copies of day-to-day correspondence. I think you make a great point about being careful not to use technology for its own sake. Although the SMART Bracelet notebook certainly appears to have potential as a useful tool, I wonder if using online storage and group access (kind of like the elc) might serve the same purpose and eliminate the losing-the-bracelet issue.
Thanks again for the great post!