We have been asked a few times recently about the new Apple watch and how will this impact on our school apps and in education in general.
My stock answer has so far been, "No use at all, it only does what a phone can do anyway"
It feels like a bit of a cop out to just say that there is little use of a watch like this in the class room, two of the biggest hurdles being the cost and the fact that any watch user also needs an iPhone.
However that aside and assuming that every student in the class is wearing one, I thought I would explore some ideas.
Physical education
Perhaps the most obvious application is in the school gym. Students monitoring their own heart rates, to check they are getting enough of a workout. Combine this with measurements of movement or geolocation and you can start to build up a detailed picture of cardiovascular performance over time.
Class room tests
I don't mean actually doing a test or an exam on a watch, but monitoring heart rate throughout the test, (perhaps the test is being taken on a linked iPad) to see which questions cause the students most stress.
Getting students to their next class on time
Using geolocation to make sure students are in the right place at the right time. Sync this with your MIS timetable which triggers individual notifications if a student is likely to be late.
Making sure pupils are present on the school grounds
OK so this one could be done with a phone, but I thought it was worth a mention.
Making sure students are moving around enough
Studies have shown that our lives are becoming increasingly sedentary, and perhaps schools have their part to play in redressing this imbalance. Apple watches already have apps installed that can track and log your level of activity throughout the day, perhaps good habits taught in schools could offer benefits thoughts a child's life.
So after some thought, I think I may be revising my answer to schools, at the moment it is too expensive to consider but within the next few years as prices come down wearable tech could make a real contribution to a childs learning.