Similar to most technology, wearable technology comes with many pros and cons. Especially, in teaching students. Kids can make things either succeed really well or fail extremely well and you can never know which will happen.
Some pros about wearable technology in the physical education setting is the lifetime fitness is can build a foundation for. In the fitness word, many different tools are coming at that track your steps, stairs, calories, heart rate and even your sleep cycle. These tools can be worn as watches, clips on your pants, or even in your shoes. If these tools are introduced in school, students will become familiar with them. Also, if students are required to have them for school, the dream would be that students would then be accustomed to having them for the rest of their life. This would hopefully lead to students becoming more healthy because of this installment. No physical education teacher would be upset if this happened. Also, it would be easier for physical educators to see if the students were being active throughout the rest of the week because their device would show.
Even though the pros sounds really great, there are some definite cons. One con is, the cost of these devices. In order for the devices to serve their best purpose all the students in the school would need to own one. That would cost a good amount of money, which with budgets not being the highest, are very unlikely. Another con is that, some students might not like the tracking of their every step. Some students may feel like they are being invaded or just not like to have every step recorded. If this would happen, students may be turned off of physical activity.
The biggest challenge, is that we never truly know how this could play out until we actually try. Personally, I would love for wearable technology to truly invade PE. My dream is for every student to have some sort of pedometer and for them to be able to recognize their fitness levels.
Some pros about wearable technology in the physical education setting is the lifetime fitness is can build a foundation for. In the fitness word, many different tools are coming at that track your steps, stairs, calories, heart rate and even your sleep cycle. These tools can be worn as watches, clips on your pants, or even in your shoes. If these tools are introduced in school, students will become familiar with them. Also, if students are required to have them for school, the dream would be that students would then be accustomed to having them for the rest of their life. This would hopefully lead to students becoming more healthy because of this installment. No physical education teacher would be upset if this happened. Also, it would be easier for physical educators to see if the students were being active throughout the rest of the week because their device would show.
Even though the pros sounds really great, there are some definite cons. One con is, the cost of these devices. In order for the devices to serve their best purpose all the students in the school would need to own one. That would cost a good amount of money, which with budgets not being the highest, are very unlikely. Another con is that, some students might not like the tracking of their every step. Some students may feel like they are being invaded or just not like to have every step recorded. If this would happen, students may be turned off of physical activity.
The biggest challenge, is that we never truly know how this could play out until we actually try. Personally, I would love for wearable technology to truly invade PE. My dream is for every student to have some sort of pedometer and for them to be able to recognize their fitness levels.