PROJECT PLAN

INQUIRY MODULE
DANIELA FIGUEROA SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

DESCRIPTION
My subject area of interest is Secondary Education with an emphasis
in mathematics. As schools begin to integrate technology into their
curriculum, it is important to gain an understanding of the different
technologies which will be incorporated into my future classroom. I
would like to explore Internet of Things (IoT) because the
technologies in this category, such as Sphero Sprk +, appear to be a
useful option to teach students basic math concepts. Also, Virtual
Reality (VR) presents options to explore and interact with anything
up close. However, I fear that VR might serve as a distraction with
high school students.

SUBJECT AREA OF INTEREST

Since I was a child, I have always expressed an interest in puzzles
and riddles making mathematics my favorite subject in school. Math
class was always the highlight of my day, and I loved completing the
homework and tests. Also, one of my good friends who was also my
high school track coach is a math teacher which influenced my
decision to study math.
IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (AI)

In the IgnitED lab, I explored the Google Voice Kit because I have
seen some similar artificial intelligence technologies integrated into
classrooms already.

1. How do you think this technology will (or will not) change the
way people learn within your subject area?

The Google Voice Kit is a technology that is similar to Apple’s Siri or

Amazon’s Alexa. The system is designed to listen to a question and
give an answer back to the user. In math, it is extremely important
for students to complete as many practices problems as possible so
that they may gain a better understanding of the subject. However,
because the Voice Kit is designed to give answers, this means that
any student can ask the technology a question and it will give them
the answer. This will prevent students from mastering math concepts
because the technology provides assistance. Therefore, the Google
Voice Kit is a distraction and a way of cheating rather than a way of
assisting students in a math classroom.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology currently?

What advancements (technologic or otherwise) are needed for
this technology to reach its potential to transform the way we
learn?

This biggest shortfall of the technology is that students can

essentially receive the answer to any question they desire. Due to
this fact, this particular technology is not easily adaptable into a
math classroom or curriculum. This software needs to have a way for
teachers to regulate what answers students can and cannot receive
from the Google Voice Kit. Also, because the device is only good for
computing answers, it is essentially just a big calculator. Google

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needs to create an application for computers and tablets where the
answers to a question will be shown rather than just said. For
example, if a student were to ask the Voice Kit what the area of a
right triangle is, a visual demonstration and a short video of right
triangle area will pop up on the screen. With this added material, the
Google Voice Kit could be a valuable tool for any math classroom.

3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for good or

bad) outside of its original intended purpose? Do you foresee
anything we should be wary of?

As previously mentioned, the Google Voice Kit is a cheating hazard

inside of any classroom, especially math. This means that the
technology will be generating answers to students instead of
allowing them to learn for themselves. Math is a subject that most
students only learn and develop their skills by practicing problem
after problem. Therefore, giving them a device that could essentially
do their homework for them would negatively impact their grade in
their current course and in higher level math courses.

IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (XR)

During my time in the lab, I experienced and played a few games on
the Virtual Reality (VR) technology. I have always wanted to try VR
and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore the
application.

1. How do you think this technology will (or will not) change the
way people learn within your subject area?

Through the games I played using Virtual Reality, it occurred to me

that this technology could possibly be beneficial in the world of
mathematics. Virtual Reality allows for close up and personal

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experience with the app or game that is open. For example, I
entered the world of Disney’s Coco and walked around the animated
City of the Dead. In my opinion, there are many students who
struggle with geometry because there is no effective way to visualize
and familiarize themselves with shapes, angles, and lines. This
technology might help improve a struggling student’s understanding
in math because they will see and experience the object from a
different perspective.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology currently?

What advancements (technologic or otherwise) are needed for
this technology to reach its potential to transform the way we
learn?

This particular technology is rather expensive which would make it

difficult for school districts to purchase a large quantity of VR
machines. Therefore, schools would have to decide who gets to use
the technology and how long they get to use it. In order for this
technology to be effective, all students who are falling behind in
math need to have access to the machine to strengthen their skills.
Also, the VR technology requires the purchase of many other devices
such as television sets, extra remotes, and the purchase of all
applications necessary to teach the students. Overall, schools who
lack the budget to buy new textbooks will more than likely not be
able to afford all the technology required to operate virtual reality.

3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for good or

bad) outside of its original intended purpose? Do you foresee
anything we should be wary of?

Although intended to help students improve their knowledge of

mathematical concepts, VR is a technology that is becoming part of

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research, new careers, and college courses. Exposing kids to these
newer technologies in high school could possibly help them build
their skills with this device allowing them to have an advantage in
college and with job opportunities. However, like any other lab
experiment, there is always room for distraction. VR is indeed a fun
and exciting device to use, but there must be rules and expectations
set in place so that the students may be efficient with their learning.

IGNITED LABS TECHNOLOGY AREA (IOT)

Although there were several IoT applications that appeared useful,
Sphero Spark + proved to be an application that is appropriate for
some math levels. The application was easy to learn and control.

1. How do you think this technology will (or will not) change the
way people learn within your subject area?

Even though the application is easy to use, it does not mean it

should be used in all math courses. The Sphero Sprk + technology is
limited in what it can do. Although it would be useful for
demonstrating constant rate of change and outlining different
shapes, this will not be effective for higher level math courses. This
device is perfect for introducing elementary kids to geometry and
algebra concepts, but no learning would come from this device for
high school students.

2. What are some of the shortfalls of this technology currently?

What advancements (technologic or otherwise) are needed for
this technology to reach its potential to transform the way we
learn?

This Sphero Sprk + needs to add more features so that the program
and the ball is not just limited to changing the light color and moving

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around the classroom. Also, because the ball requires a flat surface
to function properly, classrooms would likely have to be rearranged
whenever the Sphero is in use. This could take up valuable time in
the class period that the teacher needs for the Sphero
demonstration. In addition to these shortfalls, price can also become
an issue. Although the Sphero Sprk + itself is reasonably priced, the
device is controlled by a remote that must be downloaded on an iPad
or a tablet. In order for every kid to experience and learn from this
device, there needs to be more than just one tablet in each
classroom. This would more than likely cost the school districts
money that they do not have.

3. Describe how this technology might be utilized (for good or

bad) outside of its original intended purpose? Do you foresee
anything we should be wary of?

Because each kid is able to take charge of their own Sphero,

distractions are inevitable. From a student perspective, I can testify
that when students are allowed to freely use these types of
technologies, many students often disregard their assigned task and
begin to use the device as they please. This could allow for abuse of
the technology and cause the instructor to fall behind as he tries to
gain control of the class. Similar to the VR, teachers will have to
create strict rules which the students must abide by if they wish to
use the technology.

RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS

With the world of technology evolving, it is important for schools to

begin implementing useful technology into classrooms as well.
However, the technology placed into classrooms actually needs to be
beneficial and well developed before we should expose students to
it. After viewing technologies in Internet of thing, Artificial

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Intelligence, and Extended Reality, I believe that there is still work to
be done to further develop these technologies before they are used
by students. The applications I experienced acted more as a form of
entertainment for me instead of a teaching method. I feel like we are
just adding in these technologies to our classrooms because we can,
not because we should.

However, if the technology is properly developed for as a teaching

tool, XR will incorporate nicely into a high school math curriculum.
For example, Virtual Reality was not originally developed to help kids
with math, but if it is studied and researched enough, an application
could be made to teach kids the ins and outs of geometry or algebra.
It can help struggling students comprehend difficult concepts
because they experience it up close and get to interact with the
system. It will revolutionize the way students visualize and interact
with math. VR could easily be placed in school disability resource
centers to help children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other learning
disabilities receive help in whatever subject they need, especially
math. As a student who was enrolled in my high school’s disability
resource center, I believe that by allowing students in middle school
and high school to have access to this technology, it would allow
these students to master concepts that they will need to succeed in
higher level math course.

PERSONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Although experiencing these three emerging technologies was

informative, they sometimes just seemed like a game to me. The use
of all three technologies did not necessarily improve my learning for
any subject, but it provided a fun interaction in a learning
environment. As a student, the only technology that I feel would
enhance my understanding of a subject is the Virtual Reality. Using
this device allowed me to experience something rather than just

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seeing the technology at work. I feel like sometimes these
applications would cause distractions inside of the classroom and
disrupt the learning environment. However, as previously stated, if
these technologies were tested and approved for classrooms, they
would all enhance a student’s ability to learn and improve their
understanding of a concept.