Chapter 5 - Outside the Box: The Google Phone Company and The Google TV Company- Q4

[Christopher Simpson]

Since the announcement of Google TV at the end of the chapter, Google was able to sucessfully create the service.as well as other similar servces.. These include Google TV, Android TV, and Chromecast. Have you used any of the three Google Services If so what is your opinion of them? Can Google "Smart TV" technology or another TV based streaming service (such as Netflix or Hulu) have uses in educational technology? What would thoose uses be?

[Alauna Thornton]

On Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 8:45:55 PM UTC-5, Christopher Simpson wrote:

Since the announcement of Google TV at the end of the chapter, Google was able to sucessfully create the service.as well as other similar servces.. These include Google TV, Android TV, and Chromecast. Have you used any of the three Google Services If so what is your opinion of them? Can Google "Smart TV" technology or another TV based streaming service (such as Netflix or Hulu) have uses in educational technology? What would thoose uses be?

 I have not used these services.  I do use Netflix and sometimes Amazon to watch movies.  So, I decided to find out about Google TV, Android TV and Chromecast.  What I learned is that Google TV is an over-the-top platform designed for those who want to use a remote control or keyboard interface that lets users watch YouTube or user-generated and consumer content.  I believe the intent of Google is to provide online content available on our living room TVs and more.

Knowing this alone, I would say yes they would have uses for educational technology.  One reason is because anything that enhances the view process can benefit the educational process and create a richer experience.  I have personally used Netflix in my classroom to show documentaries about nutrition and our food chain.  Students often reflect that their viewing the content was life changing for them.

What I learned about Chromecast is a piece of hardware. It is an on-the-go streaming fix for watching content.  I also learned that iPhone 6 can be used alone with the Chromecast to stream content.   With a device like this, I believe several types of content could be streamed to benefit the education. Some uses might be training videos,  creative summarizations of what was learned, science labs or cooking labs.  

[Christopher Simpson]

I would agree with you that "Smart TVs" allow for the streaming of many types of content. I think the biggest benefit with devices such as Google TV and Chrome Cast and Netflix etc is the flexibility that it offers. What I see it bringing to education is the ability to have class content delivered via TV. Imagine being able to turn on your TV to watch a live stream of your class. If you miss the livestream, you could just go back and watch the entire thing over. The system could be combined with existing online or e-learning for maximum effect. The system could be combined with traditional in classroom teaching. For example, I could record a class session i teach and offer it for for streaming, then anyone could go back and watch the video of a part of class they werent able to understand when it was live, or see the entire class online if they didn't feel like driving to Lawrence. 

Could Smart TV based classes be a thing, or is it a bad idea?