How to maintain professional communication, AR/VR role in Education, & Seesaw

 Chapter 7 of Light, Bright, and Polite

In the book Light, Bright, and Polite for Professionals, John Ochs gives advice as to how to portray yourself on social media and how it can influence your reputation and in return your chances of getting a job. In chapter seven, Ochs talks about ways to professionally communicate in the work place and to keep in mind that nothing is ever really private. Ochs explains that every email that you send to a college or client is never really just between the two of you. They could reshape the email with someone else or you may send it to someone accidentally. Keeping this in mind, it's important to think twice about what you send and make sure that your email is kept professional. Ochs suggests that to avoid any mishaps that can go along with sending an email is by filling the "to" box out last. This way you are able to reread your email a few times and can make sure that it is kept professional, you are finished, and it will ensure you are sending it to the right person. As I enter the field of education, I will take these tips into consideration as I will be communicating with parents and colleagues via email on a daily basis. Because of this it is important that I follow these tips to avoid any unprofessional mishaps that can come with email communication.

AR/VR

The use of virtual and augmented reality have become more prevalent in the recent days and has had many positive effects and advances in society. Both virtual and augmented reality are being used by many companies to train their new employers the ways of the occupation. The article How VR and AR will be training tomorrow's workforce, explains, "Trainees can use VR to practice essential skills without placing lives at risk. By setting aside the manuals and information sheets, trainees also stand a better chance of retaining information". This means that through the use of virtual and augmented reality, potential employers are able to train and gain a more hands on experience without putting anyone in harms way. This also means that because they are using a more hands on approach they are more likely to remember and comprehend the information and knowledge they are gaining from this experience. As a teacher, this can be extremely useful to use in the classroom to provide students with virtual field trips that may be unavailable or too dangerous to take in real life, for example observing cheetahs up close in the wild. As society becomes more technologically advanced, these advances can offer new ways to experience and educate students with virtual experiences.

Virtual reality can also be used to understand and help those with autism practice the skills that they may struggle with. The article, Virtual reality could show others what autism feels like, states, "Some teams have used VR to create role-playing environments for practicing social skills. Increasingly, however, people with autism are using VR to convey their own experiences, both to raise awareness of the condition and to capture the cognitive and perceptual differences that characterize it".  This means that virtual reality is able to provide research and information about how those with autism go through life to those without autism. It can also be used to help those with autism work on certain skill and help them become more confident in a setting that may be stressful for them. When I become a teacher, this could be extremely useful for any of my students who are autistic and are struggling with a specific skill. With the use of virtual reality, I would be able to provide my student with the proper environment needed for them to work on that skill set, and allowing them to still be in their comfort zone.

Augmented reality is offering similar experience that allows you to enter any world you want virtually and has had helpful advances in many occupations. In the text, Archaeologists See and Smell the Past with Augmented Reality,  says, "Seeing is just a part of the experience Eve wants to create. He also developed Dead Man’s Nose, a prototype device that emits odors, like the smell of a campfire and roasting meat, as you pass by specific locations". This means that with this prototype users are able to experience these augmented realities by using all five of their senses which allows for a more realistic experience. This can be beneficial for many work forces when it comes to training and understanding major concepts related to the occupation. Using this in the classroom would be extremely beneficial to students as it will create a more realistic experience for them. By using all five senses it can allow them to get a better understanding and remember more of the content that is being taught through augmented reality. 

Seesaw

The app that I am going to cover in my classes third App Smackdown is called Seesaw.  Seesaw is an app used by many teachers throughout the world that offers a way for teachers to connect with students and their parents all in one place. With this Seesaw, teachers are able to assign students activities within this app and have their students post their work to the class journal when they are done. Everyone has access to the class journal and this is were teachers can like, comment, and keep track of their students work. Seesaw also has a feature that allows for private communication between the teacher and parents. For a slight cost, you can buy the skills feature were it shows each students strongest and weakest skills within the activities that have been assigned. Overall, Seesaw can be a very beneficial app for in and out of the classroom that allows for families and students to be connected. As I become a teacher in the next few years, I will consider using this app in my classroom as it provides many beneficial aspects that will help me keep track of my students work and stay connected with their family. 

Final Thoughts  

As I become a teacher I will take into consideration John Ochs tips and tricks to keep professional communication in the workplace to avoid any miscommunication  that can come with emails. Virtual and augmented reality can have many beneficial impact on education and as I enter the field of education I will try and find ways to incorporate this into the curriculum. Seesaw is an app that can help maintain communication between the class community and offers ways to help teachers keep track of students progress. As I become a teacher I will take all of these things into consideration to help me do the best that I can at my job.