Final Thoughts - Glass Half Full

My time with Glass is over, for now.  In my very first post I was somewhat negative.  I wasn't totally against Glass from the start, it's just I only saw the drawbacks when compared to using a smart phone or iPad.  I stated that I would like to go back after my Glass trial was over and defend some of my initial thoughts, so...

Durability
I was worried when I first started handling Glass.  They seemed like they could get bent up and broken easily.  After three weeks I believe they are more durable than I originally gave them credit, but I was still extremely cautious with them.  I guess anyone could wreck a pair of Google Glasses fairly, if you are careless with them, just like anything else.  You are wearing a computer on your face, so they are definitely fragile to a point.  I didn't break, bend, or scratch them, so I was happy.

Safety
I'll discuss safety from two different angles.  The first discussion is using them in Tech Ed labs.  The Glasses I used didn't have clear lenses to add.  They can be purchased, but I don't know if they are a Z87+ rated lens, which is a requirement for safety lenses.  I looked at modifying a pair of existing lenses to attach to the Glass, but couldn't find a pair to make work decently.  If I continue to use Glass periodically, I will make this a priority.

The second safety issue is being safe regarding etiquette.  Some articles I've read about Glass Explorer's experience with Glass touched on some people's negative attitude toward Glass and the feeling that pictures and videos are constantly being taken.  Dave, the Glass owner, and I also talked about this.  Glass wearers need to be aware of their surroundings and make sure they are not wearing the technology where it isn't welcome.  For example, if a happy-go-lucky Glass wearer accidentally wore the device into a restroom, they could open themselves up to a very undesirable situation.  I do believe that both of the safety topics I brought up will become less of an issue the longer Glass is around.  It wasn't long ago when cell phone's couldn't take pictures (remember that?)  Now it is a daily occurrence to see "selfies" taking place, at least around high school kids.  People will get used to Glass, but users still need to be smart about where and how to use Glass.

Average Everyday Use
I have commented extensively about my thoughts that Glass is a neat, new technology that can do what most smart phones or iPads can already do.  I still believe this is true for now.  I think that as Glass continues to evolve new apps and improvement in communication with other devices will make it a useful component in both education and personal use.  I don't know if it will ever be a necessity, like a smartphone is for some people, but I think it will become more than just a novelty item, as I once described it.

To sum up, my glass is half full when it comes to the future of Glass.  I think they will become very popular with people for personal and corporate uses.  For education I think people are already getting creative with the for instructor and student use.  It is impressive to read about all the great, creative ways Glass is already being used in the classroom, certainly much more creatively than what I did with them.  They will continue to evolve and hopefully enhance education.  I, for one, will continue to look for great ways to utilize and apply Glass in my classroom.