Sixth Sense and AAC, Literacy, Universal Design for Learning
Adam Bowker and I are having this great ongoing dialogue about the application of a host of new tools that will be become available in the future. Recently Dr. Light sent us information about Sixth Sense, a MIT Media Lab’s new Fluid Interfaces Group project led by Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry . The basic concept is that your portable computer, in this case a cell phone, combined with a video camera and portable projector create a system that allows you to access relevant information about the environment and interact with that information. This has created a paradigm shift for me and I think you should check out this talk by Pattie Maes from this past February’s TED. What do you think about this type of technology tool in relation to AAC, Literacy, Universal Design for Learning?
![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.alltogetherwecan.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
The MIT Media Lab sure produces some really cool technology! I’m always impressed by technology that’s high-tech, yet low-cost.
Great point Eric!
Wow…that is amazing! What a tremendous impact this type of technology could have both in and out of classrooms. The first thing that came to my mind was student field trips (perhaps influenced by Eric’s recent posts on QIAT). Imagine the students using this type of technology when they visit D.C. When they walk up to a monument or historical location (could even be based on GPS location), information in the form of audio and video is automatically presented/projected. Student could interact with the information and perhaps bookmark specific items of interest using this gesture system. Wouldn’t it be neat if the tagged information could be compiled by students could automatically be added to a class wiki with direct links to the locations on Google Maps? Incredible potential…especially if the cell phone is the main component.
On a similiar note, have you seen the Siftables video on TED? Another amazing MIT emerging technology with portable computers the size of child building blocks that are showcased as a math learning tool, spelling tool, music creator, and more.
Love it, Mark! I wish I had that kind of technology for this year’s DC trip. It would make the trip so much more informative and interactive for the students. I’ll see what I can do about obtaining similar information with my iPhone (via the Internet) on the trip.
Wow… clever. Great stuff however the name is an unfortunate choice. Most of us probably agree that we have more than five senses and the sixth certainly is not digital and more likely 180 degrees from it. The potential for MIT’s sixth sense is so huge that when science can quantify the true sixth sense, we are going to have another overloaded term.
The idea of implanting it in our brain (delivered as an offhanded closing comment by Ms Maes) will render us so digitally plugged in that it could, ironically, keep many of us from ever understanding and developing our true six sense.
[...] to sharing this. Siftables, simply brilliant. Also, these are the same people bringing you Sixth Sense, presented in another TED [...]