Last week, AI was on my brain all week. This week, it’s Vision Pro.
Apple’s launch of the Vision Pro is one of those bellwether events of technology that feels both uninspired and yet undeniably important. Perhaps intentionally, Apple launched Vision Pro on February 2nd: Groundhog Day. It seems that Tim Cook (or Tim Apple), my favorite Auburn alumnus, had a sense of humor about humanity’s preparedness for the integration of augmented reality (AR) in our day-to-day lives.
On Reddit, over the weekend, videos of people using their Vision Pros flooded the front page. In one video, a man in a self-driving Tesla is shown flexing his $3,500 AR goggles as he speeds down the interstate. Later, the passenger shows the same man, now dejected as he is pulled over on the side of the road with red and blue lights flashing behind him. In another post, a man is on the DC metro working during his commute, typing on a virtual keyboard. In another, a man walks into a crosswalk with his hands extended as he typed and managed apps that passersby could not see.
AR presents the best of both virtual and perceived reality. We’ve seen AR as a commercial product in little bits, like luxury cars that have an AR speedometer on the windshield or the AT&T football helmet that ran as a commercial throughout the 2023 college football season. The Vision Pro goggles aren’t just simple applications of AR, though; they are an entirely new platform with unlimited potential.
Apple has been preparing us for AR for years. The iPhone transformed the cell phone from something you stow away to something you have within arms reach at all times. The Apple Watch was a test to see if you would wear a tiny computer on your body. It even incentivizes you to wear it by having a “standing ring” that can only be filled if you wear it for at least 12 hours a day. So, it should be no surprise that Apple wants to be the first across the finish line with AR, as the iPhone and Apple Watch have achieved complete domination of the market.
We aren’t ready for AR, though. The images of people engaging in risky behavior with their Vision Pros is proof enough by itself. Beyond safety issues, the Vision Pro is massive and requires a wire braid that hangs off the head. Truly, it’s ugly as sin. It seems like the people who have it love it. For $3,500, they better.
Vision Pro isn’t the first AR product to hit the market. Google tried it with Glass a decade ago, but the technology wasn’t ready. It still isn’t ready. But I’m guessing the next innovation in AR will come much more quickly than the last. This moment is probably the beginning of AR becoming part of our everyday life. But it will still take a few years. I’m sure one day I’ll be putting some form of technology on my eyes everyday. Hopefully, it will be a few years into the future. And how will this affect the field of rural education? I mean, who can even guess? Let’s just wait and see.
Here’s 5 rural stories from right now:
Luehmann and colleagues (2024) recently published this ambitious justice-oriented framework for teaching science in a rural community. The important thing here is that the investigators engaged with students and stakeholders in local issues important to the community. One of the local issues included investigating an invasive stink bug species. There are other really interesting projects, including one called “Jesus Water” that I’ll let you explore for yourself.
Inouye and colleagues (2023) at the University of Wyoming reported on this virtual professional development with rural teachers. This model of professional development can be used for research practice partnerships where schools may be extremely remote and difficult to access on a regular basis. Moreover, teachers from multiple schools can engage as a cohort blending shared experiences from different areas.
This article from Education Week discusses an intervention in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to reduce student absenteeism. The article discusses an intervention by director of student, family and community services for Plano ISD, Sharon Bradley, who was inspired by her experience as a rural student who had family circumstances that prevented her from going to school.
This heartbreaking story from The Texas Tribute explores rural youth homelessness from the perspective of a homeless rural teen. The story explains why it is difficult to track rural youth once they leave their home.
Coincidentally, this story is also from Texas. Texas A&M Medical School is creating more rural health rotations for doctors. Here’s hoping every medical student in the United States gets an opportunity to rotate into a rural setting at some point.
Enjoy the Super Bowl!