Does Your Boss/Teacher Let You Use the Apple Watch?

[Tom G.]

I would say that if they allow smartphones they most likely will not mind any form of tech wear be it an watch or any other.

Two reasons that a company may ban a smart watch or phone could be:

1. Security – they don't want you taking photographs of equipment etc.

2. Safety – you may work in an environment where you have to worry about spark producing devices, etc. I recently retired from working in a natural gas plant. The company issued us intrinsically safe cell phones, and limited the spaces that we could use our smartphones. This was because an accidental gas release could occur that would an explosion.

Because I no longer work there I don't know what their policy on smart watches may be. I do believe that their Safety Advisor was planning on getting an Watch, but whether or not he would wear it out in the plant is another story.

They had no problem with me wearing my Fitbit when I had it, and they had no problem with my Pebble watch. But of course it did not do half of what the Watch will be able to do should I ever get it; and they were more interested in the degree of spark producer it was, which is basically nada.

 

[Mr.C]

I work in a government department in a customer facing role and using smart phones whilst working is technically not allowed and frowned upon. It doesn't have anything to do with efficiency or whether one gets there work done on time but professionalism and because it's deemed to be rude.

That's not to say it's not done and I certainly use my phone to browse forums like this one, check Twitter, Facebook etc. I do try and be discrete though. We have Internet on our computers but it's monitored and cannot be used for non work related use so I resort to using my iPhone which happens to be a 6 Plus so the display is a decent size.

As for the Watch as I'm the only one at work who owns one and most people either don't know about it or aren't that familiar with it including my managers so it's not really come up as an issue yet. I often use the apps and glances on my watch and so far no one has said anything.

 

[makefunnyfaces]

A little nervous to use mine when classes start again in the fall. I don't know what impression my professors will have if I glance at it when I get a text/email. Don't want them to think it's rude as I'll be asking them for letters of rec for grad school.

As for work, my boyfriend just got a summer job at the hospital doing mostly paperwork. Boss loved it. I think it's one of those things where employers/bosses will be fascinated in the beginning but will eventually think of it as another distraction.

 

[Mlrollin91]

That makes me happy and sad in equal measure.

----------



Are the bans absolute, though? I see the need to ban them during exams, but what about in lectures, classes, etc? Presumably these institutions allow the use of laptops and cellphones?

Not entirely sure how the ban works. I'll find out how Pepperdine deals with it in the Fall. I would assume its a complete ban, because if there is a pop-quiz, students may have their smartwatches on them and the risk of cheating goes up.

 

[makefunnyfaces]

I'm a College Instructor, and have had a "Put anything with a screen in your pack, and if I see your electronics during an exam, you get an F" policy. Watches count.

Nothing really changes too much.

I can't believe people would even think of having their AW out during an exam! Definitely not acceptable for an exam.

 

[upnorth85]

I am a Professor. I ban all phones during exams but have no problem during lectures as long as they are kept on silent. I have no problem if students use their iPads and look up stuff while listening to the lecture. In a world where the young people do multi-tasking, it would be torture to do only one thing at a time. My watch is yet to arrive, but I will not allow it on their person during exams (they will go on my table) but I will have no problem during the rest of the semester. I know some of my fellow academics of my age do not allow any connected device in class. I think some feel threatened if students check up some statistic. I embrace technology, and frequently ask some one with an open iPad to Google for something related to the lecture.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I am a Professor. I ban all phones during exams but have no problem during lectures as long as they are kept on silent. I have no problem if students use their iPads and look up stuff while listening to the lecture. In a world where the young people do multi-tasking, it would be torture to do only one thing at a time. My watch is yet to arrive, but I will not allow it on their person during exams (they will go on my table) but I will have no problem during the rest of the semester. I know some of my fellow academics of my age do not allow any connected device in class. I think some feel threatened if students check up some statistic. I embrace technology, and frequently ask some one with an open iPad to Google for something related to the lecture.

I would say right now I'm uncomfortable with any teachers that ask me to remove my watch and place it on their desk. I could put it in my bag or possibly pocket but I simply don't trust professors not to just throw them in a drawer and damage them.

Personally I would use my iPhone (possibly with keyboard just to look like I'm not texting) for notes if it wasn't frowned upon.

 

[wanderfowl]

I am a Professor. I ban all phones during exams but have no problem during lectures as long as they are kept on silent. I have no problem if students use their iPads and look up stuff while listening to the lecture. In a world where the young people do multi-tasking, it would be torture to do only one thing at a time. My watch is yet to arrive, but I will not allow it on their person during exams (they will go on my table) but I will have no problem during the rest of the semester. I know some of my fellow academics of my age do not allow any connected device in class. I think some feel threatened if students check up some statistic. I embrace technology, and frequently ask some one with an open iPad to Google for something related to the lecture.

Amen. I want students to have access to the tech they want and use well during classes, all the time, except during tests

 

[MICHAELSD]

I can't believe people would even think of having their AW out during an exam! Definitely not acceptable for an exam.

In reality it's just a watch. As long as the student isn't touching the display there should be no issue with it. It's not like they can text and Google through mind control.

 

[wanderfowl]

In reality it's just a watch. As long as the student isn't touching the display there should be no issue with it. It's not like they can text and Google through mind control.

The thing is, I need to watch 100 or so students with three people. Sure, I could watch little timmy like a hawk to make sure he's not poking his watch, but that'll make it harder to watch everybody else. The easier approach is to remove the temptation, have him put it in his pack, and level the playing field altogether.

----------

I would say right now I'm uncomfortable with any teachers that ask me to remove my watch and place it on their desk. I could put it in my bag or possibly pocket but I simply don't trust professors not to just throw them in a drawer and damage them.

Personally I would use my iPhone (possibly with keyboard just to look like I'm not texting) for notes if it wasn't frowned upon.

If the prof *requires* you to leave it with them, at least in the college/university context, that's silly, and they're asking for trouble if they break something, or if somebody takes your phone by mistake. I'd ask them to just let you keep it in your pack, and agree to take an F if it's out during the exam.

My policy is simple: Stash your tech, and keep it stashed. In your pack, in your sock, in your purse, hand it to your TA, or leave it at home. But if I see your tech out, on or off, after the test has begun, that's an F. No ifs, ands, or buts. You knew the rule.

Also, if a student came up to me and said "I really prefer using my phone's keyboard for typing, so I'd like to take notes on my phone. I just wanted to let you know I'm not texting", I wouldn't object. I'd look at you like you were insane, but it's no problem for me.

 

[pixie817]

I use it in class all the time. The key is just not let them find out it's an Apple watch. And for the hand full of teachers that recognized it as an Apple Watch you've got to be a little more careful .

Still do need to use my phone in class though. Simply can't play clash or browse macrumors on the watch

Hehe. I'm a teacher and I'm the first one in my school to get one. A few of my students (7th graders mind you) have talked about getting one and it being shipped during the summer. Since I am aware of all of the wonderful things that this watch can do, I am definitely informing administration, I told my students that as well.

Must stink having a teacher who is as techie as they are.

 

[upnorth85]

The watches can be in their bags and put away, not necessarily on my table. I meant no access to them. I too would not want to part with my Apple watch.

I would say right now I'm uncomfortable with any teachers that ask me to remove my watch and place it on their desk. I could put it in my bag or possibly pocket but I simply don't trust professors not to just throw them in a drawer and damage them.

Personally I would use my iPhone (possibly with keyboard just to look like I'm not texting) for notes if it wasn't frowned upon.

 

[bizack]

Amen. I want students to have access to the tech they want and use well during classes, all the time, except during tests

This is exactly why the education system (specifically university) is broken. If your tests can be 'cheated' by access to information (iPhone, Watch, Computer), you're not testing skill, you're testing memory.

When I interview people for junior and senior level programming positions, I let them use their laptops if they want. Because that's what you do in real life. No one works in isolation, with no access to information (whether it's electronic, print, WOM, etc).

There are exceptions (Law, M.D., but you'll have to make it through other tests in more controlled environments that make cheating much much more difficult).

 

[C DM]

This is exactly why the education system (specifically university) is broken. If your tests can be 'cheated' by access to information (iPhone, Watch, Computer), you're not testing skill, you're testing memory.

When I interview people for junior and senior level programming positions, I let them use their laptops if they want. Because that's what you do in real life. No one works in isolation, with no access to information (whether it's electronic, print, WOM, etc).

There are exceptions (Law, M.D., but you'll have to make it through other tests in more controlled environments that make cheating much much more difficult).

In education often enough the memory is what is part of being tested (and in relation to it the preparation to remember and understand what's needed). In real life it's different in many instances, but education has a different approach which certainly adds another layer of complexity but one that is still instilling something in you (even if subconsciously in a sense).

 

[bizack]

In education often enough the memory is what is part of being tested (and in relation to it the preparation to remember and understand what's needed). In real life it's different in many instances, but education has a different approach which certainly adds another layer of complexity but one that is still instilling something in you (even if subconsciously in a sense).

I have an undergrad in applied physics and a grad degree in computer science. My memory is terrible. For what an average university costs to attend (in the United States), teaching memory is a waste of time and money. Teach skills. Teach how to take disparate pieces of data and connect them to form meaningful data/results. Teach reasoning and logic. Teach how to estimate with a handful of unknowns. These are hard to cheat, difficult to learn and useful in both work and in everyday life.

 

[C DM]

I have an undergrad in applied physics and a grad degree in computer science. My memory is terrible. For what an average university costs to attend (in the United States), teaching memory is a waste of time and money. Teach skills. Teach how to take disparate pieces of data and connect them to form meaningful data/results. Teach reasoning and logic. Teach how to estimate with a handful of unknowns. These are hard to cheat, difficult to learn and useful in both work and in everyday life.

And it's hard to say that whatever studying we did and test taking that we did without being able to look up information didn't in fact influence how we absorbed information or how we grew from it. All the things you mention are good and should be part of it all, but quite a few things that aren't part of it that have been part of the general education approaches for a long time (and have led the humanity to where we are in a sense) can likely be quite valuable as well, even if it might not seem like on the surface.

 

[Sharkey311]

I used it for one question on my Astronomy final. Worked wonderfully

 

[MICHAELSD]

I used it for one question on my Astronomy final. Worked wonderfully

Please elaborate on how you pulled that one off.

 

[zfan111222]

I use it to cheat in exams!!!!

 

[roddenshaw]

I am a Professor. I ban all phones during exams but have no problem during lectures as long as they are kept on silent. I have no problem if students use their iPads and look up stuff while listening to the lecture. In a world where the young people do multi-tasking, it would be torture to do only one thing at a time. My watch is yet to arrive, but I will not allow it on their person during exams (they will go on my table) but I will have no problem during the rest of the semester. I know some of my fellow academics of my age do not allow any connected device in class. I think some feel threatened if students check up some statistic. I embrace technology, and frequently ask some one with an open iPad to Google for something related to the lecture.

One of my lecturers tried to ban the use of electronic devices, but ultimately failed. The allowance is probably right, but I preferred the lectures that did not include such devices, especially laptops. I have found the cacophony of typing noise is very noticeable having experienced its absence in lectures.

 

[sb22]

Watch, phone and casual internet browsing all supported here.

 

[cwosigns]

I work in a field where we interact all day with customers and have access to their personal data (SSN, credit card numbers, various bank account information). Our employees who do ONLY that job (call center agents) aren't allowed to have a cell phone on the call center floor. It has to be in their locker. I work in the training department, so those rules don't apply to me. But in the event I have to help out when the queue is backed up, I am supposed to turn off my phone and remove any smart watch.

 

[wanderfowl]

This is exactly why the education system (specifically university) is broken. If your tests can be 'cheated' by access to information (iPhone, Watch, Computer), you're not testing skill, you're testing memory.

When I interview people for junior and senior level programming positions, I let them use their laptops if they want. Because that's what you do in real life. No one works in isolation, with no access to information (whether it's electronic, print, WOM, etc).

There are exceptions (Law, M.D., but you'll have to make it through other tests in more controlled environments that make cheating much much more difficult).

Without getting too deep into it here and feeding the troll, sure, you *can* look everything up, but there are some facts and relationships between concepts which you really do need to have close at hand, and thus, which I as a teacher require students to memorize at least once. Depending on the class's level, these kinds of questions constitute around 20% of the points earned. Maybe a bit more for Baby's First Undergrad class, and significantly less at the MA level.

The rest of it is complex relationship questions, which are usually short-answer or essay, where even free access to the internet, and the ability to drop the exact text into Google, wouldn't help.

The fact remains, though, that those smaller "critical facts" questions need to be there, at least in my field, and if I don't control for technology, then students who can (or choose to) use technology during an exam to have an advantage over kids who do not.

Not all students have smartphones, or iWatches, or tablets, or even a portable computer. So, unless I'm able to let little Sally plop her only device, a 19" gaming laptop, down on her 8x12" mini-desk in a 100 person lecture hall, the best policy to ensure that all students are taking the same test is to ban mid-test tech, and offer them all a sheet of paper or a notecard for important notes.

 

[bruinsrme]

I use my ipad, MBP, watch and so on.
My boss doesn't feel the need to implement babysitting services.

 

[AlliFlowers]

Questions on the US History AP exam include things like "how did the Industrial Revolution affect the outcome of the French Indian war."

It's not memory. It's understanding and synthesis. You could use your laptop during the exam, and still not get the correct answer unless you already knew enough about each event.