Reflection on the 1st Month with Glass

It has been just about a month using Google Glass in the music classroom.  I have had time to "digest" the experience and have come to realize a few things...

• Currently, Glass is situational.  I'm not going to wear it as an essential item all day and every day. What I mean by situational is I feel that wearing Glass has to have a specific purpose when wearing at this point in the game.  Yes, it goes without being said that it is still being developed, but I don't see any use for it in general public like running errands.  It just looks weird and I'm not all about trying to seek attention.  The benefits of the device are far behind any decent smartphone.  If I'm out in the public the last thing I would want to do is voice commands to Glass.  I'd rather use my cell phone to discretely accomplish whatever task I'm doing (editing my grocery list, responding to a text, writing an email, looking up the Eagles game stats, etc.)  There is a barcode scanner app for Glass that allows you to compare prices on Amazon...but my phone does the same thing with a lot more options readily available.  When I'm in the classroom, I'm using Glass mostly to capture pictures and video.  Sometimes I'll use it to display my POV in piano class on the front projector.  If Glass becomes mainstream and cheap, I can see classrooms using it one day to do science labs - not necessarily the student, but more for the teacher to use.  I don't see it as one of those things where the student is issued their pair of Glass and wear it the entire class period every day.  It needs to have a specific function for the given situation. 
• Glass is great for capturing moments.  I've been trying to wear Glass more and more in my classroom to get my students used to seeing it on me without even using it.  I think it's important for them to see the device and feel comfortable with it.  As it becomes apart of the everyday norm, I plan on recording images/video more and eventually plan on allowing responsible students to use it under supervision.  From the limited times using it, I've been able to get some really great perspectives.  It's so handy to take a picture of the board's notes, a clarinetist's posture, or students enjoying a garageband project.
• Glass is comfortable to wear.  I had my doubts about wearing Glass more than an hour without it hurting my nose or the sides of my head, but I've been pleasantly surprised that is not the case.  I have worn it for long periods of time (4+ hours) without any pain.  It is also important to note that it has not strained my eyes.  There are reports of other Explorers' eyes hurting after using the device for a short period of time.  I luckily have not found the same to be true for myself.
• Privacy should not be an issue with Glass.  When tiny cell phone cameras appeared on the market, people did not feel easy knowing someone could take a picture so easily.  Nowadays, society couldn't imagine life without the convenience of cameras embedded in our most loved tech devices.  With Glass, you cannot take an image/video of someone without them really knowing.  There are countless videos out there of Explorers explaining this in detail.  In short, we have access to incredibly cheap means of taking images/video but those items are not being talked about - think surveillance cameras found in pens, neck ties, shirt buttons, etc. The Explorer program seems to be very important for two reasons:  1) Explorers are testing the hardware and making apps  2.) Explorers are "in the trenches" on a Public Relations mission to get society used to this unique piece of technology.  It's my job as an Explorer to educate people about Glass to turn fear of the unknown into excitement for this newly discovered tech gadget.  From what I gather, society is not ready yet for a full blown open sale of Glass.  It's hard enough explaining to people that you are not spying on them.  
• Driving with Glass is safe.  There have been stories in the news of states banning Glass when driving.  The woman in California who was issued a ticket for driving with Glass just recently had the ticket tossed out of court.  Delaware and West Virginia already have banned Glass while driving.  When politicians introduce legislation banning a device that they know nothing about irks me.  It is much safer using the GPS directions in Glass rather than a GPS on your phone resting on your lap or even a GPS fitted in the center dash display.  "But you could get distracted by text messages and emails."  Sure, you can get distracted by text messages on your phone.  Why isn't the act of simply having a cell phone in a car banned if you aren't using it?  The same could be said for Glass.  If you use it responsibly, what's the harm?  You'd have to start legislating almost everything that could be used irresponsibly.  That just doesn't make much sense.  Driving with Glass can be incredibly safe if used responsibly.  
• As Explorers use Glass each day, more tough questions arise.  Just a few weeks ago, Rochester Optical announced they are selling prescription lenses for Google Glass.  This allows people with the need for corrective lenses to use Glass if they did not already use contact lenses.  But this now makes a bunch of new questions.  As stated above, legislation has been introduced to ban Glass use while driving...but what if these are your "primary" corrective lenses?  When going to the bathroom, it's been common practice to place Glass on your head like people do with sunglasses when going indoors.  But what if these are your "primary" corrective lenses?  What if a teacher makes a rule that Glass should not be used in the classroom because it is too difficult to monitor student use, but then the child says these are his only pair of glasses he/she has in school?  Prescription lenses with Glass create a whole nother set of questions.  What I predict/see is Glass will become a removable device that you can have the option of placing on other "normal" frames.  This article shows a few alterations people have made.  The most reasonable includes magnets on Glass' body that attach to magnets on the normal eyeglass frame.  But that makes you think...in 10 years time, will we be wearing smart contact lenses instead of Google Glass?