What I Have Learned!
April 13, 2014
While I have been researching mobile learning I have gained so much information on this topic. Mobile learning can happen anywhere in multiple ways. I never thought to have the students use their cell phones as a learning tool. As educators we see cell phones as a hindrance rather than a tool. We are afraid our students will be doing things they are not supposed to on the phones rather than giving the students the chance to use the phones to become more engaged with their learning.
I have been brainstorming various ways that I could have the students use their phones in my classroom. It may not be on a daily base but I definitely want to try it at least once. I could have the students try to find current events online, since I have them complete a weekly current event assignment which is usually done at home. I could also have pre-planned questions ready that I know the students may not know and have them search the answers on their phones. This way they are able to practice looking things up while paying attention to the content I want them to learn. I know this may seem small but I want to start off small and see how the students do with their phones in the class and then work my way up to having them use them more on a regular basis.
I agree that the general thought among teachers is that cell phones are not aloud in class, and for certain purposes that would be spot on. It is certainly true that there are so many options out there for cell phone or iPad usage within the classroom now! These tools boost student engagement. There are so many apps now-a-days that are created for educational purposes, or even apps that are not necessarily created for students to use but can still be utilized in the classroom. Awesome blog!!
ReplyDeleteExactly! I love to use Google Earth in my classroom. I can take students to places they have never been before and possibly will never be able to visit! The other day I actually allowed my students to use their phones since I did not have enough laptops for all of them and had them research their own current events. We then had philosophical chairs based on their current events. It was a great experience and I want to allow them to use their phones more often.
DeleteEmily,
DeleteThat's a great idea! I have never heard of any one using mobile devices for Google Earth in the classroom. It seems like something that would really be engaging for the students, especially with how you had them researching their own current events. I was just thinking, I could use that same idea but change it to asking students to research various sites with artistic history around the world.
Your suggestion is also great for so many teachers who don't have 1:1 technology access for their students. When faced with the lack of resources, the way we teach will eventually focus on using the technology that the students have in their pockets!
Oh my goodness! I am so afraid that a student will do that to me or that they will not pay attention at all. I know that a math teacher at my school allows the students to use their phones as calculators. For her it is a lot easier for her to monitor their students because they have to have a calculator screen on their phones or they get in trouble. She has not ran into any trouble with it yet that I know of. I hope that I can make it a little more incorporated into my classroom though.
ReplyDeleteSam,
ReplyDeleteThat's a great tool! I've used it several times before too. I have used the "multiple choice" option where students select the correct answer and you can see the graph grow as responses come in. I have not done the free answer option. It's hard to prevent that "one student" from giving a silly response. I haven't figured it out, but I know there is a setting to only let in one response from each phone number.
Great blog, Emily. You are emphasizing more information for what all of us are experiencing in this course and possibly degree program. It's crazy to see how mobile learning is the way of the future.
ReplyDeleteSam,
ReplyDeleteThat definitely just made me laugh!
I have explored PollEverywhere on my own before and really enjoyed it. I've never used it in class since I teach at the elementary level and my kids don't have cell phones on them. I can absolutely see the advantages to it though.
It's also great that students are being exposed to using their cell phones for educational purposes as well. This can help them understand the abilities of their phones for other things than...twitter and instagram!
Emily,
ReplyDeleteFantastic blog! I especially liked the infographic on your home page and the one on your Web 2.0 page! :)
Your list of mobile devices that can be used was interesting as well. I sometimes forget that simple things such as laptops are considered mobile devices. My mind always goes automatically to the concept of a cell phone or tablet as something that is a "mobile" device.
Also, another interesting point, the ability to use cellular data instead of having internet access at home allows those homes to still stay current with their schools. Students can still have access to materials that other students might be able to use at home, lessening the achievement gap that can happen when a home doesn't have internet access.
Overall, great topic choice and you created a blog that explains it very well.
What fascinates me most about the concept of mobile devices isn't merely what they're capable of doing, as incredible pieces of handheld technology, but of the practical problems they stand to solve if we embrace them rather than shun them. Certainly, they do and will continue to pose their own challenges, but I would love to be able to tell my students to use their cell phones as Smart responders if they could download some sort of app for free on them, or to share files with them via bluetooth or AirDrop.
ReplyDeleteI know that not all students have cell phones/ smartphones -- but MOST of them do. I think it would be in school district's best interests to offer cheap or free devices to the small percentage of students who cannot afford them on their own to make up the difference. Kids are prone to "forget" to bring their supplies to class at times, but give them the option to keep their cell phones with them, and trust me -- they'll never leave it "in homerooom" or "my locker" by mistake.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteVery informative blog, I particularly liked the list of devices that can be used for mobile learning. So many times as educators we think that we need a tablet or a one to one environment to have a successful mobile learning environment. I am always entertained by the different ways that teachers incorporate mobile learning in their classrooms.