If somebody had asked me whether I considered it to be a good idea to use mobile phones in class before attending the Manage E-Learning class, I would have said 'Heck No!' without any hesitation in my voice; however after studying the different benefits to using this type of technology within the classroom I would now have to say yes, mobile phones could be an appropriate device to use during class under the correct circumstances.
Why should mobile phones be allowed in the classroom?
The topic of mobile phones being used within the classroom has been a debated issue for several years and keeps growing stronger through the new technological advances throughout society; however many citizens are asking, why now? Why after all this time, should mobile phones be allowed to be used in the classroom?Although there are many disadvantages to using a mobile phone in the classroom such as cyber bullying, cheating, distractions, etc., due to the technology implications of the 21st century it is only appropriate to consider the benefits this technology could have in education.
There are several benefits to using mobile phones within class such as:
- Increases student communication (eg. have a personal online group for students only)
- Schools don't always have enough computers for every student
- Used for dictionary or thesaurus purposes
- Students can have a planner on their phone
- Instant access to the internet for research purposes
- Online posting (assessment and group work only)
- Improves data gathering
As a learning manager and/or educator, it is important to weigh up the outcomes in relation to using mobile phones in the classroom. A person must consider whether the activity that the class is being presented with would still work effectively if presented on a mobile device. Is it easily comprehensible? Would it have the same effect being presented on a small screen? Admittedly using mobile phones as a teaching device would keep students involved; however a teacher must consider whether the way it is being used is ethical. It is no secret that a teacher must consider all 'Safe, Legal and Ethical' sides to any activity; therefore I shall just briefly mention its importance on this topic. If encouraging students to use mobile phones in class, an educator must continually be aware of all that is going on around him/her as students may become involved in bullying which is not safe, online scams- which is another denominator that is not safe, cheating - it may not be entirely illegal; however it is still unaccepted, and online games- if the games are not related to the class topic, they become unethical.
Do not let this (the video below) happen in your classroom if you decide to allow the use of mobile phones.....
A useful app that could be used on the mobile phone that would benefit education is the iBook application which allows students to download books and or PDF's to their phones. Not only could this app be used on a mobile, but it could also be used on an iPad. On that note we move onto the next item of agenda......
The iPad is a tablet computer designed and developed by Apple, and is considered to have the best features of a notebook or netbook computer, wrapped up in a gorgeous, ultrathin, light-as-a-feather package including one of the best ways to experience the Web, e-mail, photos, and videos online.
The iPad is similar to a mobile phone in every aspect, except for one thing.... it has got a bigger screen. Like a mobile phone, the iPad still has some disadvantages to it; however using this device as an alternative to mobile phones is something I personally consider to be appropriate as it minimises the amount of texting between students- therefore would be less of a distraction. Using an iPad in the classroom does have multiple benefits such as:- Saving money by combining books, diaries, writing implements, calculators, word processors, etc. as it is all in one media tablet
- Allows students to take control over their on learning
- The touch-screen interface allows students to engage more interactively with content
- The iPad can easily be positioned for comfortable use on your desk or lap
- There is no delay to boot up iPads like there is with laptops or computers
- Its light weight and portability which means it can easily be carried from class to class without having to close and reopen the screen
- Data can be accessed while standing and notes can be taken on the go, thus extending learning far beyond the classroom
- Children are eager to embrace new technology;AND SO MANY MORE!
There are numerous different apps that could be downloaded that could potentially benefit and increase student learning within the classroom.
This brings me to the topic of Bloom's Taxonomy....
The image below illustrates various different apps that comply with the 6 factors of Blooms Taxonomy:
Another device that is being debated as to whether it should be allowed within the classroom are the....
Personally, I would not choose an iPod as a method of learning in the classroom, only because I believe students would become more engaged in music than researching the class topic or attending to educational games. That's not to say that I don't think music would be a good idea because some students are able to focus better with music in the background; however at least while the educator is teaching/talking, I don't think iPods should be used.
A professor at Northern Illinois University stated that she "is concerned that forcing students to use outdated equipment and old technologies risks boredom and lower interest in schoolwork" (Blaisdell, 2006). As complicated as it may appear, our society is continually evolving to become a new tech savvy generation, and students are wishing to go along with the flow.
Irrespective of the disadvantages of the product, such as the extensive costs, some benefits to using an iPod in the classroom would be:
- Allows us to extend the classroom beyond these four walls
- No more heavy backpacks
- Good for the environment
- Keeps students actively engaged
- students are becoming more comfortable and confident using technology
- Learn a new language (ESL)
- Practice online educational games etc.
As I was still unsure how an iPod could be used within the classroom I decided to do further research....
The site below has some really informative knowledge on what ipods could be used for in the classroom, for example: - listen to audio
- watch video
- create content
- connect to the web
- download apps
So please check it out! Ipod usage in the classroom
Last but not least...
What is a QR Code?
The first thing that I asked myself was 'What is a QR Code?' I personally have never heard of it before until the past week.According to Marc Lyne, a QR Code is a matrix barcode, readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones that take a piece of information from a transitory media and put it in to your cell phone.
They look like this:
Growing in popularity in recent years with the explosion of camera equipped smart-phones, the codes are now being used to link real world objects with all sorts of online data and information. The reason why they are more useful than a standard barcode is that they can store (and digitally present) much more data, including url links, geo coordinates, and text. The other key feature of QR Codes is that instead of requiring a chunky hand-held scanner to scan them, many modern cell phones can scan them.
Various different ways in which QR Codes could be used in the classroom could be:
1. Worksheets 2. Scavenger Hunts
3. Contact Information for Parents and Students
4. Notes
5. Assignments
6. Hints/Tutorials to assist on problems
As I was still a little unsure on how a QR Code could be used in education, I have added a link to a Prezi discussing the topic below:
In case the topic is still not clear; here is a Glogster explaining information about QR Codes:
I hope you all enjoyed this weeks blog post, to end the discussion I shall play you a short video on how students have become obsessed with electronics in the classroom.....
Breanna :)
Tanks Breanna. Another Wow post!
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