Mobile devices in the classroom Using Smartphones in the Classroom By Edward Graham Found in: Advice and Support Ken Halla knows a thing or two about using technology in the classroom. For the past 5 years, the 22-year teaching veteran has worked to transition his ninth-grade World History and AP Government classrooms into a mobile device-friendly environment where students can incorporate the latest technology into the learning process. Along the way, Halla created three of the most used education blogs in the country—“World History Teachers Blog,” “US Government Teachers Blog,” and “US History Teachers Blog”—to help fellow humanities teachers incorporate more technology and more device-based learning into their own classrooms. “Not every classroom can get a laptop every day, so [devices like smartphones], even if you have to pair up, become something useful for teachers,” Halla says. “The number of kids with phones has just been blown out of the water the last couple of years,” he adds. Ensuring it stays academic Apps for the social sciences
What are the Different Types of Mobile Devices? A mobile device, or handheld, is an electronic device that enables some kind of computing, and which is small enough to be easily carried around. These devices are quite pervasive nowadays. Commonly used mobile devices include cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and multimedia players. Mobile phones or cell phones, or just mobiles for short, facilitate voice conversations as well as text messaging. Computers have been miniaturized into industrial and personal handhelds. With the digitization of music, audio players have become smaller and more versatile. Digital cameras not only capture pictures, but also have significant computational power. Gaming is yet another area with a strong presence on the market for mobile devices. There are even personal navigation devices which can be carried on board one’s vehicle to track the current position by using the Global Positioning System.
Education Update:Make Parents Your Partners:Can Mobile Devices Transform Education? The popularity of smartphones, including Droids, iPhones, and BlackBerries, that now have GPS, texting, voice, and multimedia capabilities has prompted industry and education reformers to shine the light on these mobile devices as vehicles suitable for transforming K–12 learning for the 21st century. Although they present challenges as well as potential benefits, education experts reason that these powerful small computers motivate students; provide constant access to the wealth of knowledge, tools, and experts on the web; and are cheaper and more plentiful than laptops or desktop workstations. "A big choice for us is: we have this very flexible tool, much more like a Swiss army knife than a hammer. What do we want to use it for?" says Christopher Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. In a 2009 survey, nearly 300,000 students stated their preference for the use of mobile devices. The Innovators Augmenting Reality
Smartphones as Tools for Education Introduction The smartphone owner population is growing. Multi-functionality, portability, and connectivity are opening doors for learning. No wonder students harness smartphone technology to help them in education. These tiny pocket computers keep students connected to the Internet, improving their academics. However, many students are oblivious to the power in their hands; the power of educational apps, the potential for success. What Is a Smartphone? On a superficial level, a smartphone is a gadget that allows people to make phone calls as well as use other features (which used to be found only on personal digital assistants or personal computers) that are not common on a conventional phone. Before there were smartphones, there were only cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). The first, most successful smartphone was the BlackBerry. Smartphones have become part of contemporary culture. For more information about Smartphones, visit these links: Smartphone Features Pros: Cons:
Exploring Students' Mobile Learning Practices in Higher Education Key Takeaways A university-wide survey on students' mobile learning practices showed that ownership of mobile devices is high among students and that tablets are the most popular devices for academic purposes. The survey also found that mobile learning typically occurs outside the classroom, with only limited guidance from instructors. Baiyun Chen and Aimee deNoyelles are instructional designers at the University of Central Florida. Mobile technologies are playing an increasingly important role in college students' academic lives. The popularity of mobile technologies among college students is increasing dramatically. Convenience, flexibility, engagement, and interactivity are all factors that make mobile learning more attractive to students.5 With these trends in mind, it is not surprising the New Media Consortium's 2013 Horizon Report6 predicted that mobile applications and tablet computing will have a time-to-adoption of one year or less in higher education. Key Issues Methods Notes
Do mobile devices in the classroom really improve learning outcomes? Mobile devices as teaching tools are becoming a more and more common part of the American education experience in classrooms, from preschool through graduate school. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 58% of U.S. teachers own smartphones — 10 percentage points higher than the national average for adults. Those teachers are building that tech-savviness into their lesson plans, too, by embracing bring-your-own-device policies and leading the push for an iPad for every student. What do these mobile devices really add, though? Research finds benefits of mobile technology That same Pew Research Center survey asked a group of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers about the educational impact of Internet technology in the classroom. As far back as 2010, reports were surfacing that mobile apps are not only engaging, but educational, for children as young as preschool. Mobile devices also bring challenges There is also the question of cost. • E-readers.