“The greatest strength
of mobile devices could be for outside-the classroom learning…students would
have a shorter learning curve because they’re used to these devices” (Allen,
2011, p. 2). Mobile technology provides
many benefits to students, but none is more beneficial than motivating and
engaging students. Students have more
choices as they learn in their own style.
Mobile learning is intrinsic learning; students take knowledge, grasp
it, and learn on their own terms. When schools listen to students, they become
integrated partners that provide technological solutions to education. Mobile Learning provides a more
learner-centered education with more frequent feedback. It’s fun to use technology to learn. It’s how
digital natives communicate.
The potential for mobile
technology is endless. QR Codes is one
of the new technologies that engage students, because they can create codes the
link to important forms, do their homework, give feedback, or assess political
polls. Scavenger hunts are fun and engage
students to discover and scan QR codes to understand the limitless potential of
QR codes. In addition, history students can develop maps, recreate battle
scenes, or produce a video or podcast for oral history. This is not all. Cell phones can be used to text their answers
for quiz questions, or used for outdoor learning. During a Buffalo Hunt simulation, students
learned about American Indian tribes from diverse areas and critically analyzed
how tribes adapted to their environment.
Mobile technology is interactive, motivating, and fun. Student’s curiosity is peeked by wanting to
see their GPS location or communicating with teammates to solve problems or
clarify understanding; and it breaks down the educational walls, and open the avenue for curiosity and
learning to develop (Allen, 2012).
Mobile Learning
is not without some educational issues and educational reviews are mixed on the extent that these technological devices promotes new
learning. Now most school prohibit cell phone use in the class room, because of
trust issues. Many educators are fearful
of cheating and plagiarism, yet others are fearful students cannot stay
on-track with their other schoolwork. As with any new technology, research needs to validate the the degree that mobile technology promotes learning. Financial cost is another concern, especially when compared to its educational benefits.
Nevertheless, Mobile technology is the wave of the future with great educational
benefits with the possibilities of blogs, online discussions, podcasts, and videos.
Mobile technology extends learning with group collaboration and social media
tools (Geoff, 2012). Learning is enhanced through the vast information
available through the internet, and educational simulations. The use of these convenient devices will
multiply in the future as technology continues to surprise us what innovations
are possible. The possibilities are endless and only limited by our own
imagination.
References:
Allen, R. (2012, Feb.).
Can mobile devices transform education. Education update. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/feb11/vol53/num02/Can-Mobile-Devices-Transform-Education%C2%A2.aspx.
Geoff, G. (2012). Brown
university has gone Google. Retrieved from:
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com.ar/2010/06/brown-university-has-gone-google.html.
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful
web tools for classrooms, (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin.
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