If I was hired by a principal of a high school to advise the school on purchasing and implementing a mobile computing strategy the first thing I would suggest is to purchase a variety of Apple products. When I say a variety of Apple products, I suggest a few Mac desktop computers, IPods and Ipad’s. With the purchase of the IPods and IPads we could truly participate in mobile learning. The reason I would suggest Apple products is because I have had both a PC and Mac and I am nothing less than pleased with my apple experience and the easiness of their products. Additionally, some textbooks are available on line and with these portable devices students can read their textbooks in transit to and from school. Students already use these items leisurely so it would be great to incorporate these into their learning.
The biggest selling point to suggest Apple products is the availability of in person customer service. With Apple having storefronts around New York City if something goes wrong, the product could be brought in, diagnosed and serviced on site. Usually with PC’s you have to call a customer service representative and they will attempt to walk you thru a variety of steps and sometimes you have to take your computer to an independent contractor or send it to the company. Another reason I suggest to use Apple products is the virus protection. While many people believe that Apple products cannot get a virus, that statement is not true but the likelihood of getting a virus is slim. This is great because it saves on buying anti-virus protection software. Students will peruse of a variety of sites and to have a system where the virus protection is strong is amazing. Last selling point I would use is the cost, I know that Apple products are expensive but I would remind the principal that Apple updates its technology every six to twelve months and sometimes there is not much of a difference and we could buy older generations for a cheaper price. Since Apple products could be costly, I would hope the first two selling points would convince the principal that Apple products are the way to go.
The majority of students are visual learners and a lot of teachers teach to the auditory learners but with the introduction of IPods and Ipad’s we could reach all learners. Students in the United States are falling behind in Science and I believe with the mobile learning we could help students in this area. In the area of high school science there are a lot of experiments associated with lessons and learning and how great would it be for students to have access to videos of the experiments at all time. According to research by K-Nect Project (2009) students using IPods were able to raise their test scores. If the teacher were to record each lesson and experiment and make it accessible to students, I believe it would be extremely beneficial for students to be able to watch a particular video or lesson at their leisure. I know for some students note taking is difficult and often students do not want to ask the teacher to repeat something, with watching the video they could fast forward, rewind or stop the video to take notes as needed. Additionally, what about the students who are absent, if their lesson was online they would not miss anything nor have to rely on another students notes. Lastly, science terminology could be difficult to grasp the first go around students could have the words and definitions pre-recorded and listen to the words repetitively and sometimes repetition is the only way a student can learn.
There are a variety of applications that could be use to incorporated into student learning. For example there are a few free applications, which can be downloaded to devices, which will engage students and assist with their understanding of science content. I’m basing my opinions off the research I have found that shows that incorporating mobile devices has worked in the areas of Math, which is also a subject in the United States where students are less engages and perform poorly than other nations. If great strides could be made in Math why can’t the same be made for Science?
I would be pleased to be apart of the transition of incorporating technology into the high school I was hired at and I hope the principal would seriously consider purchasing the products I recommended. It is important that we realize students have different learning styles and we must try to incorporate different ways to reach each of these learning styles and I believe that technology reaches all learners. As educators we must try to tap into the market that attracts students on their leisure time, which is computers and the Internet.
http://www.teachscienceandmath.com/2010/08/20/12-mobile-learning-science-applications-for-the-ipod-touch/
http://www.tomorrow.org/research/ProjectKnect.html
http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/03/can-a-smart-phone-program-really-close-the-achievement-gap/
The potential impact of mobile computing in the field of elementary math can have a positive impact on how we teach and how we learn. As a third grade teacher my students are constantly struggle with various areas of math. My class learns the best when they are taught using visual and kinesthetic techniques and with the introduction of smartphones, tablets, Ipad’s and IPods I believe with these I can reach all my students needs. These items along with computing videos and games there is clearly a shift from “traditional learning” to “social learning” as an educator I'm willing to try anything new. There is evidence to support the notion that when teachers have positive attitudes toward computers, technology will be effectively implemented into the classroom (Christensen, 2009).
As a person who is not a fan of math I am always looking for innovative ways to teach a math lesson. Often I search YouTube for videos that can show me a different way of teaching a particular area of math or to use as a motivation for my lesson. I always find different videos on that area and it is always hard for me to select the best one for my students. There are times when I have a hard time selecting a video for the class and I a lot of times I want to show more than one, but because I am pressed for time I am limited in what I can show. I have various students on different levels and I try my best to differentiate my instruction but I believe if I had access to something simple as an IPod’s I feel I could reach all of my students all of the time. I could have different videos explaining the particular topic on each IPod and students watch a video that caters to their individual needs.
I notice that when I allow students to play math games online as a part of our lesson, they are more engaged, participate more and their behavior is outstanding. With so much pressure on teachers to have their students pass the state exams so much of the teaching as been to teaching to the test and not making learning authentic. I want to be able to do it all, have my students learn while having fun. Students will be more accountable for their learning and learning will become more focused on student-centered learning. At my school we also use an application called Time To Know, which is an online digital teaching platform allows teachers to manage instruction, individualize learning and assess mastery in real time. I have observed a class using this digital platform and students are always engaged, the teacher receives notification on how many students are finished with the lesson and where students are lacking. While the platform gives specific information for each student in real time, so the teacher can then choose to stop a lesson and re-teach if needed. This shows that the assessment is authentic and real time because you are watching students as they work. Students take to this application very well, there are lessons and games associated with each lesson and students play the game and are concerned with winning they often forget that they are learning. Studies have shown that students who use Time To Know make significant gains.
Mobile computing has had a positive and a great impact on my teaching and my learning. Research indicates that a teacher's personal computer use outside of school is the most consequential indicator of a teacher's technology use in the classroom (Wozney, et al. 2006). Some of these positive attitudes include the expectation that they will be able to implement the technology successfully and that implementing technology into the classroom is valuable to student learning (Wozney, et al. 2006). My IPad is attached to my hand, my fascination with my IPad runs deep, I am often found using it in my classroom and I am always looking for new applications I can download to use in small group settings. I have a great appreciation for technology and I use technology in my own learning and if it works for me, I know it can work for my students. I believe because I show a great interest in mobile learning and commuting my students show a great interest.
Since math is an area in which students in the United States tend to do poorly, I am open and committed to try different things. Observing Time to Know lessons, and reading research on how mobile learning in this area shows that students are more engage and show positive gains I know that mobile computing with IPods, smartphones and tablets can only reinforce the positive gains we have already made to date. I don’t believe that we should make a change from “traditional learning” to “social learning” but I believe both should be intertwined and work together.
Christensen, R. W. & Knezek, G.A. (2009). Construct validity for the teachers'
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Wozney, L.,Venkatesh, V. & Abrami, P.C. (2006). Implementing computer
technologies: Teachers' perceptions and practices. Journal of Technology &
Teacher Education (14)1, 173-207.
