Educational Uses for Mobile Devices
It’s unavoidable: mobile devices make up the majority of the way that students communicate. Children communicate via text messaging, instant messaging, and video chatting, and they learn using tools such as Wikipedia, Yahooligans, and online educational games. Mobile devices are an integral part of students’ lives, and it is no longer a question of whether or not they should be used in the classroom but how they can be best applied in order to enhance learning experiences.
According to “Pockets of Potential: Using Mobile Technology to Enhance Students’ Learning,” a report from the research center based at the Sesame workshop, children under the age of twelve comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of users of mobile devices. Therefore, integrating this technology into the classroom is especially important with this age group, not only because they commonly have access to and frequently use mobile devices, but also because studies have shown that children are able to retain information much more easily and for longer periods of time at this age.
Mobile devices can have many beneficial uses in the classroom. This is different from online school. In North Carolina, a pilot program called Project K-nect has placed smartphones in the hands of ninth grade Algebra students. Because smartphones have wireless internet and other computer-like capabilities, teachers are able to send specially designed activities to the students’ phones. The class can then participate in digital simulations and digital “manipulatives” that provide real-world examples of abstract concepts in their curriculum. According to the National Training Laboratory institute for Applied Behavioral Science, students retain 75% of material when they are able to practice by doing, and 90% when it is applied to a real-life situation.
In addition to mathematics, mobile devices such as iPads can be applied to other areas of study as well. Apps have been developed to assist students with everything from vocabulary to science, and the Apple iPad has been at the forefront of this educational revolution. One of the apps that can be used for vocabulary is Martha Speaks, which was created by PBS series producer WGBH. A study conducted by Rockman found that vocabulary in children ages 3 to 7 improved as much as 31 percent after playing with the popular game. Other apps for the language arts include StoryKit, which allows users to create their own storybook including photos and sounds. For science students, there are apps that allow them to navigate the solar system and view star maps, look up terms in a biology glossary, and view short videos that demonstrate the steps of science experiments. One of the most innovative features of Apple’s App Store is the Special Education section. There, educators can find apps and assistive technology for everything from sign language to emotional development.
Educational apps are only the beginning of the educational potential that mobile devices hold. Students can view podcasts to help them study for exams. They can use the computers found on their mobile device. They can take pictures and submit them immediately to an educational scavenger hunt. They can explore relevant web sites for research projects and create Word documents explaining their findings. The capabilities of mobile devices for educational purposes are only going to increase and become more fine-tuned as we progress into the 21st century.
The educational possibilities that mobile devices provide are seemingly endless and are particularly engaging for students. Not only is their integration into the classroom a “cool” way of learning, it encourages students to use a device that has long been viewed as a source of distraction and cheating in a mature and responsible way. Teachers that have utilized smartphones, netbooks, and iPads in the classroom have had proven success with their students and are leading the charge to gradually lift the bans that most schools have in place. The age of technology is here, and the proper application of mobile devices in the classroom can have an unprecedented positive impact on the way children learn.
Guest poster Ashley Spade resides in Chicago with her furry sidekick Sir Winston Pugsalot the First. Follow their adventures on Twitter: @ashspade
November 3rd, 2011 at 9:56 am
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