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Tag Archives: mobile technology in education
Ways to get technology into class despite budget cuts
Have students bring their own devices to class
Take a count of how many mobile devices are owned in your class. Then get permission from parents/school authorities to have kids bring these devices, maybe for just one day of the week to start with. Depending on the number, students can divide into groups and share.
Borrow an iPad2 and projector, and voila! you have an interactive whiteboard
Can you get access to an iPad2 and projector? If so, you now have an interactive whiteboard and access to 1000s of free, interactive applications. The iPad2 has a “mirroring” capability, which means that the screen will mirror anything on its display as a projection. So a student can work with a fun app on fractions while the classroom watches or you can teach using a great online resource, all from the borrowed iPad2.
Use free multimedia tools
In the article, 7 essential multimedia tools and their free alternatives, the author has listed out excellent options for some of the basic multimedia tools your students may need for their projects and reports.
Research for free apps or web resources
Offer students the option to check out which resource they want to go to look into. This can be done at home or in class. Follow up with which groups felt had the best content and why? What did they learn that other groups did not?
Get students to create an online resource of their own
If students feel the online lesson was inadequate or simply boring, how would they do it differently? Ask them to sketch a mobile educational app, or enact an online video. Give them a project that uses technology to best convey the lesson. You’ll know if they’ve learned anything, and they’ll have fun, and (who knows!) you may be able to use their self-generated material next year.
Start a used device collection drive
At some point or the other someone in your community is upgrading their device to the next best thing. What happens to their old device? It probably goes to their kids. Why not have your class start a campaign for used smartphones and tablets, which will be used in classroom. Look at how Travis Allen, Founder and President of the iSchool Initiative is getting donations, or Steve Glinberg’s iPhone/iPod touch Recycling Program.
Mobl21 CEO Panelist today at SIIA Edtech
Sesh Kumar, CEO Emantras & visionary behind award-winning m-learning product Mobl21, is a panelist on the Hot Topic of Mobile Learning at today’s SIIA Edtech Industry Summit.
HOT TOPIC: Mobile Learning
With the advent of Smartphones, iPads, Notebooks and Tablets, you are likely developing for the mobile app market – or moving your successful software product to a mobile device.
How will you make decisions around the different devices, form factors, operating systems and service providers? Will your mobile application grow student achievement, engagement, and 21st century skills, and extend learning beyond the physical confines of the classroom? And, are there metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile learning?
Frog Dissection: AEP 2011 Distinguished Achievement Award Finalist
Emantras’ Frog Dissection iPad App has been named a finalist in the 2011 AEP Awards, the highest standard for quality, professional educational resources and excellence in education marketing. The Association of Educational Publishers’ annual awards program and its seal of excellence are widely recognized by educators, administrators, and parents as a mark of outstanding educational value.
The Frog Dissection App is a finalist in the Distinguished Achievement Awards for Technology category and Mobile Device Application subcategory. The Distinguished Achievement Awards (DAAs) are judged according to category (Curriculum, Periodicals, Professional Development, and Technology), subject area, and grade level. Entries are evaluated on traits such as efficacy, usability, and overall educational value.
The full list of finalists for this year’s DAAs is posted online at www.AEPweb.org/awards/finalists.htm.
About Emantras Virtual Frog Dissection
An ethical alternative to live animal dissections, the Frog Dissection app helps students learn all about frogs and their biological functions, without messy lab work or harm to living creatures.
Recognized by animal rights advocacy groups and awarded the Mark Twain Ethical Science Award by PETA, the Frog Dissection App will enable more students to learn animal anatomy without needless animal culling.
EdTech Digest interviews Sesh Kumar
“Taking education to everybody, everywhere” has been the motivational mantra of Sesh Kumar, who founded Emantras in 2000 and currently serves as CEO.
Why did you create Emantras?
When I started Emantras in 2000, I was pretty certain on what I did not want it to be: a publishing services company, another eLearning company, another Indian outsourcing company.
I was very interested in the use of technology in education. And for a long time I’ve personally held the belief that learning through technology can be very effective. I started Emantras with the goal of creating digital products for the 21st century learner.
Our long term objective is to facilitate the progress of humanity through learning and initiate a global digital educational reform.
What are your thoughts on education these days?
Technology is here for everybody and is no longer limited to just the whiz kids. Learning through technology can be very effective, if we can overcome the challenges in taking technology to those with no exposure, and enabling those with access to technology to use it for more educational purposes.
Technology is ubiquitous and in today’s educational scenario, you often come across learners who know a lot more about technology and ways of implementation than the educators themselves. Using technology and combining it with learning, in a way that is easy to use and provides value is the biggest challenge.
Technology should be viewed an enabler, as a tool to further learning, not a hoop educators have to jump through. We don’t want to challenge teachers by making them go through a huge learning curve in order to implement technology solutions in their classrooms. It must be useful, easy and effective.
We also believe that it’s not only about the technology but also about the content design. One cannot be effective without the other. The trick is to get the combination right for all these elements (teachers, technology, content, connectivity, devices and learners) to work together to effectively improve learning.
How is Mobl21 unique from other similar products/services?
Every learning app designed today, has been created to deliver valuable content in one form or the other. What distinguishes a true mobile learning system from an app that simply delivers learning material, is its ability to ensure that learning is actually taking place.
Understanding this need, Mobl21 provides both features for learners and tools for instructors. Mobl21 enables instructors to get involved in the m-learning process and determine whether learners are actually utilizing Mobl21 to study, and to what extent.
Unlike other educational products, Mobl21 is not limited to a specific grade or subject but can be flexibly adapted to any learning requirement.
What is your outlook on the future of education?
Everyday new technology, new methods, and new pedagogies are changing the face of education. Today, three- and four-years-olds can easily use a tablet device to learn versus just a few years ago when it would take a deep learning curve to know how to even use a computer. The same thing applies to senior people as well. They can now access learning using devices which are bringing learning to them, in a very non-intrusive, and intuitive way. This is tremendously promising for the future of education.
Even more promising is that across the globe educationists, governments and technologists are all looking at ways to revolutionize education. While there may be mistakes, hopefully we’ll also have a lot of “learned decisions” made at the end of the day.
MOBL21 INTERVIEWS | HIGH SCHOOL PRINICPAL’S PERSPECTIVE
Welcome to the third installment in our series of Mobl21 interviews!
This week, Mobl21 talks to Eric Sheninger, Principal at New Milford High School, NJ, for in-the-classroom news on how mobile learning and technology is being viewed and used.
Mobl21: Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into the education field.
Eric: I am the Principal at New Milford High School (NJ) and have the best job in the world. The funny thing is I swore that I would never become on educator. My heart was set on pursuing a career in marine sciences and later found myself pursuing a Masters Degree in fisheries biology. It was during this latter stint that I was a graduate teaching assistant and realized my passion lay in education. Thus my journey into the field began.
Mobl21: When did your interest in educational technology begin?
Eric: I have always had an affinity for educational technology, but it wasn’t until March 2009 that I truly realized its potential impact on student engagement and learning. It was at this time that I joined Twitter and discovered a vibrant educational community where I began to learn about Web 2.0 technologies. I quickly realized that many of these tools were free and allowed students to unleash their creativity while making the learning process more relevant and meaningful. With this new knowledge in hand and a virtual support structure comprising thousands of educators from all corners of the globe, I began to work with my staff on effective integration techniques.
Mobl21: What do you think are some of the challenges schools are facing to introduce technology within the classroom?
Eric: Probably the number one challenge is budgetary constraints. Let’s face it, budget cuts over the past year have had a devastating impact on schools. The purchase of technology becomes a low priority when districts are struggling to keep staff and programs. Another challenge is equitable access. The key to introducing mobile technologies into schools lies in a wireless infrastructure that can support the Internet on these devices. The lack of a wireless network restricts the introduction of mobile learning devices that can really personalize the educational experience for students. Schools in rural areas are at a real disadvantage as many of the major carriers have yet to establish wireless signals in these areas.
Mobl21: Can you tell us a little about a specific technology initiative or innovation that you have successfully incorporated into your school?
Eric: To this day, students at my school do not have network access to save and store their work. After becoming a Google Certified Teacher at the first ever Google Teachers Academy for Administrators (San Antonio 2010), I began to envision how I could not only solve this pressing issue, but also increase collaboration amongst my students. During the spring of 2010, I worked with both high school and middle school staff to rewrite our Computer Applications curriculum that was based on MS Office. At the high school level, every 9th grade student (approximately 160) enrolled in Computer Applications are now taught how to properly use Google Docs and MS Office. Next year students will come to NMHS with basic working knowledge of Google Docs as a result of the curriculum change at the middle school level. This will then allow my teachers to focus on more advanced skills. Additionally, I created a Professional Improvement Plan (PIP) objective for all of my teachers based around Google Docs so that their use is properly modeled for students on a consistent basis and projects that are assigned have to be completed/submitted using this format. Each teacher also has to collaborate and develop an interdisciplinary lesson with staff members from different departments using Google Docs. All staff members signed off on this PIP objective and were extremely receptive to it. It has been very rewarding as I conduct observations and classroom walkthroughs and see so many of my teachers and students now routinely utilizing Google Docs.
Mobl21: How ready are schools today for mobile learning?
Eric: This is a tough question. In all honesty I don’t think that the majority of schools are ready for mobile learning. There still seems to be a massive disconnect between schools and the 21st Century learners they serve. Many schools feel that mobile learning devices are a distraction to the learning process, promote cyberbullying, reinforce bad habits, and enable anti-social behaviors. Throw in the lack of access and all of these factors combined provide schools with the excuses to avoid any discussion on integrating these innovative tools. Professional development and training is yet another factor impacting the readiness of schools to embrace mobile learning. The good news here is that I am beginning to see more relevant conferences, workshops, and presenters in this area. This will eventually lay the pedagogical foundation schools need to establish innovative programs that effectively integrate mobile learning technology.
Mobl21: Has your school experienced or experimented in any mobile learning activities? If so could you tell us a little about it?
Eric: New Milford High School teachers are beginning to incorporate student-owned devices (i.e. cell phones) and utilizing programs such as Poll Everywhere to check for understanding, assess, and give every student a voice. A few years ago I also purchased a mobile iPod learning lab that consists of a Bretford PowerSync cart, iPod nanos each with a Belkin TuneTalk recording device, and iPod Touches. Teachers are using the lab to create authentic podcasts.
Mobl21: What are some of the concerns teachers have with using mobile devices for learning?
Eric: Concerns range from students being off task, texting in class, cyberbullying, to accessing inappropriate sites on their phones. Other concerns include theft and damage to devices as well as equitable access.
Mobl21: What are students reactions to mobile learning?
Eric: Speak to virtually any student and they will tell you that their mobile devices are extensions of their own bodies. As digital natives they immerse themselves in technology. When I mention to them that NMHS is interested in leveraging these same tools that they have become so accustomed to for learning in school they immediately become excited. Engagement is so important in terms of learning, which is why it makes sense to work collaboratively with students to integrate mobile learning.
Mobl21: By when do you see mobile learning becoming a regular part of student’s education?
Eric: As technology continues to evolve at a feverish pace I believe that many schools will begin to engage in serious discussions on how to best make mobile learning one of many components of a student’s education in the 21st Century. All one has to do is pick up a newspaper or educational magazine and see advances such as digital textbooks, tablet devices, virtual schooling, and video conferencing being deployed in schools to support mobile learning. It will become commonplace as budgets stabilize, wireless access becomes more equitable, stakeholders are educated on the benefits, and training programs are put into place.
About Eric Sheninger
Eric is Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ. As an educational administrator he firmly believes that effective communication, shared decision-making, and the integration of technology are essential elements necessary for the transformation of school cultures.
Eric is passionate about fostering learning environments that are student-centric, collaborative, and prepare all learners to succeed in the 21st Century. An innovative leader in the use of social media and web 2.0 technology as tools to engage students, Eric has worked to improve communications with stakeholders, and help educators grow professionally. He is a Google Certified Teacher, an ASCD 2011 Conference Scholar, and was also named to the NSBA “20 to Watch” list in 2010 for technology leadership.
For more information on Eric and what’s happening at New Milford High School visit www.ericsheninger.com
Mobl21 Interviews | Mobile Learning–High School Perspective
This is the first installment in a series of interviews Mobl21 is conducting to get in the classroom feedback on how mobile learning and technology is being viewed and used.
This week, Mobl21 talks to Lydia Leimbach, Technology Integration Specialist at Hall-Dale High School.
Mobl21: Tell us a little about yourself and your at role Hall-Dale High School.
Lydia: I work to provide professional development for teachers as we are a 1:1 laptop school. I also serve as a resource for students who need help with technology projects and research. I teach middle school technology classes which are heavily infused with digital citizenry activities. I also work with the administration in helping to inform parents and students when student choices stray from our acceptable use policies.
Mobl21: What technology initiatives have you incorporated into your school/class?
Lydia: In Maine we’ve had 1:1 laptops at the middle school level since 2000. Hall-Dale High School followed shortly thereafter, one year at a time. We have been 1:1 in grades 7-12 for about 5 years.
I’ve encouraged the expansion of classrooms by the use of a hybrid online learning model. We use GoogleApps for Education from 6th grade on in a variety of ways that encourage collaboration and quick feedback. I’ve always been intrigued with Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences and try to encourage teachers to incorporate different media into their classroom both in the presentation of material as well as allowing students to have that same latitude in how they show what they know.
Mobl21: What do you see as the big hurdles mobile learning faces in practical classroom application?
Lydia: Teachers need to be able to let go. We are so afraid that kids will be off task if we let them use phones or iPods as part of our classroom activities because we don’t know if they are doing what we ask of them. I would counter with this: do you know anyway? The student that appears to be listening to a lecture could very well be thinking of something else entirely. The key is to create engaging, thought provoking learning activities that are relevant to the world that students live in right now. Students are engaged when they see connections.
This is really evident when we try to use cell phones in class. Teachers (and administration) often see the phone as the enemy. They don’t want to allow them out of the backpack for fear of losing the student’s attention.
Mobl21: Have you ever tried implementing mobile learning in your class/school? If yes, could you tell us a little about it?
Lydia: I’ve done a little bit with students in grades 6-8. I like two tools especially- Wiffiti as a brainstorming tool, and PollEverywhere as a way to get feedback from students anonymously. Here’s how I approached it recently with my 8th graders:
I ask all students with phones to take them out and put them on the desk next to their computers. We check to make sure they are set to silent so as not to disturb others. I explain that we’ll use them for a brief activity and that when they are done with the activity, back they go. For this activity we are using texting so I tell students that there are alternate ways to do the activity if a) they don’t have a phone or b) they don’t have unlimited texting. I have the link posted where they can easily find it.
We then talk about anonymity, as this tool doesn’t show a username. We discuss the responsibility that comes with using the tool and what will happen if class members are not mature enough to handle this responsibility. (I always begin by telling them that I am confident that they have the skills to behave appropriately). I then explain the activity.
I used PollEverywhere for this example. I set up a poll question that says “Please let me know what is still unclear about the Social Networking Article Review.” This is an assignment that many students have not completed. PollEverywhere provides students a number that they can text into to let me know what they need to know to be able to finish the assignment.
Some of their comments were:
• Do we need to use delicious only as the search engine?
• How can i improve my suggestions in my article??
• i dont really know what to write about….
• What exactly are we writing about? I’m so confused. :’(
• what exactly are we supposed to talk about facebook privacy?
This gave students the opportunity to get clarity from me, and gave me the opportunity to see where the wheels were coming off the assignment. I ended up leaving the poll up for the whole class so that students could ask questions as they had them in case I was busy.
Students that had clearer understanding asked who needed help and were able to provide some suggestions so students could start moving forward again.
I did not worry about students falling into texting instead of working. I expected to have to redirect a few students and I was not disappointed! I saw it all as part of a culture change in my classroom.
Other ways I have used mobile learning:
• All of my 8th grade website pages have an audio recording that can be downloaded so students have directions “on the go.”
• I’ve used Voki with students so that they can use their own voice easily with a speaking avatar for foreign language classes and also as an option for part of a cyberbullying site that 7th graders created.
• I’ve suggested the use of using phones on field trips or during observations to a wordpress blog to be able to capture thoughts right as they occur.
About Lydia
Lydia Leimbach has a degree in Equine Studies and began her career as a riding instructor and trainer. Her work in technology integration began in earnest in 2000 when she started at Hall-Dale High School in Farmingdale, ME.
Lydia has presented at the UME Summer Institute and has been a part of the MLTI/Apple Professional Development Team. She is currently working on a second masters degree in Instructional Design from Emporia State University.
Lydia looks at technology use through the lens of pedagogy and believes that technology without a purpose doesn’t do much. According to her, engagement is important but not more so than improvement in understanding.
To this end, she has started a blog called Teacher Tech in order to share her classroom strategies and technology experiences with other teachers.
You can reach Lydia by email: lleimbach@halldale.org
Or follow her on twitter: lleimbach
Posted in Interviews, Mobile Learning
Tagged mobile technology in education, professional development
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Visit Mobl21 at FETC 2011 Conference
Jan 31 – Feb 3, 2011
FETC 2011 conference brings education leaders and technology experts together to exchange techniques and strategies for teaching and learning success.
Known worldwide for its outstanding program, FETC provides educators and administrators the opportunity to explore the integration of technology across the curriculum—from kindergarten to college—through hands-on exposure to the latest hardware, software and successful strategies.
The conference will take place Monday, Jan. 31, through Thursday, Feb. 3, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
More than 200 concurrent sessions will be offered, which will focus on integrating current and emerging technologies, safety and security, social networking/collaboration, and sustainability into the curriculum. Nearly 70 professional development workshops will provide training opportunities through full- and half-day lectures and hands-on workshops given by local and national experts.
Emantras will be showcasing Mobl21 at Booth 1519
Mobl21 – Mobile Learning Made Easy
Mobl21 allows educators to create content in the form of multimedia study guides, quizzes and flashcards, which learners can access anytime from their mobile devices, enabling them to study and revise at their own pace.
Mobl21 also offers multi-point interfaces over the web, mobile devices (including Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and Google Android) as well as through desktop widgets.
Posted in Mobile Learning Events, Mobl21
Tagged M-learning, mobile technology in education
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Interview: A Better Approach to AUPs for Mobile Devices
Insightful interview with Anthony Luscre, Director of Technology for Mogadore Local Schools in Ohio, by Dian Schaffhauser of THE Journal.
Excerpt: In this interview with The Journal, Luscre explains that an effective approach to the acceptable use policy (AUP) involves building not just awareness, but understanding among faculty, staff, students, and parents; demanding consistency when it comes to enforcement; and supplementing the AUP with more agile practices, such as concise, less formal rules that are posted throughout the school to remind students of what’s expected of them when they’re entrusted with powerful technologies.
THE Journal: It seems a little crazy right now. Some schools require students to bring electronic devices; others will suspend students for bringing them. Why is there such chaos about this topic right now?
Anthony Luscre: Technology innovations have been moving at a very rapid pace, one that often exceeds schools’ abilities to react to the changes. The manufacturer and service providers drive much of the technology innovation, and there’s little consistency in their offerings, which makes it harder for schools to adopt new technology. One of the other things is a question of whether the devices are going to be used for private use or for educational purposes in the classroom.
While it’s easier just to say no to ECDs, it’s important that school administrators and teachers realize that teens have a very large pent-up demand to use these types of devices because they practice using them almost continuously throughout the day…. When you tell a student, “No, you can’t look up something online,” or, “No, you can’t text,” they feel like the skills they’re developing aren’t valued.
Teachers must be aware of student demand to use their everyday practices such as texting, videos, and social networking. I am providing a session at FETC to encourage classroom teachers to harness these everyday student technology skills. I discuss how to capture these skills to improve student learning. That includes using texting to improve student composition; Twitter for haiku and other poetry; book reports by wiki; Google Earth for virtual field trips; eBay for economics; and iPhone apps development for creative thinking, problem solving, and math.
The other thing causing that chaos is that all school districts are at different comfort levels with new technologies. In addition, they have a track history of various incidents that may or may not bode positive for the use of ECDs. If there’s been an issue involving sexting, they’re much more hesitant to want to open themselves up to potential liabilities and problems with parents.
Welcome to the Mobl21 Blog
“It will soon be possible, for a business man in New York to dictate instructions and have them appear instantly in type in London or elsewhere. It will only be necessary to carry an inexpensive instrument… which will enable its bearer to hear anywhere on sea or land for distances of thousands of miles… One may listen or transmit speech or song to the uttermost parts of the world. In the same way any kind of picture, drawing or print can be transferred from one place to another…
…The song of a great singer, the speech of a political leader, the sermon of a great divine, the lecture of a man of science may thus be delivered to an audience scattered all over the world.” Nikola Tesla, New York Times | October, 1909
If Nikola Tesla were to awaken and join today’s mobile community, perhaps his first tweet to the world would be, “i tld u so”.
While most of us have witnessed, experienced and benefited from this tremendous communication growth, what has yet to be foreseen is the extensive learning potential mobile technology is bringing to the field of education.
M-learning, mobile learning, mobile elearning. Regardless of how you refer to it, the future of education is undergoing a dramatic change. Largely focussed on imparting educational information using mobile devices, mobile learning offers today’s educators a powerful tool to facilitate an interactive learning experience.
In the urban educational context, each year sees younger and younger generations of students, absorbing and integrating technology into the various facets their life with ease. Do they still need slide shows, with each student holding a phone screen? Or to share a computer, with a pretty powerful computing device in every pocket? With the application of mobile learning, institutions and schools will soon be able to provide study aids and real-time support to a competitive, and techno-savvy student body.
Making learning a 24/7 process.
The potential is enormous. Perhaps even beyond what a man of Nikola Tesla’s precognitive abilities could comprehend.
If you’re interested in mobile learning you’ve come to the right place. In this blog we’ll cover the latest happenings in the mobile elearning world, and discuss potential initiatives, key challenges, & possible pitfalls. We’ll also take a look at some interesting examples of mobile technology in education, and figure out which institutions have successfully implemented mobile education and how.
Posted in General
Tagged General, M-learning, mobile elearning, mobile technology in education, Nikola Tesla
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