Technology and Mobile Learning

Technology

As someone who grew up before what I consider the big technological explosion (for this blog lets go with the year 2007, the year the iPhone was first release), the way education was done was completely different to the way it is now. Technology, whether one loves it or hates it, is such an integral part of our daily lives.

As a teacher myself now, I need to find ways to incorporate it into my lessons. I can not do it the way my teachers did it. If I did it like that, I would be doing my students a huge disservice! There are so many reasons to include technology in the classroom, that for me to not use it is like preventing my students from being able to learn at their full potential. Here are but three of them.

Reasons:
One reason to use technology is simply because with technology, the world is in one's fingertips! A teacher can drastically expand a lesson: add songs, videos, images, maps, etc. If a teacher gets an idea in the middle of the lesson (as so often happens to me!), that teacher can instantly add that into the lesson thanks to technology!

Which leads to my second point, differentiated instruction. With technology, a teacher no longer needs to make a one-size-fits-all lesson plan! As we all know, each student is unique. Therefore, each student learns in his/her own particular way. With technology, a teacher can better accommodate for these situations.

Technology can also better help a teacher see where students are having problems. With the right technology, a teacher can better assess a student. Technology can more specifically pinpoint a student's strengths and weaknesses, helping the teacher be better able to focus on those parts where the student needs help. This in turn goes back to the point above, by better knowing where a student is struggling, a teacher can differentiate his/her lessons to help a struggling student.

Mobile Learning

Okay, so we can see how technology is good for the classroom. Now let's talk about one piece of technology in particular that can be very useful in a class room, mobile technology. With mobile technology, the world is IN your hands! Before we get to some specific examples, lets see a pic to show some of my guiding principles with (mobile technology in the classroom:

(Yes, I am aware that the picture is not just about mobile technology, but its principles are all the same.)

Engage: have my students be more engaged in the lesson by showing videos, songs, funny images. The more fun they have, the more they want to learn!
Communicate: using mobile technology, I can communicate directly with parents in an instant. But more importantly, my students can communicate with me instantly! I always tell my students that no matter how old they get, I will always be there to help them! Now, I can also say: "No matter what time it is, I will always be there to help you!"
Learn: well this one is pretty self-explanatory. This whole blog is about using technology for learning! So read above and below!
Create: students have the opportunity to not just listen to a lesson, but to make it their own! They can create so many things for the lesson. Whether it be in a project for Project Based Learning; in creating a game for Game Based Learning; or simply creating something fun out of their own wild imaginations; mobile technology can help my students become more creative, while learning!

So what can I, and my students, do with mobile technology:

1. Something simple (that is stated above): show my students videos! Play them songs! Show them (funny) images for vocabulary that they don't understand. Just add to the lesson.
2. My students can record themselves in the class. They (along with their parents) can use these videos in order to see their progress throughout the year.
3. My students can befriend students in other countries in order to expand their minds; like a modern take on a pen-pal. (I am actually in the process of doing this now! Fingers crossed that I can put this idea into action soon!)
4. Have my students have fun with a lesson! Whether it be by having them be more involved/interacted with the lesson; by having them create something and add it to the lesson; the important thing is that they have fun!
5. Give my students choices in the way they learn! The more choices they have, the more fun they can have. Plus, as stated above, not all students are the same, so lessons shouldn't be either! The best part here is that by giving students choices, they are doing a lot of the above in just one thing... a choice! (Have fun, have differentiated learning, etc.)

Some activities:

1. The easy one: play games on the mobile device!
2. Gather data of a specific location on field trips.
3. Gather data on specific animals while at the zoo.
4. Take pictures of the language one is studying and use translating devices on the spot.
5. Go outside the classroom and take pictures of the key vocabulary words of the lesson. For example, if studying shapes, take pictures of circled items, squared objects, etc. If studying colors, take pictures of blue things, green things, etc.
6. Study outside the classroom! Study while at a park, or a forest, or a lake!

Technology and especially mobile learning can and is very useful for learning in the 21st Century. Hopefully, I can keep growing as a teacher and find better and more meaningful ways to integrate it into my lessons.

To end this blog, lets just say:
Now, of course there are some negatives aspects to technology and some arguments can be made against using technology in the classroom. However, that can be the focus of another blog. We are keeping it all positive in this one! But just for fun, take a look at this:

References
Davis, V. (2015, January 15). 5 fantastic, fast, formative assessment tools. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-fast-formative-assessment-tools-vicki-davis

Haynes, K. (n.d.) 12 easy ways to use technology in the classroom, even for technophobic teachers. Retrieved from http://www.teachhub.com/12-easy-ways-use-technology-your-classroom-even-technophobic-teachers

Stern, J. (2015, March 30). Enhancing learning through differentiated technology. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/enhanced-learning-through-differentiated-technology-julie-stern