by: Mery Tellez
I have always been an advocate of technology as a tool for
learning, in the current job market, technology skills and computational
literacy is more and more becoming a must in almost every industry, and a work
reality like this is the one for which we should be preparing our students for.
Mobile technology has transformed the way we communicate radically,
and as with any other technology, mobile devices should be seen as an
additional tool available in your classroom to enhance your students experience
instead of being seen as an impediment or an obstacle in your teaching.
Teachers have been traditionally known for being reluctant to
change, if you have a functional classroom, students that are learning, and all
seems ok, then why to change it. If is
not broken why to fix it right? Well, the issue is that it is broken, if our
students are not currently learning in your classroom how to use the tools, and
the communication means they will be required to use for the rest of their
lives, then something definitively needs to be changed.
This should be enough motivation for us. As teachers, it is
our responsibility to educate our students to be able to be productive,
positive members of the society. And how can they possibly be if they are not
being prepared for what they will be facing.
Some will argue that the least our students need, is us
teaching them how to use technology, but I feel we are forgetting that is not
only about using it. Is about
understanding how, when and why to use it, and more importantly, how to use it
responsibly and in positive ways.
To me, teaching technology in the classroom is the same as teaching
manners, we cannot assume they will just have them, we need to show them, with
our example, and we also need to explicitly give them opportunities to learn
about them, and be there when they make mistakes, and help them understand why
it was a mistake and how to make it better.
We need to show them what is appropriate and what is not.
On the other hand, why wouldn’t we use mobile devices in the
classroom? For those who have been enthusiastic about the use of technology in
the classroom before, or even for those who haven’t, this is a unique
opportunity in our hands. Everyone will
agree that as teachers, everything we do is an effort to improve the learning
possibilities of our students. Why would
we deprive them from an opportunity to learn, that in many cases is right
there, literally at their fingertips?
Mobile devices are not available for us all, that is a reality. Hopefully eventually that will change, and
the possibilities will be the same for all.
But right now, we do have a vast group of students and schools with
access to laptops, online courses, IPads, chrome books, cellphones, or any
combination of possibilities for us to provide a mobile learning experience for
our students. We have it right there,
sitting in their pockets or backpacks, or hidden away in their lockers because of
the fear we feel of loosing control, and we are not using them.
If by this far you are convinced and you want to give it a
chance, then the following guidelines or recommendations based mostly in my
experience will hopefully help you to have a positive outcome with mobile
learning:
- Learning comes first: The very first step when planning a mobile learning activity, should always be your learning objective. Start by deciding what is the objective or objectives that you want to address, what is it that you want your students to concentrate on. If you start your planning with this in mind, then it will be more difficult to turn your mobile learning experience into a busy time with IPads activity.
- Plan ahead: Planning is not limited to having a lesson plan downloaded sitting on your desk, but it implies for you to test the activities yourself, to have backup plans, devices, materials, etc. The success of your students during the lesson will depend mostly on your ability to be prepared. Additionally, their attitude towards the activity will also be more positive if they can tell how much effort and time you have put into this.
- Reuse: No need to re-invent the wheel to begin with. If this is your first time using mobile devices, and you feel unsecure about what to do, remember that someone has done it already, and it is perfectly valid to search, and recreate or redesign what others have done.
- Is not about the device: Be careful with the technology gap. There will be students in your classroom that don’t have the same access to internet, or last generation devices, or even the skills to complete the task. You need to prepare for everybody and do not assume they will have what you need them to have. This is a delicate topic that is not discussed enough, and we do left kids outside when they have a different device, or no internet at home, or lack of tech skills compared to their classmates.
- Get the tech team on your side: Ask for help! Make sure that your technology coach, or tech guy if your school doesn’t have a coach is aware of what you are planning to do. Simply because they might have suggestions that could make your life easier, and they could also offer to help you to setup whatever is needed to setup. They will also have the knowledge about your school connection limitations or requirements that could help you warranty a successful experience.
These are by no means the only considerations you need to
make, it will be challenging, it will require hard work, but, all in all, the
engagement from the kids, the connections they will make, and the learning
opportunities that you will offer them will be the best reward for your hard
work.
Sources:
Daccord, T. (2012, September 27). 5 Critical Mistakes
Schools Make With iPads - edudemic.com. Retrieved October 24, 2016, from http://www.edudemic.com/5-critical-mistakes-schools-ipads-and-correct-them/
Prensky, M. (2005, December 2). Shaping Tech for the
Classroom | Edutopia. Retrieved October 24, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt-shaping-tech-for-classroom
Roggenkamp, D. (2010). Gathering Authentic Language Snippets
with Mobile Devices. Retrieved October 24, 2016 from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_4BhgdIQcnXV21FdUxlTGxRb2M/view
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