Mobile Learning

The Big Question

As a teacher, you may wonder whether you should allow or require students to use mobile devices to achieve learning objectives?

My Thoughts

Today's students are digital students. They were born into an era of computers, tablets, mobile phones and interactive boards in classrooms. As a teacher of these digital students, I think it is imperative to include mobile devices in the classroom when possible.

I recently taught a 5th grade lesson on cyberbullying. Most of the students knew what bullying was, but they had never heard of it in terms of online behavior. While, I could have stood there in front of the class and explained what cyberbullying was or made lists on the smart board about good and bad online behavior, I chose to show a video. The video was short, straightforward and age appropriate. They were immediately interested because they already knew the two characters. In watching this four-minute video, all the students had a familiarity with cyberbullying and could have a class discussion about it. The video was followed up by an online quiz to check their understanding. The students scored between 80% and 100%. With this score, I think the video was very effective and more engaging than me talking in front of them. This was a good mobile activity for my class. The video relayed the information in a fun way and the quiz got the students collaborating, communicating and thinking about the video they had seen. 

Ten Reason To Use Mobile Devices in the Classroom

• Interesting and fun
• Game-based learning
• Project-based learning
• Motivational
• Teaches responsibility
• 21st century skills
• Helps differentiate learning
• Prepares students for the future
• Up-to-date
• Global learning possibilities  

 

While there are many benefits to using mobile devices,
teachers need to be aware of the pros and cons of technology
in their lessons so they can best decide if the mobile device is
appropriate or not.

Guiding Principles for Mobile Device Use in the Classroom
 

1. Purpose: Why Mobile?

The teacher must reflect on why he or she is using the device and how it will improve understanding and learning. How does the mobile device enhance the lesson? Will it be a benefit to the students and help them or will it be more of a distraction?

2. Background: Know Your Students

Will this activity appropriately challenge your students? Will your students be familiar with the specific technology? If not, how much time will you need to spend on teaching them how to use it. It seems that most apps, learning games or programs are, generally, pretty easy to use. But, never underestimate the valuable time that goes into preparing to use mobile devices in the classroom. 

3. Prepare: No Last Minute!

Do you have all the necessary equipment? Devices need to be charged to be used, so be sure to check on them well before the lesson to make sure they are fully charged. Is the app, game or program you want to use already on the device or do you need to upload it? Did you test it out first, so that you are very familiar with the activity? What is your alternative plan if it doesn't work? 

4. Goals: Be Clear

When thinking about using a mobile device, be sure you know your goals. Make clear goals for yourself, as a teacher, and clear goals for your students. What are you, as a teacher, expecting to gain from using a mobile device in your lesson? What should your students expect to gain?

5. Standards: Be Appropriate

Is the use of the mobile device in line with your school's regulations?  Does it also enhance the curriculum or standards? Technology can be fun, but it also has to stay within our specific teaching goals. Make sure that it enriches and deepens your students' learning and it is not just an amusing distraction.

6. Practice: 21st Century Skills

21st century skills are crucial in today's world. The more you can bring them into your lessons, the more your students will refine their 21st century skills. Does the mobile device encourage 21st century skills, like communication, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking? Is it learner-centered? 

7. Assessment: Feedback

After using the mobile device, it is important to take a step back and see how it worked or did not work. There are different ways to assess the lesson: student feedback, student reflections and your own observations. During the activity were some things working really well, while others weren't? What could you change or improve? Were the students engaged?

A Few Ideas

Mobile Device Activity #1: Seasons 

If your elementary school class is studying the seasons, you could have them team up and take a mobile device outside to document the changes they see, for example from summer to fall or winter to spring. Then, bring their images back into the classroom,  they can compare their images and look for similarities and differences. Then, you could have them create a digital poster, a slide show or a class blog.

In this example, the guiding principles above are useful to see the benefit of this activity:

1. Purpose: the purpose is clear because the mobile device acts a record, taking photos of objects seen outside the classroom.
2. Background: depending on the age group and what mobile device you choose to use (tablet or digital camera), most school age children are familiar with cameras and how to take a photo. However, this can be easily shown by the teacher or by a team member.
3. Prepare: the most important thing in preparing this activity is making sure you have the correct number of mobile devices and that they are fully charged and operational.
4. Goals: the goal is to collect data.

5. Standards: studying weather and the seasons collates with the core standards at many grade levels, so the teacher can adapt to meet the needs of the standard.
6. Practice: the 21st century skills used in this activity are collaboration, communication, technology skills, critical thinking, flexibility, creativity and interdisciplinary skills.
7. Assessment: student feedback and student reflection

Mobile Device Activity #2: Interviews  

Brainstorm with students about what they like about their school, what they would like to be different and how they feel about their school experience. Have them create a list of interview questions based on the class brainstorming session. Students then team up and, using the created class question list, interview each other with a mobile device--either video or audio recording. Then, students go home and video or audio record interviewing their parents at home. The students can create a video presentation comparing their school experience with their parents. 

Again, the guiding principles above are helpful to see the advantages of using a mobile device for this activity:

1. Purpose: the mobile device is used to recored interviews.
2. Background: using a mobile device, like a tablet, is quite intuitive and is easy for children to use and record information. However, explanations can be given by the teacher or by a partner.
3. Prepare: the most important thing in preparing this activity is making sure you have the correct number of mobile devices and that they are fully charged and operational.
4. Goals: the goal is to collect data through interviews.

5. Standards: this activity fulfills some of the "anchor standards" of K-5:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1: prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2: integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively and orally
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.3: evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning and use of evidence and rhetoric
Retrieved from: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/CCRA/SL/
6. Practice: the 21st century skills used in this activity are collaboration, communication, technology skills, critical thinking, flexibility, creativity and interdisciplinary skills.

7. Assessment: student feedback and student reflection

Both of these are good activities because with the help of mobile devices, students are able to get out of the classroom and explore their outside world and to record information in a digital way. These are learner-centered, hands-on activities that encourage students to use many 21st century skills.

In the End     

Mobile devices can be a great enhancement to just about any lesson with 21st century skills and more engaged learners. The teacher's role is to be familiar with his or her students and appropriateness of the mobile device for the lesson. I think a set of guidelines, like the one  above, can help teachers focus on what is important when using mobile devices. Teachers can make their own guidelines based on their experiences and can adapt them to meet the needs of their classes. In this digital age, I believe that all teachers should be prepared and encouraged to use mobile devices in their classrooms.

Sources

Daccord, Tom. (September 27, 2012). 5 Critical Mistakes Schools Make With iPads (And How To Fix Them). Edudemic. Retrieved from:  http://www.edudemic.com/5-critical-mistakes-schools-ipads-and-correct-them/

Loots, Jessica. June 20, 2015. Mobile Device Guiding Principles. Mobile Learning blog. Retrieved from: http://learning2mobile.blogspot.fr

Prensky, Marc. (December 2, 2005).  Shaping Tech for the Classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt-shaping-tech-for-classroom

Shepard, Tom. (March 25, 2015). Making the Case for Mobile Learning & Guiding Principles for Implementation. Tom's A-Teachin' Blog. Retrieved from: http://tomsateachin.wordpress.com/

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/CCRA/SL/