The use of old chalkboards or white-boards are becoming
completely irrelevant in the classroom.
Teachers are trading in their number two pencils for touch-screen
tablets and videos. Students are
texting, streaming videos, and tweeting for breakfast. What was once prohibited in school, is now
becoming a way to help support students' achieve learning objectives.
The biggest concern with mobile learning are the
distractions. Or lack thereof? Teachers
have the ability to turn a negative into a positive. Using mobile devices can serve as a way to
keep students engaged. Lucy Gray,
project director of the Consortium for School Networking’s (CoSN) Leadership
for Mobile Learning initiative, shares that ” Teachers reported that their
students were more “active” in their classes, as both leaders and peer tutors,
contributing to problem-solving discussions and teaching each other, once smart
devices was implemented in a ninth grade math class. The use of technology and
digital media is a required skill for the 21 century student and technology
tools should be used to achieve these skills.
Technology is here to stay therefore teachers should vest in
empowering their students learning and development. Benefits of having technology in your
classroom consist of giving students an opportunity to cohere with their peers
and teachers. However, teachers must
keep in mind the use of guiding principles and/or best practices when using
technology. In my Prekindergarten class,
students take turns, during morning meeting, to check my phone for the
weather. Children, with my guidance, are
allowed to use my smartphone, to check the weather. After discussing what the weather was upon
coming to school that morning, students like to make predictions about the
following day. This activity allows
students to develop inquiry and processing skills. Students also develop an understanding of the
Earth and the natural environment. To
expand the activity I allow children to either draw a picture or we do shared
writing; we graph our predictions and outcomes.
To help establish a routine and to help support ELL
students, I also use my Timer, during transitions and clean up time. Students enjoy watching the stop watch count
down and anticipates the alarm when it goes off. Children are expected to be sitting on the
carpet or ready to line up before the timer goes off. The objective is to support self-monitoring
and direction, reinforce looking and listening to teachers, and understand of
how to use centers and materials. Social
Emotional guiding principles needed for the success of my students.
Before considering mobile devices in the classroom, here are some guided questions for best practices:
- Does the technology enhance student learning?
- ...Have clear objectives?
- ...Have real world connections?
- ...Allow students to interact with learning topic?
- ...Allow for supplemental learning?
- ...Have an engagement piece?
- How does it benefit your students?
- Is it age appropriate?
- Can you differentiate the lesson?
- Is the technology accessible?
http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/guides/edutopia-mobile-learning-guide.pdf
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