ISTE 2011: What Teachers Are Doing With Mobile Learning in K-12 Classrooms

Cathleen Norris from the University of North Texas and Elliot Soloway presented on mobile learning devices as a choice for 1-to-1 and 24/7 roll outs. Learn about K-12 teachers experiences--from challenges to successes--with mobile learning devices.

Mobilism has been adopted by children now a days due their exposure to continuous simulation from various mobile devices. Children are identified as mobilists since they are constantly connected 24/7, from the moment they wake up till the time they are ready to go to sleep.

In 1991, desktops were very important, but in 2008, laptops have surpassed desktop computers. In 2010, smart phones outsold laptops. Amazing fast change! Now, we are seeing carry-along devices such as iPads. In doing so, the age of the laptop only lasted for two years.

People are not browsing the web as much as they used to. They often visit one spot and linger in that spot. Imagine Facebook. Most accessibility to different types of information is made available in Facebook, which results to people staying and lingering in FB than exploring information using a web browser. from June 2010 to June 2011, there is an 88 percent increase in using Mobile apps, versus the 16 percent increase on web usage or consumption.

There are three different ages that are being discussed. These stages are the Post PC Age, the Post Web Age, and the Age of Mobilism. Now, we have to think about bring mobilists and the mobilized curriculum.

Within 4 years, every student, every grade, every school in America will be using mobile devices as part of everyday learning. How will this affect student learning and classroom instruction? We could just imagine the discussions and arguments that will occur! Quite exciting times ahead of us, particularly in changed in education.

Teaching today involves multiple repetitions which does not necessarily mean speaking louder three times. Differentiation and modifications are applied using teaching techniques, technology tools, and collaborative activities that will provide students opportunities to collaborate and communicate among peers.

In the United States, technology is a supplement where it is integrated in different content areas. Unlike other countries such as Singapore and China, technology is the essential partner tool with different content areas. Everyday, students from Singapore and China are constantly exposed to mobile technology. In St. Mary's Ohio, reading increased to 46% (from 15%) and Math increased to 71% with the use of mobile learning devices.

When students are engaged, there is more learning happening in the classroom and extends further outside of the classroom. As Educators, we are responsible in providing opportunities for students to learn and for teachers to teach quality education.

Use technology as a medium to ask higher level of thinking such as the How? and the Why? questions. Learning should be more student centered than teacher centered. Curriculum and pedagogy need to change to accommodate these changes.

I teach. We learn.

Additional resources:
--RIM
--Wired magazine: "The Web is dead."
--Katy, TX TAKS scores using 2010 Windows Mobile and Android Devices