Living in the 4th Screen

Exploring the use of mobile technology in education and life 
Tags


Filed under

Educational Leadership

 
March 4, 2010

Does structured use of cellphones reduce the irresponsible uses of cellphones at other times?

Paul Barnwell makes some compelling points and raises good questions regarding the use of cellphones in classrooms. In a recent article he wrote for Education Week he states:
There are responsible ways to incorporate cellphone use into classrooms, and we may be doing students a disservice by allowing draconian anti-cellphone policies to persist in schools.
This has been the experience at our school. Some of our teachers use student cellphones and Google Voice to record and assess students speaking in the target language in our world language classrooms. How do you record and assess world language students at your school?

Further on in the article Mr. Barnwell said the following:
There are other questions thoughtful school leadership teams should consider. Incorporating laptops or other technologies into a classroom can be time-consuming and frustrating, for example. At my middle school, we have a wireless network with mobile laptop carts. But the computers are fast becoming outdated, and the boot time is painfully slow on some machines. For a student with a cellphone, however, the time to “boot up” and retrieve, create, or share information is comparatively minuscule. This could be a major advantage for teachers wanting to incorporate quick Web searches, collaboration, or idea sharing, and it also lessens the pressure on school wireless-network infrastructures.
Cell phones and iPods boot up almost instantly. One of the takeaways our teachers learned from using student cellphones in the classroom was how quickly they were able to record each student speaking in the target language. This left more time for instruction, amongst other things.

Students live in the world of texting. If you want to reach them texting is the best option. Barnwell address that in the following:

How cool would it be if school announcements were sent to students on their phones? Or, instead of using a blaring PA system, the main office could text a student to come and pick up the lunch he or she forgot on the counter at home? Or perhaps students could openly record cellphone video of teachers for test-review purposes. Or teachers could send texted reminders to students about homework assignments.

I use Outlook to send text message reminders to students who have a detention. If a student misses a detention they have it doubled. To avoid this I send the students a reminder between the last two periods of the day. The students love it and it has cut down on the number of students who miss detentions. I use the Delayed Delivery option in Outlook to set this up.

Finally Barnwell states the following:

Opponents of this type of innovative approach are likely to bring up the potential distractions and abuses that cellphones in school can certainly create, like covert and sneaky text or picture messaging between friends. But guess what? We did the same thing back in our day, writing notes to our friends on actual paper. Inappropriate communication in school will never cease. I expect, however, that structured use of cellphones in my classroom would reduce the temptation to use them in irresponsible ways.

All kinds of things cause disruptions in classrooms everyday. Pencils and paper cause distractions but we don't ban them. In my opinion Barnwell makes his best statement when he says, "...that structured use of cellphones in my classroom would reduce the temptation to use them in irresponsible ways." That has been our experience here at the school where I work. I posted about this a while back. In the first half of this year we saw a decrease in the number of cellphone violations compared to last year when we did not allow students to use their cell phones at all during the school day. Students have told me that by allowing them to use their cellphones between classes and during lunch it decreases the temptation to use their cellphone at other inappropriate times.

Follow the link above to read the full article. Paul Barnwell has a blog titled Questions for Schools .

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   banning cell phones   Cell phones   Cell Phones in Learning   Educational Leadership   Educational Technology   Google Voice   iPod Touch   K-12   School Leadership   School policies  

Comments [0]

February 27, 2010

Cell phones as educational learning tools

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   Cell phones   Cell Phones in Learning   Educational Leadership   K-12   Mobile Applications   Mobile Computing   School Leadership  

Comments [0]

February 27, 2010

Teaching responsible cell phone use could prepare students for the future

This article on the gainsvilletimes.com highlights another high school that is easing their restrictions on student cell phone use during the school day. Below are some quotes from the article:

The Hall County Board of Education approved Principal Mark Coleman’s plan to begin easing regulation on cell phone use between classes and during lunch.

“We feel like it’s time to start looking at and embracing technology and utilizing it as best as possible,” Coleman told board members. “(The pilot program) may not work. We may be back here saying we need to scrap this, but I believe this is what’s coming in the future.”

Coleman cited an example of a similar initiative at a Florida high school, which he said saw school deferrals for cell phone use drop 85 percent.

“I think we have so gotten beyond banning that we ought to be talking about ethical use of technology, not blocking technology,” Superintendent Will Schofield said.

Flowery Branch teachers Bridget Rodriguez and Kim Grennan said allowing cell phone use during limited hours would give students the opportunity to check messages from and arrange after-school plans with their parents. It would also open up more possibilities in the classroom, such as communicating with other schools outside the state or country.

“The more privilege and responsibility you give (students), they actually step up to the plate and they appreciate and respond to those responsibilities in a manner that we expect them to,” Rodriguez said. “I also believe technology is not going away.”

Grennan took advantage of students’ cell phones when she ran out of calculators during a lab experiment.

“As a parent, I know that sometimes I even message (my middle school student),” she said. “I guarantee there are some other parents in here that have had to do the same thing.”

But teaching responsible cell phone use could prepare students for the future, she said.

Great statements from the school leaders and teachers. Most of what they said in the article is what we have experienced at the school I work at. We eased our restrictions this year and we saw a decline in the first half of the year in our cell phone violations. An over whelming majority of our students have responded positively to the increased freedom in cell phone use. For the record we allow students to use their cell phones during the passing time between classes and during their lunch break. We do have a few teachers that are using student cell phones as part of their lessons.

 

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   Cell Phones in Learning   Education   Educational Leadership   K-12   School Leadership   School policies  

Comments [0]

February 25, 2010

The Next Wave in Education?


This article in the Richmond-Times Dispatch declares that mobile devices will be the next wave in education. The picture above is from the article. Below are some quotes from the article by school leaders who serve in the Virginia schools.

Henrico County (VA) schools Superintendent Patrick Russo said that learning anywhere and anytime is "the next wave."
"As technology evolves, I think you will see iPhones and other mobile devices . . . be part of the teaching process as well as a communication process between teachers and students," he said.

In Chesterfield County (VA), the School Board approved a five-year technology plan in December that includes $3 million for a mobile technology pilot program for students. The money will come from the district's capital improvement plan.A committee of administrators, teachers and students has been looking at the feasibility of using cell phones, iPod Touches and netbooks in the classroom, said Dallas Dance, Chesterfield's director of school improvement, who is leading the committee. "This is what [students are] using at home and have heard a lot about, but we, the school systems, have not been stepping up," he said. "Our primary goal is to increase student achievement, and we want to increase it by engaging students through these 21st-century tools."

"We have to at least explore the potential of the use of these technology tools, said Chesterfield schools Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome, who is part of the committee. "At this point, I don't see that there will be a wholesale implementation of anything with our students, but I think we need to investigate in terms of some pilots."

"It the past, it seems as though [the cell phone] has been a tool that's been disruptive to the teaching and learning process, but if there's a way to turn it around to our advantage, we need to investigate," Newsome said.

The Virginia Department of Education launched Learning without Boundaries two years ago. The initiative, in cooperation with Virginia Tech and Radford University, is studying the potential benefits of wireless hand-held technologies in schools.

It is refreshing to hear school leaders say that they need to investigate the use of mobile handheld devices in a school setting. I think that is the responsible attitude that school administrators should have. I have said many times that it is inevitable that schools will eventually accept the use of student-owned technology devices as part of the school day. Economics will make it seem like a reasonable solution in the very near future. Schools are afraid of that which they can't control. As schools begin to experiment with the use of student-owned devices and figure out how to manage them you will see wider adoption of this practice.


The article also quotes Liz Kolb, author of "Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education." Ms. Kolb thinks schools should use student-owned cell phones during the school day. She thinks the restrictive cell phone policies are counter productive and rob the students of the opportunity to learn how to use cell phones in a responsible manner. I agree with Ms. Kolb. Cell phones are here to stay. We need to start to figure out how to make use of them and teach students how to use all technology devices responsibly.


The article is worth reading in its entirety and you can do that by following the link above.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

February 23, 2010

Are students involved in drafting your school technology policies?

In an Education Week article reporters Katie Ash and Michelle Davis raise the idea that students should be involved in making decisions about how technology is integrated into the educational process. They write:

Discussions of technology in education typically center on what policymakers, academic experts, and educators would like to see happen in the classroom. Rarely heard are the voices of those who are actively test-driving new forms of technology: the students.

A 2008 survey, for instance, suggests there is growing frustration among students that they have to “power down” their use of technology when they enter school buildings. They are concerned that this reality is slowing the development of skills they’ll need to compete in a technology-driven global economy.

That’s why many ed-tech advocates say it’s important to consider student perspectives when making decisions about technology policy and how digital tools should be used in classrooms.That’s why many ed-tech advocates say it’s important to consider student perspectives when making decisions about technology policy and how digital tools should be used in classrooms.

The article goes on to discuss certain typs of technology being used at particular schools. The article also has lots of quotes from students. You can follow the link above to read the complete article. My intention in this post is not to debate what type of hardware or software schools should invest in, but I think the authors raise a valid question about the role students have in drafting school technology plans. I know when I wrote the state technology plan for the district I was working in at the time I had students on the committee that drafted the tech plan. I also had parents, administrators, board members, and teachers on the comittee. I think students bring a perspective to the discussion that only they can voice. Hearing from them may cause you to pursue different plans and help your technology intiatives gain deeper traction and have a larger impact on improving teaching and learning. I think getting input from the student body is an important precursor to drafting a school technology plan. Besides having students serving on the technology committee I also would randomly survey about 200 students on a board range of technology initiatives. Their input was crucial to developing a successful technology plan for the district. I think we need their input.

How about at your school? What role do students play in drafting your technology plans?

 

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

February 20, 2010

How well is technology woven into the fabric your school?

On his blog, Tony Bates, has posed questions for schools to ask themselves about how well they are integrating technology into the fabric of their institution. I thought the list of questions were pretty good. In a previous position I used to have to write the State technology plan for the school district. I would have liked a set of questions like the ones Tony posted to use with the technology committee to get us thinking.

How about at your educational institution? How well is technology integrated into the teaching and learning process? I listed Tony's questions below. Follow the link above for the questions and explanations.

1. Are there ‘champions’ with power and influence in the institution who recognize the importance of technology for conducting the business of the institution?

2. Does the institution have an advanced, comprehensive technology infrastructure that enables all staff, students and faculty to access computers, networks, software and services as required? 

3. Has the institution digitalized its administrative services, and can staff, students and faculty access administrative information and services easily over the web?
 
4. Has the institution identified a clear, strategic rationale for the use of technology within the institution? 

5. Has the institution identified additional financial resources or reallocated resources to support the integration of technology within the institution? 

6. What proportion of staff, students and faculty are using technology and for what activities? 

7. How innovative is the use of technology, particularly for teaching? 

8. What level of support and training is given to instructors to ensure good quality teaching when using technology? 

9. Are students learning better and getting better services as a result of technology integration?

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   Educational Leadership   K-12   School Leadership   School policies  

Comments [0]

February 14, 2010

Cooney Center to award prizes for breakthroughs in mobile learning projects


The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop is offering prizes for innovation in children's learning. The website states the following:

The goal of the Cooney Center Prizes for Innovation is to identify, inspire, nurture, and scale breakthrough ideas in children’s digital media and learning. The program will annually award cash prizes and provide ongoing business planning support and mentorship to a new generation of children’s media entrepreneurs and visionaries.

One area of specific concentration for awards is breakthroughs in mobile learning. The initiative states:

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop is challenging innovators to submit projects for children between the ages of 3-11 that push the current boundaries of mobile learning. Each project must include a prototype of the innovative educational experience.

Follow the link above for more details on the initiative. This is a great opportunity for any educator to pursue an idea they have for a mobile learning project.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

February 11, 2010

Considering a mobile learning initiative at your institution - then read this

There is a great post over on the LearningDigitally.org Blog about starting a mobile learning initiative at your institution. According to the article the first thing you have to consider is:

“will the learners be consumers of content, producers of content, or both?”

The next thing to keep in mind according to the author of the article, Judy Brown, is:

“We need to look instead at the capabilities unique to the new technologies. Look at the devices students are using every day, look at what these offer.”

I couldn't agree more. Instead of trying to move people to a particular platform, use the one they already are comfortable with.

Under the heading of Decisions to Make the article lists the following:

 

Define Your Objectives – Why do you want a mobile learning initiative and how will you know if you have reached your goals?

Define Your Audience – Who are the learners who will be involved in the mobile learning initiative. How will they be supported? Who is responsible for oversight and day-to-day operations of the mobile learning initiative?

Faculty Development – Who is responsible for training and supporting faculty in the appropriate use of mobile devices in the educational process?  

 

Good ideas to keep in mind if you are starting a mobile learning initiative. Follow the link above to read the full article.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

February 4, 2010

Every student in every grade in every school will be using a mobile device within 5 years

According to this article in Distrcit Administration, authors Cathleen Norris and Elliot Soloway think every student in every grade in every school will be using a mobile computing device for learning within 5 years. Why do they think this will be the case? The authors give two reasons for their hypothesis.

The first reason they state is that it was adults who brought laptops, electronic whiteboards, handheld clickers, and online materials into the classroom, whereas it is students themselves who are bringing in the mobile technology (for the record Soloway and Norris consider cell phones, smartphones, and netbooks as mobile devices. They do not consider 5-7 lb laptops to be mobile devices). They elaborate on this analysis by highlighting the electronic whiteboard:

The electronic whiteboard, quite frankly, is the quintessential example of our generation’s technology. An electronic whiteboard is just a whiteboard— albeit an expensive one. Teachers have been using chalkboards and whiteboards for hundreds of years. Teachers are comfortable using their generation’s technology. By and large, students don’t see a significant difference between chalkboards, whiteboards and electronic whiteboards with respect to teaching and learning.

Norris and Soloway then make the case the cell phone is the "quintessential technology of today’s mobile generation." They argue that cell phones are essential to student's lives and that we should meet students where they are ( A point Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently made). They also state that:

...schools are waging a battle—a battle they are losing and should lose—against cell phones.

They think we should let students use their toolbox ( i.e. mobile devices) for teaching and learning. They say if you turn off the voice and texting function of cell phones you eliminate 95% of problems schools have with cell phones (Note - a cell phone with voice and text turned off is an iPod Touch, read here why I think these are compelling devices). According to Norris and Soloway:

Mobile devices will do for student-centric K12 what desktops and laptops have done for adult-centric industries.

The second reason they give for supporting their hypothesis is that:

Over the next five years, Internet connected mobile computing devices will drop dramatically in price—and increase in functionality. 

Norris and Soloway believe the inverse relationship between increasing functionality and decreasing prices will drive wide-scale adoption of mobile devices. So much so that schools might only need to provide 25% of their population with a mobile device because the rest of the students will already own one. They think one-to-one computing is:

...as necessary as textbooks, as desks, as oxygen. The only way America’s schools can afford one-to-one is by going mobile.

Almost all of the points Norris and Soloway make in their article I have been trumpeting here on this blog ( Here, here, and here). I think they are dead on in their analysis of the current educational landscape and where it will inevitably end up. I never thought of it as adult centric computing devices and student centric devices, but they make a good point. I have stated that students are less bothered by the small screen real estate of a mobile device than adults are. Today's students grew up on handheld video games and they seem to have no problem with the small screens. When I think of today's generation and learning the words access, mobility, creating, collaborating, and others come to mind. It is truly amazing what can be accomplished so easily with today's technology. Students today arrive at school with different expectations and a different skill set than yesterday's students.

On Norris and Soloway's point of decreasing prices and increasing functionality I couldn't agree more. This was highlighted with Apple's announcement last week of the new iPad. Apple was able to get AT&T to cut their mobile broadband prices in half. In my opinion that was one of the major outcomes of Apple's announcement and I listed it as one of the major things I liked about the new iPad (click here to read the post). Other wireless providers will now have to follow suit if they want to keep up with Apple and AT&T. Prices will continue to decline and already we are experiencing a ramping up of new smartphones from many different providers. It is getting difficult to stay on top of all the new devices that are showing up on the mobile landscape. Apple has kicked the proverbial can way down the road and Nokia, Palm, Google, Microsoft, Motorola, and Dell, just to name a few, are desperately trying to keep up. I think this competition is good for consumers and will eventually be good for education.

If school leaders are wise they will begin now to prepare for the mobile explosion that is arriving on their shores, even today. They can start by embracing mobile technology and crafting policies and practices that allow for their limited and controlled use in classrooms. Schools can conduct pilot projects with a small set of mobile devices in their high school or elementary classrooms. They change their high school cell phone policies to allow for limited use throughout the school day and spend time educating students how to use handheld deives in a socially responsable way. I believe if schools cautiously and incrimentally over time embrace mobile technology the disruption they can cause will be minimal and can even improve teaching and learning in the long run.

The mobile computing earthquake has unleashed a tsunami that will eventually change the educational landscape as we know it. The schools that acknowledge this and take action now will be better prepared for the changes that are coming.

 

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   Apple   Educational Leadership   iPad   K-12   Mobile Computing   School Leadership   School policies  

Comments [0]

February 1, 2010

Is Your Cell Phone Ban Working at Your School? Not According to This Poll.

The graphic below is from the recent addition of the National Association of Secondary School Principals News Leader periodical. The data for the graph was taken from a Common Sense Media national poll. Whenever a building administrator tells me that their students are not using their cell phones in school because they are banned as per school policy I respond by telling them that the kids are still using their cell phones but they are just being very discrete in their usage. The chart below bears this truth out. I think we are at a point in our society were we need to embrace students cell phones and educate students in their proper use.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   banning cell phones   Educational Leadership   K-12   School policies  

Comments [0]