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Sharing Tips and Tricks on Mobile Learning

In your courses you have been asked to share any tips or tricks you may have regarding Mobile Learning. This can include any ideas, resources, activities, lesson plans using mobile devices, etc.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Reaz Shaheed on December 11, 2010 at 6:58am

"Normally if a student uses his or her cell phone while in class it could get them in trouble. But now one Japanese university is actually giving its students Iphones to enhance the learning experience"

Check this school in Japan

Permalink Reply by Benjamin Bailey on May 23, 2011 at 9:56pm

One fifth-grade teacher from New York started a blog with a similar observation. He asks why teachers turn their phones off and students put their phones in their lockers when the bell rings. In the real world we use it for information all the time. Why not in school?

As a way to invite technology into classrooms. He started an open Google doc where teachers can read and post ideas involving technology that students and others can use.

Check out his blog:

http://cetechtalk.blogspot.com/2011/05/whats-up-with-that.html

Permalink Reply by Cynthia Stabnick on March 6, 2011 at 2:30pm

I completely agree that children these days are "wired" differently and that we do need to meet them half way. There needs to be a balance between traditional teaching methods and the use of 21st century tools to entice and encourage students to take more pride and interest in their own learning!

~Cynthia

CEP810SS11

Permalink Reply by Dana Collett on March 7, 2011 at 11:26pm

I also completely agree! The balance is key. So many of the students are only familiar with "times new roman" that they can no longer read cursive. With our generation not completely switched over the the digital age, we need to blend the two a bit better rather than having two different worlds.

Permalink Reply by Neringa Tuyilingire on December 7, 2010 at 11:29pm

I would like to share this website on 50 Fun iPhone Apps to Get Kids Reading and Learning http://onlineultrasoundschool.com/2009/50-fun-iphone-apps-to-get-ki.... My 2 year old son knows how to navigate an iPhone. He has his favorite application. His favorite is Youtube; he watches MSU Fight song all the time. He also likes Doodle and any ABC applications where he can practice his letters. He likes to match also, so he plays Animal Memory Match all the time. These applications can be used in preschool and kindergarden classes.

Permalink Reply by Dana Collett on March 7, 2011 at 11:37pm

What a marvelous website! Thank you so much for sharing. I have a friend whose son is 9 months old and already grabbing for iphones and playing with them. So rather than just pushing buttons and pretending to talk, give the kids something educational to do! I can't wait to share this website with my friends who have kids. Thanks so much for sharing!

Permalink Reply by Reaz Shaheed on December 8, 2010 at 10:40pm

iAlert - Laptop Security

One of the key concerns faced when we made the transition from dedicated desktop labs to mobile laptop carts was the security of the laptops against possible vandalism or to be more specific, theft. Sure enough, in the very first year we lost about 9 Apple MacBooks over a period of 3 months as they were left unattended after a class was over. The investigations had revealed that the laptops were indeed stolen and re-sold in the local market. The first line of protection adopted was to find a way to reduce the re-sale value of the school-owned laptops so as to make it less attractive to the offenders. We did that by engraving the school logo on the back panel of the laptops. While it worked to some extent, the school board felt it did not secure the good, from possible attempts.

The follow-up research has now brought us to a new product recently launched as an open-source software – iAlert.

It works almost like the car security device where it detects a motion sensor and then produces a fairly well-audible alarm. In addition, it will trigger the built-in iSight camera to take the photo of the possible offender. There is an email function as well and the security mode can be initiated by a remote control.

Permalink Reply by Mary Worrell on May 23, 2011 at 1:53pm

Thank you for sharing this, Reaz. We're looking into a 1:1 device environment and I've been exploring these same options for tracking the device. I hadn't heard of iAlert. I've heard some great stories about Prey as another free option, though.

Permalink Reply by Angela Engardio on December 10, 2010 at 11:25pm

Students have such a wonderful resource in their pocket with smart phones I hate to seem them going to waste. I teach Social Studies and in my History classes students have to take notes. I have opened my classroom up to mobile learning and I allow students to use Notebook features on these phones to type their class notes. I have founds students go much faster and are learning to write what I am saying not simply what is on the screen (which is a wonderful tool to learn before college). I know many teachers discourage the use of phones in class and worry about students sending texts. I am not naive enough to believe this never happens, however, I have not found this to be a continuous problem. A majority of students are doing exactly what they should be doing. I even have some students who do not take notes in other classes that require paper and pen participate in my class, which I attribute to this flexibility. I have just found it hard to understand forcing students to move back in technological time in order to comply with school/classroom rules. Why not let them take advantage of their tech skills?

Permalink Reply by Colin Gallagher on December 12, 2010 at 2:22am

I think this is a wonderful example of a teacher taking advantage of the skills that our students have already to assist their learning. Have you run into any arguments with fellow teacher or admin about your classroom practice?

Bravo to you!

Permalink Reply by Alexis C. Pollock on June 12, 2011 at 8:33am

Thank you for posting this, Angela. I just read (in this presentation) about the GFlash app for things like vocab drilling and Google Forms formatted for the iPod (and I assume iPhone) platform. Enough of my students have these and other smartphones (few have just "regular" cell phones), and I agree using them in class can really engage them by letting them use their skill set. If using something direct like a Google Form, teachers would know if students were off task, I assume, because we wouldn't get the responses. I also found this site from keeping up with my PLN on Twitter and Google Reader: it contains student reviews of education apps.

Permalink Reply by Colin Gallagher on December 12, 2010 at 2:20am

Just a little tip on managing any class set of Ipods/iPads you may have.

Set up Gmail accounts for each Ipod and add your email address in the contacts so it is easy for your students to email any work or photos they have taken to your email address.

Also it's a good idea to label each iPod and create a wallpaper which has a large colorful number on it so students can easily use the same one they have saved a picture or work on.