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 Sue Way on March 26, 2011 at 11:47am

Yes!!! Your action made a difference!

Permalink Reply by Katherine Raphael on March 26, 2011 at 1:34pm

Good for you Shannon! So, I should have called ANGEL directly when it was down this AM. ;-)

Kathy

Permalink Reply by Sue Way on March 28, 2011 at 3:16pm

Sometimes I do call them right away, especially if they don't place a notice on the opening page. On Friday I tried to add a new group on Angel and the message came up that I was not authorized. Well, I have added many groups to my account so I tired a few more times and then called the help desk. I was immediately informed that this is a "known issue". She set up my group account within an hour! I don't like to pester but when I am reasonably confident that I did not do something different, I will give them a call. I will also own up to my mistakes if I need to!

Permalink Reply by Rhonda Lynn Noren on March 28, 2011 at 3:04pm

I really think the idea of using cell phones and IPods in the classroom is going to catch on. Teachers have to show how educational it can be to other teachers, administration, and parents for it to catch on more quickly. The cost factor is already a positive one. Thanks for the ideas.

Permalink Reply by Eric Whitney on April 27, 2011 at 10:11pm

I learned about a really great web site at a training I attended today called www.polleverywhere.com . It relies on mobile devices for "instant audience feedback." The teacher created a poll, displayed the question on the projector, and participants texted their response from their personal mobile phones. You could literally watch the data change in front of your eyes as the responses were recorded. If your students have access to mobile devices (and if they are allowed to use them in school), this could be a great way for teachers to check for understanding. And the best part? There is no cost!

Permalink Reply by Sue Way on April 28, 2011 at 10:26am

I too have seen and used this program. It is handy for people with cell phones. At the university, we use i>Clickers (at a price of $40 each plus the base station) because we use these answers for our quizzes that are considered part of their grade.

The problem with students using a cell phone would be the exclusion of students who do not have a phone. At the university level, I would believe that most students have one but not at the K-12 level.

I believe this program would be great for surveys, check your knowledge and non graded responses.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Karkkainen on May 1, 2011 at 2:01pm

I love polleverywhere.com. I use it all the time to check for understanding and take surveys. You can also download the poll as a PPT slide or embed it into your website.

Permalink Reply by Mike Hagedorn on June 19, 2011 at 6:22pm

I really like this idea. A presenter at one of our staff meetings used either this website or one similar to do a survey within our meeting. It was neat seeing the results instantly! Students also wouldn't necessarily need a phone also. Other students who were willing could share their phone so that other students or students who don't have phones can participate. My only reservation would be doing this type of activity too often. Call me old school, but allowing cell phones within class means one more responsibility that I would have to watch for. I'm not completely opposed just have some hesitation. I suppose once I established rules and expectations with it, then it could possibly work.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Karkkainen on May 1, 2011 at 2:00pm

One suggestion I have for mobile learning is to make sure your webpage is available in a mobile format. iOS and Android devices can handle most sites, but having your online space accessible in mobile format can greatly increase the chances of your students accessing it on the go. There is nothing more frustrating as an iPhone user than having a site that is not conducive to mobile devices.

Permalink Reply by Ian Jones on May 1, 2011 at 7:12pm

This is a good point Kevin, I can imagine this being a problem!

Permalink Reply by Ian Jones on May 1, 2011 at 7:11pm

You can use Poll Everywhere for you students to respond to a review made for class. The poll can be incorporated into a powerpoint, then students text in their responses. Obviously this means they need cell phones, with texting, but that isn't too much or a problem these days. You could even have them in groups, if there weren't enough phones around. You've got to make sure you are in a signal friendly classroom though, ouch for me in one of my rooms (in the basement).

Teachers can get this for free and up to 40 responses per poll, with as many questions as you want. There are some cool feature for checking, etc, but you have to pay for it ($50 a year)

Permalink Reply by Ashley Bartkowiak on May 23, 2011 at 8:51pm

Ian, I really like your idea of using Poll Everywhere during a review session in class. I give my students a multiple choice practice test before every chapter test. Using Poll Everywhere, I could go through each and every question one at a time on the review day and have students text in their answers (a, b, c, or d). This would instantly let me know whether or not I need to spend time going over a particular problem. Many times I feel like I am wasting energy going through problems that nobody needs help with. This would allow me to focus in on those areas where my students are really struggling and use the class time more effectively. Also, I could use this for vocabulary review in which I create a powerpoint with definitions or examples and have the students text in the correct vocabulary word, given a short list to choose from. I like having the instant feedback and a visual of where my students are excelling and where they are lacking. What a great way to use this technology!