Conference Infobytes
Cell Phones are 4 Learning By Kit Hard
M
any schools, including my own, prohibit the student use of cell phones because of the obvious concerns of distraction and abuse. Yet in spite of our best efforts to enforce our policies students continue to covertly defy our bans motivated by social pressure and the appeal of tech gadgetry. Meanwhile the academic usefulness of mobile technology is becoming increasingly evident.
Last year our school decided to pilot a small group of students who wanted to use their cell phone or iPod Touch for academic purposes and model this use to other students. These students were required to get a parental consent form signed and agree to actively model academic uses on a regular basis. In addition, we began using Edmodo, an academic social media website, for posting and discussing our journey.
Since then students have demonstrated uses ranging from receiving school alerts, using educational apps, accessing the calculator, taking photos, and even completing online assignments on our Moodle site. Still, our journey is far from over, and the challenges are significant.
As one student wrote, “There are many good reasons we should be able to use our cell phones and iPods during class. But one important topic I’m worried about is getting my fellow classmates to understand the rules and when it’s time to use it and it’s not time to use it... It’s all about timing, judgment, and permission - the 3 main things I feel will be needed to be discussed.” I couldn’t agree more.
As mobile devices become more prevalent, more powerful, and more affordable schools may wish to look closer at acceptable use policies that encourage their academic use.
To learn more about our mobile learning device pilot group please plan to attend “Cell Phones are 4 learning” at this year’s MACUL 2011 conference.
Kit Hard is the Teacher Consultant for Technology Integration at the Academic Transitional Academy of St. Clair
County.
What can I expect at MACUL 2011? H
by Maryly Skallos
ave you ever asked yourself these questions: All of the technology is great and free is great but do I need it? Can I use it? How can I be sure that it will be effective? Will it always work when I need it? Where do I go for help? Ever felt that someone else makes the decisions of what technology/software you can use in your classroom only to find out it is not effective? However when you decide to use something, someone in IT says “NO! We don’t support this” yet you attended a conference that showed you how easy it is and provided support for you. Then it is time to shrug off those doubts and try something new. Be innovative…be creative…be adventuresome! Free programs like Prezi have improved over the years and provide an interesting change on presentations. It is similar to PowerPoint but with a twist. You can now create presentations that spark imaginations and interactions that you didn’t have before. You have heard about the collaboration opportunities with Google apps but how about Bubbl. us where now you can have multiple people work on a mind map? How about a plethora of short videos on many topics ranging from arithmetic to algebra to chemistry to biology? There is one site to find it all. These are the things that can be found at MACUL 2011.
Image by Maria Anderson (Math Instructor and Futurist). (2010). Playing to Learn [Prezi presentation], Retrieved November 10, 2010 from
http://prezi.com/rj_b-gw3u8xl/playing-to-learn/
Maryly Skallos is an Instructional Designer for SunGard Higher Ed located at Muskegon Community College, Muskegon, MI. and formerly the Technology Coordinator at St. Thomas the Apostle School, Grand Rapids, MI. She has advised educators, administrators and families on the appropriateness of software for educational purposes as well as co-presented with Dr. Julia VanderMolen on various topics such as Web 2.0 tools, Cyberbullying, Cybersafety, PC Repair, Assessment for Learning and Grant Writing.
22 | Conference 2011 | MACULJOURNAL
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