smartphones in education
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SMARTPHONES IN EDUCATION
By Joel Bryant
What defines a Smartphone? No official definition But widely known for:
Advanced computing ability and connectivityPortable media playersCamera functionsHigh-resolution touch screensWeb browsers that can access and properly
display standard web pages Wi-Fi capabilities and mobile broadband accessAccess to software applications with a multitude
of uses
Mobile Learning
So Why Smartphones?
They are already here Student motivation Student understanding They combine the functions of many
different technologies into one Extend the learning process outside of
the classroom
They’re Here! Depending on the grade level, many students
already have access to Smartphones.According to MobiThinking.com there are over 5.3
billion mobile subscribers (77 percent of the world’s population)
Although the majority of these are “feature phones” and not “Smartphones”
According to NPD.com, in the USA, sales of Smartphones overtook feature phones in 2011, (54% -46%)
Granted, most student users would be in the higher grades
They’re Here!
Benefits for EducationAlthough not all students have access to
Smartphones, many will, and as numbers project, the amount of students with access will continue to increase.
As a result, it is a cheaper technology to implement○ Not every student must be provided with one
by the school
Student Understanding and Motivation
Most students today have grown up as part of the “digital generation”They have been exposed to advanced
computing technology since birth.Anya Kamenetz writes about a pair of twin girls
who have been using an iPhone since they were 6 months old, and are starting to read at 18 months thanks to an app called “First Words”
Students’ understanding of technology is largely inherent
Student Understanding and Motivation
Kamenetz explains that children nowadays ”don't have that barrier that technology is hard or that they can't figure it out.” (Kamenetz, 2010)
Due to the interactivity of mobile devices, even students without mobile access often have an understanding of how to use the technology by learning from peers or parents.
Bonus: Students love to use their phones.
Student Understanding and Motivation
Benefits for EducationMany students already know how to use the
technology○ Less instruction time wasted
Students can teach each other how to use it○ Independent learning
Students like using their phones○ Utilize as a positive learning tool, instead of a
distraction
Multiple Functions
Smartphones can combine the functions of:CamerasVideo CamerasTelephonesCalculatorsPCs/LaptopsGPS’Audio recordersMany, many more
Multiple Functions
Benefits to EducationInstead of buying Flip cameras, video
cameras, laptops, calculators and various other technologies, Schools can consolidate these technologies into one:○ Smartphones
In a world of increasing cutbacks for education, it is smart to conserve money where we can
Learning Outside the Classroom
Smartphones allow students to take their school work anywhere with them and complete it at any time.Students have busy lives!
○ With sports, dance, clubs, lessons and a multitude of other responsibilities, students’ lives are hectic.
Smartphones give students the ability to do school work on the way to the rink, or in the waiting room at the dentist.
Learning Outside the Classroom
With cloud computing technology, students can store their work online in the “cloud”
They can text, skype, call, or email eachotherThis allows increased collaboration, and
eases pressure of meeting outside of class for group projects.
Learning Outside the Classroom
Benefits for EducationWork can be done anywhere at anytime
○ Lifts restraints of limited class time○ Instruction can be given in podcast or video form to be
accessed anywhere.Creates accountability for absent students as well as those
who attend regularly.
Students can work together with more ease○ Better collaboration and social behaviour
Parents can monitor students grades and homeworkStudents can track school events, deadlines and
other important dates
Challenges
FundingHaving already spent so much money on computing
technology, school’s will be wary about abandoning it for Smartphones
The digital divide in each class and school is different, and funding has to be allocated accordingly
Teacher EducationTeachers need to be taught how to use Smartphone
technology to teach effectively Supervision
Student access to inappropriate material is difficult to filter.
Conclusion
Although they face many difficulties in their implementation, Smartphones could potentially be the next great piece of technology to inspire real learning in our classrooms!
Audio for Presentation
I will pause speaking to allow the viewer know that we have moved on to the next slide.
Bibliography Fearrington, C. (2011, October 8). Smartphones in Education [Web
log message]. Retrieved from http://chrisfearrington.com/blog/2011/10/08/smartphones-in-education/
Kamenetz, A. (2010, April 1). A Is for App: How Smartphones, Handheld Computers Sparked an Educational Revolution. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/144/a-is-for-app.html
MobiThinking. (2011) Global mobile statistics 2011: all quality mobile marketing research, mobile Web stats, subscribers, ad revenue, usage, trends… http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats
The NPD Group, Inc. (2011) Verizon's iPhone Sales Help Make Apple the Third-Largest Mobile Phone Brand in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_110428.html
Smartphone. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 17, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone