This topic is one of my personal favorites. As has been stated by many people, most of our students already have smartphones or tablets and are using them daily - some are using them hourly or even by the minute. With that information in mind, are we doing a disservice to our students if we do not integrate some sort of mobile technology in our districts? I believe we are. We have long talked about meeting students where they are and differentiating our lessons when it comes to ability and learning styles. Today's learners have a brand new style we need to incorporate - mobile technology.
I have some experience with iPads in the classroom. I was fortunate to receive a grant from my school district that provided me with a 2:1 student to iPad ratio this year. It has been an amazing experience so far. The iPads have had a tremendous impact on how I teach. My teaching style has become way more student-directed than every before. I now design lessons with research in mind - especially in science and social studies. Currently we are researching our space unit instead of just reading from the textbook and the iPads play a huge role in that research. Having the power of search engines like Kid Rex and Google, as well as access in my district to Searchasaurus by EbscoHost, at our fingertips has transformed how we learn.
In social studies, we have done a video report on homecoming in which the students turned into investigative reporters and film makers. That project alone was one of the highlights of my career so far. Our district's high school allowed us inside the fence at the game and the kids were able to interview players, cheerleaders, and even homecoming queen candidates. Considering the technology costs around $500 per iPad (including costs of storage cart and protective case), I was pretty nervous. However, the kids did an awesome job. They were careful with the iPads and serious about their work. It was easily the most engaging assignment I have ever created.
Another technology I have used in my classroom was the SMART Response System - also known as clickers. Several years ago the technology committee at my building was able to get five sets of clickers per grade level. We had seven teachers for each grade level at the time, so some teachers had to share. Using the clickers was a great way to include formative assessment in my classroom. I could quickly see how many students understood the lesson by posing a question on the Smart Board and having the students answer. Then, I could quickly view the data and decide whether to go on or re-teach. It also allowed students to vote or take assessments in a more engaging way. The technology at the time cost roughly $1,800. Now, since I have iPads, there are free apps that do almost the exact same thing for free. My favorite of these apps is Socrative.
One technology I am interested in is the newest version of Microsoft Surface. It costs $450, which is comparable to the iPad. In our Technology for Productivity and Practice class, we were discussing taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment, which is computer-based. As I thought about this, I realized my building only has one computer lab, which could be a problem come assessment season. I began to wonder if the iPads would work for these assessments. If the assessments, which I have not seen yet, require Flash, then they definitely will not work on iPads. Microsoft Surface might be a solution to this, as it uses a Windows operating system, which should work with Flash. The Surface tablet looks to be a nice hybrid of laptop and tablet, which would make creating reports easier as well.
No matter what the technology is, it is important to incorporate mobile learning devices into our classrooms. I have seen first hand the power of these technologies. They almost immediately increase student engagement, allow students to use what they already understand to learn, and allow for more authentic hands-on learning experiences. I would encourage every teacher to learn as much as possible about mobile learning. There are many resources out there, but one of my favorite Learning in Hand by Tony Vincent, an edtech guru who came and spoke to our school and gave us a ton of inspiring ideas. I also find a lot of ideas on Twitter and would encourage any teacher to use this tool as well.
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