Mobile Technology in the Classroom

The ways in which students are learning is changing. Marc Prensky, an internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, consultant, and innovator in the field of education and learning said, "Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach" (markprensky.com). Technology is becoming an increasingly pervasive component in our lives. As a result, Prensky claims that today's students "think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors" (markprensky.com). An increasing number of educators are embracing this technological revolution and are incorporating mobile technology in the classroom to enhance educational experiences.

There are a number of benefits associated with the use of mobile technology in the classroom:

• Students are familiar with digital tools and enjoy using them! By incorporating them into the classroom, students may find their learning experience to be more engaging. 
• Mobile technology can also make lessons more engaging for students by increasing the variety of teaching and learning styles that the students are exposed to.
• Apps and Web 2.0 tools can make learning more interactive. The following website has some great links to Web 2.0 tools that can be used in the classroom. These include everything from blogs to games!
• With the use of tablets, phones and other similar devices, students can access information at the click of a button, anywhere and anytime! Teachers can also take advantage of this to easily upload and distribute content to their students and the content can be updated at any time.
• Teachers can easily customize their content to meet the needs of their individual students.
• Using mobile devices to access class content reduces the amount of books and materials that students have to carry around everyday.
• Teaching students using technology can better prepare them for the digital age. I believe that the main purpose of education is to prepare students for success in the real world. Since technology is so highly integrated into today's society, educators should be encouraging their students to develop their digital fluency.
• Mobile learning in the classroom can greatly enhance collaborative learning. Students can easily communicate with one another, conduct research to solve problems and share resources.

My only problem was this method of teaching is.... how do you prevent students from inappropriately using the technology (i.e. for Facebook, texting, etc.) during class time?

Additional Resources:

The 4 Big Reasons You Should Try Mobile Learning 

Ten Benefits of Mobile Learning Technology, Such as Smart Phones 

Project Based Learning

In project based learning (PBL), students learn concepts by actively participating in projects rather than simply memorizing information dispensed by the teacher (edutopia.org; bie.org). This teaching strategy is highly student-centered and helps them develop skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication. The teacher serves as a guide and provides feedback to students as they conduct their research, thus allowing the students to become more independent. Since this learning method also has real-world applications, students tend to be more engaged in the material. We have all heard students ask at some point or another, "Why do we need to learn this?". PBL provides students an opportunity to work on assignments that are relevant to their lives and to the world outside of school. Furthermore, research has shown that students that learn through PBL gain a deeper understanding of the material, are better able to retain the information learned, and are also better able to integrate concepts (bie.org).

While this teaching and learning style has its obvious benefits, there are problems associated with it. Some students may become frustrated with their project if a solution does not present itself (edutopia.org). In these situations, I think it is the responsibility of the teacher to intervene and provide guidance to the students. While this model is primarily student-centered, it doesn't mean that teachers should adopt a completely hands-off approach. Another problem with the PBL model is that it emphasizes collaborative learning and most of the projects are therefore group-based. While this can serve to teach students valuable skills, it could also prove to be problematic if students do not make equal contributions to the workload. On a related note, teachers have to provide individual assessments of students, even if a majority of their work is collaborative. How can you effectively assess individual students when most of their work is collaborative? How can you assess how much each student contributed to the over workload? Is it fair to give students a collective grade if there are unequal contributions within those groups?

I personally support this method of teaching, but it has to be very carefully planned and executed. Teachers must be careful about the projects they choose for their students. It is important that they are highly engaging topics that would encourage students to actively participate.

NMC Horizon Project

The purpose of the Horizon Project is to identify emerging technologies that could potentially affect educational structures. The 2013 report explores twelve different technologies that could be adopted in the next five years, but I am going to focus on the idea of "flipped classrooms".

The article defines "flipped classrooms" as a "model of learning that rearranges how time is spent both in and out of class to shift the ownership of learning from the educators to the students". Class time in flipped classrooms is primarily spent on project-based learning based on information accessed by students outside of class time. This information may occur in the form of video lectures, podcasts, e-books, online communities, etc. This way, teachers can spend their time assisting students and guiding them through the critical thinking process. 

I believe that this method of learning has both its advantages and disadvantages, many of which are summarized in the article "Pros and Cons of the Flipped Classroom". 

Pros:

1) Students can access resources at any time, allowing them to review areas they find challenging, without stalling the rest of the class. This method also enables students to work at their own pace. Those who need more time to grasp concepts can do so without being left behind and those who easily pick up information can push ahead.

2) Students who are absent can access the materials and keep up with the rest of the class.

2) Teachers have more time to attend to individual student needs. Instead of spending their time dispensing information, they can circulate around the class and help students while they work on problem solving.

3) Flipped classrooms encourage collaborative learning in which students work together to solve problems and understand the material. This helps them to become independent learners.

Cons:

1) Students may feel unmotivated to access resources outside of class time, especially if they are generally disinclined to complete homework. Incorporating tracking software into the materials or having the students complete a quiz or a worksheet while they access the materials may alleviate some of these problems.

2) Teachers and students are unable to contribute to lectures as they are occurring. I would argue that a lecture becomes more engaging when examples and stories are added to enhance the content. Furthermore, teachers are also unable to answer questions while students are accessing the material. Questions have to wait until the next class. Teachers also do not receive the immediate feedback from their students that they normally would in a regular classroom.

3) Students who do not have regular access to the internet will have difficulty going through all the material.

4) My concern is that as more classes adopt this method of learning, the workload may begin to overwhelm students. For students to cover all the information outside of class that would normally be completed during class time may prove to be time intensive. 

I believe that this method of learning is definitely a step in the right direction. It emphasizes the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills that have real world applications. Students, rather than just absorbing information are encouraged to apply their knowledge through project-based learning. Developing online communities (ex. blogs or twitter) may help to reduce the problems associated with the lack of interaction when accessing materials outside of class time. The qualities of an effective flipped classroom are outlined in the article "Flipped Class Revealed" which emphasizes students as active learners.

Do you feel that the benefits of the "flipped classroom" outweigh the traditional lecture-based teaching methods?