Mobile Learning Lab

After reviewing the visualization lab and the mobile learning lab I became more familiar with a few new technologies that I can incorporate into the classroom.

From the visualization I learned more about technologies like Animoto, ArguNet,  and Wordle. I believe that eventually I will use all three of these technologies in the classroom at some point. In the near future I hope to use the Wordle I created to help students understand political advertisement techniques. Perhaps Argunet will become beneficial in U.S. History and Civics when we discuss Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists. As far as Animoto, I am still contemplating how to bring it into my classroom in a meaningful way. There is definitely potential but I will have to think about it for a little longer.

Now onto mobile learning...

I read through all of the reports discussing the benefits of using mobile technology inside and outside the classroom. To be honest I am still forming my opinion on the subject. Part of mobile technology includes pieces like laptops and flashdrives. These technological devices absolutely have a place in my classroom right now. At my school we have rolling laptop carts and a computer lab that we have access too so more often than not my class can have access to them when needed. My school also provides incoming freshman with a flashdrive (we only have 140 students so it is not too costly) so I am able to have students save items and share files with them. The problems that I have run into with flashdrives though are the following:

1. students lose them
2. they become corrupted
3. students don't know how to use them (and even worse, they don't let anyone know)

The other part of the mobile technology lab discussed using technologies like smartphones and ipods. I have had students who have smartphones periodically get them out to look up a definition or a fact, but beyond that I do not use them. The reason why I have not dived head first into this new wave of teaching is the same reason why I have not done the same with ipods; I have a large number of students who do not own a smartphone and/or an ipod. The mobile learning lab mentioned the concern of "discrimination" or the "haves vs. have nots," and it is something that I feel I must take into consideration for the time being. Since my students have access to computer and flashdrives in school I have tended to stick with those as to not alienate anyone. Beyond this barrier I really do not foresee too many issues using phones or ipods in the classroom. Students can get into just as much mischief on school computers as they can with a smartphone or an ipod that has Internet access. The key is to monitor them.

That said, my school is working on a grant to try and bring in enough ipads or netbooks for every student to use for the school year. If this occurs I will begin finding more and more ways to utilize some of the technologies presented in the visualization lab. For now though, I must come up with ways to expose students to new technology through the rolling computer carts.