Day 5 Session 2

1:1 Learning Update: Mobile Learning Programs in K-12 – Panel Session

Did you know that mobile technology is growing at a rate of 50% annually?

Members of this panel predict that within 5 years EVERY child, in EVERY grade, in the U.S. will be using a mobile learning device.

Whilst all members of this panel had implemented mobile devices into their schools and curriculum it must be noted that they used a range of handsets, only some of which were smartphones (mostly Android which was great!) but ALL had disabled the phones ability to make calls or send and receive text.

The advantages for moving to mobile devices were:

- A huge increase in student test results

- The phones and the students didn’t need to be thethered in any way

- Longer battery life than a notebook

- No need for the school to invest in wireless hubs, servers or cooling requirements

- Learning became embedded in everyday life

- They extend the classroom- used on field trips etc

- Enabled instant feedback

- No need for insurance on the hardware

- All teachers noted an increase of time “on task”

- Less down time logging in and starting up

- Students and teachers were more engaged

- The ability to use the “cloud” for storage

- Verizon refreshed the phones every year at no charge (any ideas of who would offer us a deal like that?)

- Unlike an iTouch or iPhone if the phone was lost or stolen they only needed to ring the phone company to have the unit completely disabled.

The pitfalls however were:

- The cost of data plans (which I’d imagine would be even more problematic in Australia)

- You require phones that are Java & Flash enabled