A difference of opinion...
Mobile technologies are a familiar part of the lives of most teachers and students in the UK today. We take it for granted that we can talk to other people at any time, from wherever we may be. We are beginning to see it as normal that we can access information, take photographs, record our thoughts with one device, and that we can share these with our friends, colleagues or the wider world.
The challenge for teachers, however, is one of understanding and exploring how best we might use these resources to support learning. "Even when we do look at how technology is being used in the classroom, much of the recent developments have been around traditional ways of learning" (Bush, T. 2010). While these uses, such as eBooks, add value, I would argue that we need to go beyond just digitisation to realise the full benefit of technology in education. In some ways, our current use of technology for education is actually a way for telling us how far we haven't come. Outside of the classroom, students use a wide range of devices to stay connected.
We still have a long way to go, though, in terms of how we are taking advantage of technology within the classroom. Advances in mobile technology have not been replicated in education completely, with the exception of digital tools like the ipad or alpha smart. This is quite a broad statement I know, but if you look at a classroom from a 100 years ago and compare with one today, in terms of practical learning, they are almost identical.
Reference:
Bush, T. (2010) Exploring the future impact of technology on teaching and learning. London: Teaching Network, The Guardian.
Mohamed, A. (2009) Mobile Technology: Transferring the Delivery of Education. London: Oxford University Press.
Parsons, D. (2009) Mobile Technology for Children. New York: Morgan Kauffman Publishers. (USA)
Mobile technologies are a familiar part of the lives of most teachers and students in the UK today. We take it for granted that we can talk to other people at any time, from wherever we may be. We are beginning to see it as normal that we can access information, take photographs, record our thoughts with one device, and that we can share these with our friends, colleagues or the wider world.
The challenge for teachers, however, is one of understanding and exploring how best we might use these resources to support learning. "Even when we do look at how technology is being used in the classroom, much of the recent developments have been around traditional ways of learning" (Bush, T. 2010). While these uses, such as eBooks, add value, I would argue that we need to go beyond just digitisation to realise the full benefit of technology in education. In some ways, our current use of technology for education is actually a way for telling us how far we haven't come. Outside of the classroom, students use a wide range of devices to stay connected.
We still have a long way to go, though, in terms of how we are taking advantage of technology within the classroom. Advances in mobile technology have not been replicated in education completely, with the exception of digital tools like the ipad or alpha smart. This is quite a broad statement I know, but if you look at a classroom from a 100 years ago and compare with one today, in terms of practical learning, they are almost identical.
Reference:
Bush, T. (2010) Exploring the future impact of technology on teaching and learning. London: Teaching Network, The Guardian.
Mohamed, A. (2009) Mobile Technology: Transferring the Delivery of Education. London: Oxford University Press.
Parsons, D. (2009) Mobile Technology for Children. New York: Morgan Kauffman Publishers. (USA)
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