Did You Know 4.0 = More Mobility

Posted in the Fall of 2009, what strikes me as interesting is the increase in the references to mobility and mobile devices, especially when compared to the first 3 versions.  Watch it again here, this time focusing on the implications to mobile lifestyles and mobile learning.

Digital Audiobooks, Assistive Technology and its Effects on Literacy

Literacy is evolving.  Where literacy once meant the ability to read and write, the concept of literacy in the information age has evolved and expanded beyond that initial definition.  According to UNESCO:

Literacy is the “…ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.”

- Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy)

The proliferation of mobile handheld devices coupled with complex assistive technology software is pushing the concept further.  Digital audiobooks and assistive technology software such and text-to-speech software is not new.  What has changed are the formats, costs and mobility of these tools.  Where once one needed a cassette player to listen to an audiobook or where once one needed a computer to use text-to speech or speech-to-text software, one can now access these audiobooks and assistive technology software on devices that one already carries around with them.  The cost?  Cheap or free.

Take, as an example, a free iPhone app that I recently installed on my phone: Dragon Dictation.  Cost: free.  Function: speech-to-text.  The Dragon Dictation app is an iPhone version of Dragon Naturally Speaking, complex and expensive assistive technology software. It allows the user to dictate into the phone and to have the dictation translated into text without the need to train the software.  Skills needed: Oral Communication and Pronunciation

Take another example: a digital audiobook.  Digital audiobooks usually cost less than their physical text versions as reproduction costs are limited and distribution costs are very low.  They can be installed on any device that plays digital audio and allows those with visual impairments or those with auditory intelligence to learn and/or enjoy a story without the need to see or read the text. An alternative take to the audiobook is the text-to-speech software that allows one to listen to the content instead of reading it.  Skills needed: Listening Skills

Consequences: What happens to Reading and Writing Skills?

Under no circumstances am I proclaiming that new technologies are eliminating the need to learn how to read and write.  What it is doing, however, is changing the skill set required in order to access information.  While reading and writing have traditionally taken precedence over other literacies (i.e. Oral and Visual Communication and Listening Skills), new technologies are transforming literacy.  The evolution is potentially explosive. Keep in mind that:

• With so many keyboards and alternative inputting devices, the use of a pencil or pen is sure to dwindle
• The ability to listen to content and stories brings us back to our evolutionary roots; a time when oral traditions and stories were shared from generation to generation
• The ease of use and relative low costs of digital devices and software will surely influence a shift from text printed on paper to text on a screen

This transformation is historically significant as reading and writing text on paper has been the dominant form of sharing conceptual information for centuries.  While there surely will not be an abrupt end to the teaching and use of textual reading and writing, one has to wonder where the future lies when there are so many other alternatives that appear (to me at least) to be more in tune with our human development and evolution.  Just think:  how many schools still teach calligraphy?  How many educators are debating over the need to continue to teach handwriting?  How long will it be until keyboarding and ‘thumbing’ become part of primary school instruction and overtake the physical manipulation of a pencil?

Reviewing 2009: Reflecting on this Blog, on PLN’s & on Using Web Tools

Before one can really look ahead, one must always remember to look back to where one has been. Therefore, when it comes to this blog, before I can think about where the discussion will go, I want to take a look at the key themes discussed in 2009.  The best way I can think of doing this was through a Wordle word cloud – here it is:

Interestingly, the two most used words were learning and students – terms referring to mobility and mobile devices come after that.  That’s the way it should be and I am pleased that I have continued to remember that education is ultimately  about students and student learning.

Here are a few statistical pieces concerning this weblog in 2009 (these were taken directly from WordPress.com – the platform I use for my blog):

• This blog has had 23 000 hits since it’s inception in November 2007; 16,200 of them were in 2009 (70% of this blog’s total hits to date came in 2009!);
• The most popular blog post this year was Twitter On The Go: Twitter on Mobile Phones (dated March 9, 2008); Mobile Learning: A Brief Reading List (dated January 19, 2009) was a close second;
• This blog’s busiest day ever was on Monday August 17, 2009 which tells me that educators are still interested in learning during the summer – in fact, August 2009 was the second busiest month this blog has seen to date;
• This blog had an average of 44 readers per day in 2009, more than double the 18 of 2008

While the numbers detailed above are not earth shattering by any means, what they represent is the ability of an average educator, through the use of web tools, to share his thoughts to a wider audience than those individuals within physical proximity. I would never have been able to discuss mobile learning with an average of 44 people per day for that past year if it were not for technology and social media.  What this also demonstrates is the power of the PLN.  I have noticed that as my Twitter PLN continues to expand, so does my hit count on my blog.  Lastly, I believe that the above represents an increased interest in the subject matter.  In November 2007, using mobile devices such as cell phones or iPods for learning was considered difficult and unorthodox.  In December 2009, there are many educators who are working to incorporate more mobility in their teaching and many more are talking about it.

Thanks to my Twitter PLN for connecting me with your ideas.  If you are not part of my Twitter PLN and would like to be, I’d love to connect with you.  My Twitter ID is rdelorenzo.

iPods in Education Part 13: Uses in Kindergarten?

Two articles (links provided at the end of this post) have stirred my reflective attention toward the use of an iPod or iPod Touch with Kindergarten students. I have tended to venture away from discussing the use of mobile devices for learning for children of pre-school or Kindergarten age.  Despite the countless number of videos on Youtube of children as young as 1 or 2 using an iPhone or iPod Touch with ease, I am still unsure of where digital technology fits in the molding of young minds at those foundational times in their lives.

As this blog obviously demonstrates, I am very much a proponent of using mobile and digital devices to help students learn.  I firmly believe that these devices help students learn in ways that are difficult or impossible without them.  I see these devices as ways to add complexity to learning and to allow more flexibility in terms of time and location.  However, as with everything in life, there are limits to the effectiveness of the tools we use.  When it comes to using digital tools for abstract learning and for collaborative communication, I’m all for it. However, I’m unsure when it comes to using digital technology for children who are still learning to develop basic brain and body function.

Here is my concern: digital technology, for all it’s attempts to incorporate the use of multiple senses, is invariably a visual tool.  Over-stimulating visual perception and awareness on a screen while under-stimulating other form sensory development make me a bit uneasy.  Humans are very much visual creature but we are also physical creatures as well. This issue reminds me of the John Wyndham novel The Day of the Triffids.  That novel depicts the dire concequences to humanity when the cultivation of a potentially deadly crop (a form of plant creature) and an unknown cosmic event combine to rob humanity of it one evolutionary advantage – sight.  When humans can no longer see, they become victim to this plant creature who now have the evolutionary advantage over humans.

While it is true that it is better to have a child actively engaged with an iPod that passively watching TV (whether at home or in an automobile), and while it is also true that there are many apps available that can begin to teach children at an early age, what is also true is that the devices cannot provide the experiences necessary for socialization or teach gross motor skills that physical activity can.

Therefore, when it comes to very young children, the use of an iPod can be very useful as these devices are easy to use, they are resource heavy and they are engaging.  Any video of a child playing with an iPhone/iPod Touch demonstrates this fact.  However, they need to be used carefully and in combination with other tools of learning.  While an iPod can do a better job than traditional tools with the parts of learning that involve access to information and collaborative communication, these forms of learning are best used after the foundational development has already taken place.  I’m not sure an iPod can replace blocks, balls and crayons when it comes to the physical development of the child or the experiences of physical social interaction.  Nor, I think, was it designed for this.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.  I am interested to know what others think about this topic.

Articles:

“An iPhone in Every Crib, An App for Every Toddler” – The Globe and Mail

“iTouch and Kindergarten – An Intro” – Blog post @ Edu-(Tech)niques

Cell Phones in Education Part 4: Learning on Location

Disclaimer: While this post presumes the use of a smart phone, and while it is true that not all students own a smart phone, with the current shift toward smart phones, soon, smart phones will be as prevalent as cell phones are today.

When I reflect on what is traditionally thought of as a field trip in a typical K-12 school setting, what often comes to mind is a visit to a location that may have some direct or indirect connection to the unit of study being taught. The vision of students visiting different areas or exhibits with “experts” telling students why this or that is significant dances in my head. Students may walk around with paper and a pencil answering questions based on what they see or what they are told. These sheets are submitted later to the teacher to see if the students were on task. In short, field trips seem to me to be extensions of what happens in the classroom, just somewhere else.

To me this type of learning seems to be inauthentic as this way of organizing field trips seems artificial and top directed. If it is true that students learn by doing and through discovery and exploration, then asking students to fill out question sheets while on a field doesn’t appear to be an effective way to either have students learn or to measure what they have learned. When one is on a field trip, a more authentic way of learning would be allow students to explore the scene rather than to seek out answers to questions.

This is where the mobile phone comes into play. GPS locators found in many of today’s mobile phones allow students to explore their surroundings while also applying mapping skills. More and more Augmented Reality apps such as Wikitude connect GPS enabled and internet abled devices to Wikipedia so students can read up on the significance of a certain area, monument or exhibit while they are on location. With mobile phones being able to connect students to the information that they require when and where they require it, running around with a question sheet appears ineffective in comparison. When it comes to submitting a culminating activity, submitting a sheet where student could have easily copied answers from others doesn’t appear to be an effective indicator of learning or of whether students stayed on task. If, however, student can use their mobile device to take photographs, record voice and video commentary, jot down a few notes and then later submit a presentation or post their findings to a wiki demonstrating their findings and their understanding, then their experience can be captured in a more authentic and developed way.

What happens to students who don’t have these fancy phones? The answer is simply – differentiate. The purpose of learning is to allow students to access learning in ways that work for them. By allowing students to use devices that they already have, we empower them to access the content and to demonstrate their learning in ways that work for them. Those who do not have the devices can still learn using traditional tools. Before we use the criticism that ‘allowing students who have the devices use them places those without the devices at a disadvantage’, we need to think about how restricting the use of those devices from those who have and need them disadvantage students. When differentiating instruction and incorporating the principles of universal design for learning, it only makes sense that we allow students to use whatever tools they have to learn in ways that make sense to them rather than whitewashing learning to try and make it suit all students, which inevitably, it never does.

The Powerful Combination of Mobile Devices and Learning Apps

In discussing the use of mobile devices, it is easy to forget that the educational and productive power of mobile devices comes through the integration of the devices with other tools. The mobile device, after all, is a hardware tool that makes certain tasks possible but the actualization of those tasks ultimately depends on the use of software or web tools. Let’s take a look at some ways the hardware and software, including web software and apps, can come together to actualize learning outcomes. I realize that when I make reference to apps, it tends to imply the use of an iPhone or iPod Touch. In fact, all the ideas mentioned below are possible on an iPod Touch with free or very inexpensive apps – the links provided all point to the iTunes store.  That having been said, this reality is changing quickly with the likes of Palm, RIM and Microsoft also developing a marketplace and vendor space for apps that will increase and improve the availability of learning app for students.

Mobile Devices and Literacy

• Differentiating reading activities by allowing students to listen to audio books
• Accessing digital texts on their mobile devices so that students can read wherever they find themselves
• Connect to the internet, through either WiFi or other means, to express ideas on a blog post (i.e. through the WordPress app) or to collaborate with peers through a wiki

Mobile Devices and Numeracy

• For younger children, the utilization of apps that provide drill and practice or flash cards to develop basic mathematical skill
• Use of calculators of various forms: regular calculator, scientific calculator or graphing calculator
• Even publishers such as Pearson have apps that help students learn important concerns such as this app for the study of Algebra

Mobile Devices and Science

• Utilize mapping software such as Google Earth or Google maps in the study of physical geography or urban design/planning
• Accessing 3D apps of the human body in the study of the systems of the body
• Apps that detail the objects in space in the study of astronomy and space systems

Mobile Devices and Social Studies

• Utilize mapping software such as Google Earth or Google maps to identify important locations of cities or monuments and then access the street view feature in Google Maps to see actual images of location in question
• Accessing historical maps or apps of historical artwork for the study of historical ideology and patterns of thought
• Reading historical literature such including fiction and non-fiction texts

Mobile Devices and International Languages

• There are a plethora of apps that deal with the study of various languages that are both free and come with a cost – a simple search will provide an extremely wide variety of choice

Many argue that mobile devices are a distraction and I agree.  While others may argue that this distraction is not productive, I would argue that by harnessing the tools in the right way using the right apps, the distraction will be away from mundane paper and pencil tasks and toward more exciting, multi-sensory learning.

Mobile Learning: A 3rd Reading List

Here is a follow-up to the first two mobile learning reading lists:  The first one is here and the second one is here.

1) 7 Things You Should Know About Augmented Reality – An EDUCASE learning article about this newest of learning technologies and the implications of Augmented Reality to teaching and learning.

2) Augmented Reality Reaveals Histroy to Tourists: A short article demonstrating what is possible with mobile devices and what the future has in store.

3) Smartphones: The Ultimate Conversation Killer – A Globe and Mail newspaper article arguing that smartphones, rather than connecting people, actually kill conversation.

4) Teens and Mobile Over the Past Five Years – A PEW Internet article looking how mobile use amoung teens had evolved over the past five years.

5) How to Create Rapid and Cheap Mobile Learning – Text Messaging – A blog post filled with practical ideas in using text messaging to enhance learning.

6) Back to School: 10 iPhone Apps for Students-  A Mashable blog post.  The title says it all.

7) 100 Free iPhone Apps That Will Make You Smarter – This truly is a subjective list but I present it here as it is a long list and you will likely be able to find a few jems.

50 Fun iPhone Apps to Get Kids Reading and Learning – The iPhone and iPod Touch can be both a entertainment and learning device.  This list provides a list of apps to help support and encourage reading and learning.

9) Why Cloud Computing is the Future of Mobile – A ReadWriteWeb article delving into how continuous connection to the Internet through a mobile device will lead to more reliance and acceptance of web apps.

10) Are Cellphones the Next Paper and Pencil – a user forum where educators and other interested parties discuss the implications and the future of cell phones in learning.

Creativity With Cell Phones and Ringtones

Take a look at this ringtone rendition of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.  While this is a polished advertisement created by a talented artist, it can connect to learning as it also demonstrates that there is no prescription to creativity and there is no rubric that can measure inventiveness and ingenuity.

Augmented Reality and On-Demand Learning

Mobile learning has always been about using the tools of learning wherever one finds themselves. In this blog, I have discussed a range of techniques for learning on the go from reading texts or listening to audiobooks on a mobile device to using built in cell phone tools such as a camera and access to web 2.0 services to document learning both within and outside of the classroom. Augmented Reality apps take this just-in-time, on-location learning to a new level.

For those new to the concept of Augmented Reality, take a look at my July 25th, 2009 post on Augmented Reality.

While I have experimented with a number of apps that incorporate Augmented Reality, one that I find really interesting right now is a service called Wikitude. The service uses GPS positioning on one’s phone (as of this writing, the Wikitude app is only available on Android phones and the iPhone) to find landmarks and other points of interesting that are located within one’s physical proximity. The service shows where the nearby landmarks are and provides links to both articles and user generated content about that landmark or particular point of interest. Of note for education is the indirect collaboration as the service allows users to build a knowledge base with others about a landmark or point of interest and then allowing anyone to access it directly on one’s mobile device at the moment one requires it.

Having this type of Augmented Reality app on one’s mobile device will begin to change the nature of field trips. Using a mobile device with Augmented Reality apps could mean that instead of reading information posting beside exhibits or beside landmarks, or simply experiencing a point of interest by reading about it in a book in a classroom, students may soon be able to choose to read a Wikipedia article, view others’ comments or download a podcast episode with commentary from experts about points of interest – all this while the student is actually on location. These apps may also allow for more independent self discovery as the apps use a students’ positioning to highlight what is physically around them and how to get to these points of interest.

One likely critique of this blog post is that using AR apps is unrealistic given the current reality of school board policies and certain teacher attitudes concerning the use of cell phones for learning. Granted, if students are not allowed to use their cell phone to help them learn then AR apps are useless. However, I would counter that attitudes toward using mobile devices for learning is beginning to change. With the prevalence of mobile devices in our society and with the fact that more and more teaching staff are entering the profession with experience in using cell phones to do things other than to place a call, the acceptance of the use of such devices is inevitable. Besides, how long can the education system refuse to adapt when traditional methods of teaching and learning are becoming less effective in the presence of richer learning experiences though cheaper and cheaper mobile devices?

Using an iPod Touch with 8 Year Old Students

Here is a video of how one teacher (who was fortunate enough to obtain a full class set if iPod Touch devices) is using new technologies with 8 year old children to help them learn.  This video raises a number of questions for me: What lesson can we learn from this?  What is the role of experimentation of new methodologies in the classroom? Who is the ultimate driving force behind initiating such a change?

To play the video, click on the video itself or on the”click to play” link located immediately below the video.