The key to change is to let go of fear - Rosanne Cash

Jean Piaget once famously said “the principal goal of education is to create men and women who are capable of doing new things and not just repeating what people before them have done” (cited in Papert, 1999). I have always liked this quotation; however, until recently, I have only ever applied it in the context of the students I teach, rather than in the context of my personal pedagogy. The ever-growing, wide variety of educational stakeholders often call on teachers to be life-long learners, to engage as co-learners with students on an educational journey; however, traditionally, it’s still been the teacher who dictates where and how this journey will take place. Reflectively, I feel that this is not an indication of teacher’s blatant disregard of educational theory; but rather a result of a fear of the unknown. Traditionally, teachers are used to having the answers, to being one step ahead of their students; however, student familiarity with modern technologies changes this. Teachers lose a little bit of control and join students, as what Papert interprets Piaget’s theory to mean, as builders of knowledge (1999).

Obviously professionally, one of my key goals lies in student success. Pedagogically, I understand that one of the key paths towards student success is motivation; the motivation of students has a significant impact on their learning performance (Pei-Luen & Qin Gao, 2005). The teaching in the online environment website identifies that it is variety and differentiation that stimulates interest and gains the attention of students, thus building academic motivation. The 21st century student is clearly motivated by mobile technologies; however, it is in the interest of providing students with a variety learning experiences and differentiation of teaching instruction that I seek to motivate my pupils. I do not seek to replace traditional teaching practices, but rather enrich them with a variety of differentiated learning strategies that include mobile technologies.

As a teacher, I accept that my teaching practices need to reflect the era in which my students live. Although I feel comfortable reviewing the wide variety of online resources, blogs and support available to educators in relation to mobile media, implementing such pedagogical strategies into my current teaching practices will be a challenge. However, I believe that in making small steps in changing the overlying pedagogy of my teaching practices and by embracing the fear I have of engaging as a co-learner of digital technologies with my students, that eventually my pedagogy will transform. In the essence of starting small, below is a list of possible learning experience/ organisational strategies I have found that I can envision using within my classroom

Strategies to allow mobile devices into classrooms



1. The Internet houses a wide variety of potential lesson ideas for embedding mobile technologies into lesson plans. In particular, I liked the Innovative Educator’s example of using a mobile phone and the avatar building program Voki within a poetry unit. Students would not only choose an avatar who reflects the tone and theme of the poem they want read; but also make decisions about the pause, pace and tone of the Voki avatar themselves.


2. Contour Education have some incredible professional development opportunities and online resources that centre around GPS enabled mobile devices being used in conjunction with google maps/google earth for orienteering and virtual field trips in the KLAs of geography and history.



3. Personally, I would be lost without the organisational apps on my iPhone. I regularly keep track of events, appointments, due dates, etc with my iCal app and strategically set alarms to remind me of such things prior to the events. Why then can’t we allow our students to organise themselves in the same manner? Why can’t they use mobile phones to add assessment dates, college events and general reminders?



4. Joseph Rene Corbeil and Maria Elena Valdes- Corbeil explain that students can use their ipods not only as a device to download podcasts of relevant instructional material, but can also download e books and audio books on them. There’s a multitude to free ebook apps available, most with a selection of free books to download.

As a teacher-librarian-in-training, I acknowledge that my role as teacher librarian will be one of digital leadership. It is here that my biggest fear of mobile technology exists. Confidently advocating the viable pedagogical opportunities available for teachers to use mobile medias in their classroom; gaining the support and confidence of school administrative leadership teams to change school policy to enable the use of mobile technologies; and gaining the trust and support of the student parent body along with the wider community to allow modern technologies to be used as tools to shape the educational future of their children is a big ask. Again, I turn to the Innovative Educator who believe the answer to be in building relationships with all stakeholders, including myself. To trust in myself and to let go of the fear.

Any growth requires a temporary loss of security (Madeleine Hunter)

References

Corbeil, J.R. & Valdes-Corbeil, M.E. (2007). Are you ready for mobile learning: Frequent use of mobile devices does not mean that students or instructors are ready for mobile learning and teaching. Educause Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/AreYouReadyforMobileLearning/157455

Engel, G, Griffith, R, Newcomb, S, Nielsen, L, Suter,J & Webb, W. (2010). 10 Proven strategies to break the ban and build opportunities for student learning with cell phones. The Innovative Educator. Online: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/11/ten-building-blocks-to-break-ban-and.html

Pei-Luen, P.R. & Qin Gao, L.W. (2005). Using mobile communication technology in high school education: Motivation, pressure and learning performance. Science Direct. Online: http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0360131506000601

Papert, S. (1999). Child psychologist Jean Piaget. Time Magaizine Retrieved From http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990617,00.html

I brought my pencil...gimme something to write on

Was Van Halen making an educational statement about a student who protested about the multitude of wasted paper our classrooms churn through each year and as such, refused to bring paper to class? Back in 1984, did these heavy metal musicians really have the foresight to envision a classroom where paper was as old fashioned as chalk and slate? Probably not. But nonetheless, thanks to mobile media innovations, Derek Walker, education sales manager of Acer Computer Australia, believes that’s where we’re heading. The paperless classroom.

Such claims come to light in response to Claire Reilly of current.com’s article which discusses a new partnership between computing giant Acer and traditional textbook publisher Pearson Australia. The two companies have joined together to make traditional and popular textbook series available as e-books through an android device, the Acer Iconia Tab A500. Pearson spokesperson Arthur Baker claims that students and teachers accessing traditional resources through a digital format will support new learning approaches (2011). Walker adds that such a move is taking technology and making it part of the lives of both students and teachers (2011).

While technology continues to evolve and change, it is important to determine whether such a device is just a ‘cool’ technology, or something that has benefit to the learning process (Rockinson-Szapkiw, Holder & Dunn, 2011, p238). Studies completed by Rockinson-Szapkiw et al (2011) show students retrieving information from an e-reader to experience greater organisation of ideas, increased engagement with content and more educational motivation (236-238). As well as this, using e-readers in place of traditional textbooks is a way to bridge the gap between student personal mobile media and student school mobile media. A certain goal in building life long learners.

With such evidence of greater motivation, engagement and organisation; perhaps if the student described in Van Halen’s song had an e-reader, he wouldn’t have been tardy all the time. Actually, I think I’ve missed the point of the song.


References
Reilly, C. (2011, September 22).Paper-less classrooms: one step closer with Iconia Tab textbooks. Retrieved from http://www.current.com.au/2011/09/22/article/Paper-less-classrooms-one-step-closer-with-Iconia-Tab-textbooks/BEIHHVIZZI.html

Rockinson-Szapkiw, A; Holder, D & Dunn, R. (2011). Motivating students to learn: is there a difference between traditional books and e-books? Proceedings of Global Learn Asia Pacific 2011. 2011. 235-239. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1207&context=educ_fac_pubs