the ikids blog

Mobile Devices In The Classroom

@smeech recently asked my thoughts on a post from @coolcatteacher that makes the case for cell phones in the classroom. Among her more compelling reasons for why cell phones make sense in the classroom:

- Cell Phones Can Save Us Money
- Cell Phones Can Help Students Be More Organized
- Cell Phones Speed Up Information Retrieval
- Cell Phones Allows Us to Teach Kids Digital Responsibility and Citizenship

In my book, these are all reasons for embracing what cell phones can bring to the classroom. Text books and computers are not cheap and integrating mobile devices into the classroom can be a more cost-effective way to connect students to information. Productivity tools and information retrieval services are a staple of the newest handsets — and teaching kids to use these tools in a responsible fashion seems like an important part of developing the digital fluency that will be critical for success in the techno-forward world that the rising generation will work and live in.

One great example of the potential for impact here is how mobile devices facilitate learning in rural areas in India. Because good English teachers are rare in many parts of the country, mobile phones have filled in a gap and allowed students access to instruction that they wouldn’t have otherwise had.

This has got to be a good thing.




Closer to home, additional evidence of the benefit of mobile devices in classrooms comes from teachers happy with the impact on their own students. Paula White, a third-grade math teacher who has been using iPod Touches with her students, shares her take on their value on her blog:

“Once again, the iPod Touch motivated them to stay engaged and involved in the learning task. The tool here provides an avenue for learning that allows them to gather data quickly, and easily see results. The tool here engages the student. AND, the tool here entices the kids to stay engaged.”

Seems like experience with the devices has shaped her perception of their value as an educational tool.

She’s not the only one coming to that conclusion either. A pilot-program with high school students in Australia also supports the idea that mobile devices will be a key part of education in the future:

Preliminary research on the program found school attendance increased, students were more willing to come to school and they did more homework using iPods. They also used the devices more than laptops or desktop computers.

Let’s also not forget the fact that many kids just love technology. Shouldn’t we take advantage of this interest to instill a love of learning? Personally, I love the idea of my kids learning on an iPhone in class. Why? Because I know it will hold their attention — and that is a critical requirement for real learning to take place.

Other classroom benefits seem likely as well – consider a class comprised of students with varying knowledge levels and skill sets. Tracked classes are one solution here, but the fact that mobile devices makes individual learning possible seems like it could help any teacher that is challenged to ensure all students are getting the information and instruction that they need – while still keeping kids of diverse abilities in the same classroom to promote cross-learning.

The point is simple: there are many potential educational benefits mobile devices offer. Those who would ban cell phones in school need to acknowledge that, at the very least, there is the potential for the integration of mobile devices in the classroom to benefit kids. My take is that as educators and parents we all have a responsibility to investigate this potential rather than just shutting down to new ways of doing things.

We also have a responsibility to integrate this technology in a way that makes sense. As always, the devil is in the details, and many questions must be definitively answered. Which handsets should be used? Do all kids need their own device? Or just access to a device? Which software should be used? How can you ensure that the devices are used as a learning tool and don’t just wind up being another distraction? What policies already exist around school access to social media and the internet in general? How does introducing mobile devices impact all of this? And – perhaps most importantly – what does a curriculum look like that truly leverages the best of what mobile devices have to offer?

I would love to hear from others that are exploring the answers to these questions, whether on a personal level or as part of more formal pilots. I believe the potential of mobile devices is clear, and that what’s needed is broader research into how to actualize this potential. In the interim, I will continue to use my iPhone with my own daughter as an educational tool for one simple reason — she’s learning at an incredible rate. And that is a beautiful thing to watch.

Related posts:

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