"One teacher recently reminded me that we let kids use scissors — why are we afraid of a phone?" — Devin Vodicka
K-12 and post-secondary education experts and leaders in the technology sector believe that mobile technologies will significantly impact K-12 education in the very near future. The Horizon Report 2011 K-12 Edition (http://nmc.org/publications/2011-horizon-report-k-12) predicts that mobile devices are one of two key technology trends that will strongly influence education in the next year.
A majority of students surveyed for the Speak Up 2010 report (http://bit.ly/9q4iHV) are certain that being permitted to bring and use their own mobile devices in the classroom would enhance their learning. In the same survey, two-thirds of their parents said they would purchase mobile devices for their children if the school permitted classroom use of the device.
Innovative educators are paying attention to these trends, changing their thinking about where and how they can use technology with their students. However, the majority of teachers and administrators remain uncomfortable with classroom use of mobile technology in general and specifically with permitting students to bring and use their own devices. The Speak Up 2010 report shows that 76 percent of teachers fear that mobile devices will be distractors in the classroom, and 65 percent of administrators said they are not in favor of bring-your-own-device initiatives. As a result, most schools and districts are not yet embracing student use of mobile technologies.
Butch Owens, Director of Student Support for Murrieta Unified School District, is well aware of these trends and, in a recent post on a blog for school administrators called TBLOGICAL (http://bit.ly/qkn5h1), writes that he fears that students who attend schools where mobile technologies are banned, or severely restricted, are in a state of being digitally deprived. He suggests that in many instances, digital deprivation has replaced the digital divide as a primary concern. What does he mean?
“It’s difficult to find a student today who does not: have access to the Internet; own a smart phone; communicate with friends all over the world; and, collaborate online with others to plan events, except, of course when they enter the school building,” he explains. “Instead of embracing and encouraging use of the technology students already own, we forbid its use — and often even its presence — on campus.” Owens’ bottom line is that digital deprivation severely limits students’ access to information and other resources they need to have the best possible learning environment.
I think this is an assertion we need to consider carefully. He’s not saying that student engagement is a rationale for allowing use of these devices during the school day. Nor is he saying that technology use alone will raise test scores. He is saying that since mobile technologies are tools students have at their disposal outside the classroom, it makes sense to leverage use of these devices on campus to create an environment where students are more likely to achieve academic success.
This doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea to open the floodgates and allow students to bring all their devices on campus without extensive preplanning, or before laying the groundwork for successful classroom use of mobile technologies. But it does mean that educators need to frame their planning from the standpoint of identifying ways students and teachers will use mobile technologies to enrich learning activities and mirror real world experiences to ensure students see the relevance of the work they are doing.
To do a quick reality check, I asked several current and former leaders in education to share their thoughts on why mobile technologies belong in classrooms. Here are several of their replies:
“[We need to] support the evolution of classroom materials and of thinking! With mobile devices, learning becomes something that can be done anytime and anyplace. We no longer need to place value on simply memorizing and gathering facts. Mobile devices work for students, enabling them to learn how to analyze and apply that which is at their fingertips.” — Susan Graham, Director of School Relations, AcademicMerit, LLC
“With the advent of the ‘information’ age, this generation has had to become surveyors of information rather than topic experts. As a result, we must provide the means to access the information while teaching the skills of communication, collaboration, and validation.” — Jana Hoggle, Federal Programs and Technology Coordinator, Marengo County Schools
“Mobile devices are a part of this generation’s lives. What better place to learn to use them appropriately and effectively than in school?” — Debra White, consultant
“If we are preparing students for the future, I don’t know many business leaders who can get along without the ability to use their handheld technology. Adapt and accept ... don’t ban!” — Pam Korporaal, consultant
The educators I contacted also wanted to be sure that I emphasized the importance of preplanning, particularly in the case of bring-your-own-device initiatives. Harry Dickens, Director of Technology for the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, recommends that teachers and administrators use materials found on the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website, especially the Information, Media, and Technology section of the Framework for 21st Century Learning (http://bit.ly/nn9LBK). Sandy Miller, statewide cadre representative for California’s TICAL project, works with school principals at sites with one-to-one programs. She reports that it’s critical not to overlook basics including insurance on equipment, content control, and liability concerns. And Gabe Soumakian, Superintendent of Oxnard Union High School District, mentions the importance of working closely with corporate partners to insure that the infrastructure will support the initiative.
It helps to have a planning model to use while engaging in this process. One such model developed specifically for use related to mobile technologies can be found in “Teaching with the Tools Kids Really Use: Learning with Web and Mobile Technologies” (Corwin, 2010). This model encourages educators to work collaboratively in grade level or departmental teams, as members of site or district technology committees, or as members of instruction review teams to carefully consider each emerging technology based on its merits and potential for classroom use.
Are your students digitally deprived? If so, what will you do to correct the situation? If not, how will you ensure that this continues to be the case? We need to address educators’ fears head on so we can provide the best possible learning environments for our students. In closing, I’d like to share a comment from Devin Vodicka, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services for Carlsbad Unified School District. “Technology is a tool, including mobile devices. One teacher recently reminded me that we let kids use scissors — why are we afraid of a phone?”