Emerging Technology

Mobile Technology



“Information at your fingertips” is growing every day. There are thousands of mobile applications (apps) available for iPhone or Android users. “With so many educational apps on the App Store, there’s no limit to the learning possibilities at your fingertips.” (Apple, 2013) These can vary from games to news channels to educational material. These apps are revolutionizing the way that our children learn. They have this information and educational resources to help them better advance academically. This is also a more cost efficient means than what we have encountered in years past. Until recently, if a parent wanted educational resources for their child, they had to purchase a single hard copy at a large cost. With the current use of the application system, educational resources are very inexpensive and sometimes even free after the initial investment of the device in which the applications will be used. This resource is changing the way that our children learn.
In this day in time of technological advancements, children seem to exhibit a growing interest in the technology developing around them. Children associate these growing technologies with fun and entertainment and not so much the chore of learning. A child is much more likely to use an educational resource if it is associated with a form of technology. The child does not realize that they are learning while they are playing these educational games.
More schools and school systems are making an app available to mobile users. East Tennessee State University just recently released an app. This app allows you to access items such as a university wide directory, events calendar, athletics, upcoming semester courses, the library, a map, and Desire2Learn. This is a wonderful resource for higher education students. Site In Schools is an app that allows you to access schools that have set up an account. After searching for a specific school district using this account, you can access district wide news and calendars or specific schools. This would be a great app for students to access the teachers’ websites and links that have been suggested.
“Flashcard programs have also become more powerful. A popular program of this type is Anki, a spaced repetition vocabulary study program (discussed in the LLT 14/2 column).” (Goodwin-Jones, 2011) This would be a great resource to use inside and outside of the classroom. Flashcards can be created through other app programs in order to generate math facts. In an ideal classroom that is equipped with Apple or Android products, this would be a great resource for students to use when preparing for a test or for those students who simply need more practice. Paper flashcards often become worn out after one year of teaching if they are handled frequently.
All students have different learning styles. Special education is an important program in which each learning style must be specifically met. Mobile apps assist in making this possible for visual and kinesthetic learners. The students will be able to view videos and then transition into games. In the games, it gives automatic feedback which is very important for short attention spans. These programs are designed to hold the attention of small children and build literacy or math skills. The creators of Avaz have specifically made mobile apps for children with autism. However they could be used by anyone. There are also applications for other special education disabilities. In addition to the game type apps for children, there are apps for teachers, parents, and caregivers of children with special needs. These would be beneficial to learning about the disabilities and tips to working with them.
“Textbooks, for example, may look and feel very different in a just a few years, thanks in part to the introduction of the iPad.” (McCrea, 2010) In her article, McCrea suggests that the textbooks we have now will no longer exist in a few years. You will be able to access them solely through technology such as apps. I see that there are both advantages and disadvantages to this concept. There are some people who would rather hold the paper version of a book in his/her hands versus holding a piece of technology. With the technological version, teachers are not as capable of making sure all students are on the right page or not playing a game or accessing another app. The advantages would include students would not have to carry around a number of textbooks. This can lead to back problems if they are transporting them often, but with an iPad, they would be carrying around one item.
With most advancements there comes a repercussion of this advancement. By excessively relying on technological advancements such as applications we increase our children’s dependence on technology. Although these tools can be utilized and the results can be exceptional, they must not default to being the only method used to educate our future. With any kind of technology there comes the risk that the technology will fail. If using the application system as a teaching method in the classroom, there runs the risk that the teacher will be solely relying on a method that could fail. This could lead to wasted class time when the teacher has to stop teaching to try to get the technology working properly. To avoid these complications, students must not be turned away from traditional teaching methods that include information recorded on paper. Applications have the ability to enrich the lives of our students, but the educator must not let this growing technology cripple the learning process by relying too heavily on this advancement.
As a teacher, I would love to have Apple or Android products for my students to use. I feel that the benefits greatly outweigh the hindrances. These items would allow me to reach each different style of learners within my classroom. Students from kindergarten through college would benefit from the thousands of educational apps that are available to the world.

Bibliography

Apple. (2013). Retrieved from Apple in Education: http://www.apple.com/education/apps/

Engineering, I. L. (2012). Retrieved from Avaz for Autism: http://www.avazapp.com/

Goodwin-Jones, R. (2011, June). Language Learning & Technology. Retrieved from Emerging Technologies: Mobile Apps For Language
Learnigin: http://llt.msu.edu/issues/june2011/emerging.pdf

McCrea, B. (2010, January 27). The Journal. Retrieved from Measuring the iPad's Potential for Education:
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/01/27/measuring-the-ipads-potential-for-education.aspx