Mobile Learning Beyond the Classroom

At the private college where I taught, SmartBoards were introduced into the classroom shortly after we moved to a newer and bigger building. Although at first, I was resistant to using the new technology as I was quite comfortable with the time-tested reliability of the whiteboard, I began to look for ways to create more engaging classroom experiences for my students. I presented lessons through videos, slides and music. While the SmartBoard enhanced the accessibility of different forms of media, its use was limited in part due to my own inexperience with the new technology. I approached the school to ask for a tutorial on using the SmartBoard and was given a cursory lesson on how to use the different colored smart markers - it became apparent that I would need to seek out other sources to gain a better understanding of how to fully utilize the new technology.

Mobile Learning in the Classroom

While many people associate mobile learning with the use of mobile devices, such as cell phones, laptops, and tablets, mobile learning can be defined more broadly as “learning through exploration and conversation across multiple contexts amongst people and interactive technologies” (Sharples, 2017). Mobile learning allows students to take their learning beyond the brick-and-mortar classroom to their immediate environments, whether in their communities or their home environment.

There are a number of benefits to implementing mobile technology in the classroom. According to S. Jhoanna Robled’s Guide to Mobile Learning for Edutopia, mobile devices engage students more fully and encourages students to take a more active role in their own learning. Teachers report that students contribute more to problem-solving and are more involved as peer teachers to their classmates as they learn to work collaboratively through the use of social media. I believe that it is important for teachers to learn to effectively use mobile technology in the classroom to provide greater access to learning to all students and to equip students with problem-solving and collaboration skills essential for future success.  

Applications of Mobile Learning

Lessons where mobile devices and technology can be used are varied and numerous as mobile technology is highly versatile and adaptable to students of different levels and different subjects. The following are some ways to implement the use of mobile devices in the classroom.

Classroom Blog

Students can showcase their projects and work on their classroom blogs. This is a space where they can reflect on the process and outcome of their assignments and provide feedback to their classmates. Students can participate in discussion forums and brainstorm ideas for class assignments and projects on their blog. They can also post questions and get answers from their classmates allowing for peer learning and collaboration outside of the classroom.

Using Cell Phones to Keep the Classroom Connected

Cell phone apps such as Remind101 help to remind students of when their next assignments. Teachers can create tests and quizzes online on sites such as polleverywhere.com to help students assess what they have learned and prepare them for in-class tests. Students can take the tests wherever they are and send in their answers for immediate feedback. As an added bonus, teachers are able to see what areas students need reinforcement in from the graphs and data compiled by the test app.

References

“What is Mobile Learning?” (2015) Accessed on 2, April 2017 at https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/mobile-learning/what-is-mobile-learning

Robledo, S. J. Mobile Devices for Learning. (2012) Accessed on 2, April 2017 at

http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/guides/edutopia-mobile-learning-guide.pdf

Wainwright, A. 7 Fun Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom to Enrich Learning. (2017) Accessed on 2, April 2017 at

http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/7-Fun-Ways-to-Use-Technology-in-the-classroom-to-enrich-learning

Bilingual Education in the US

In our ever rapidly globalizing community, bilingual education has become a standard in many US educational systems. The inclusion and integration of non-English languages into the public school curriculum was mandated by the Bilingual Education Act (BEA) of 1968 which provided schools with federal grants to create educational programs for students with limited English ability (wikipedia). School participation in bilingual education was voluntary and the legislation had limited impact on creating equality for non-English speaking students. Six years later, a class-action suit, Lau v. Nichols, challenged the San Francisco School District arguing that 1,800 Chinese students were being denied an equal opportunity for education because they did not speak English (wikipedia). The Supreme Court ruled that “the same resources, teachers and curriculum did not imply that the education was equal for students who had a limited command of the English language” (wikipedia). The amendments stipulated that a Bilingual Education Program must provide instruction in both English and the native language of the student while the goal was to prepare students to partake in English classrooms while preserving the student’s native language and culture.

Compared with European education systems, the US lags in offering students foreign language classes at all levels. According to the Pew Research Center, students in more than 20 European countries are required to study a second foreign language for at least one year, whereas in the US there is no national requirement for students to learn a foreign language. Foreign language study for the European student typically begins around the age of 6 or 7 but in parts of Belgium, it begins as early as age 3.

Most recently in bilingual education news in the US, California passed Proposition 58 which “reverses the misguided requirement that English language learners (ELL) be taught only in English.” The NEA, whose advocacy was pivotal in setting the groundwork for the enactment the Bilingual Education Act, is a strong proponent of the advancement of bilingual education in public education. The NEA points out that despite the rapidly growing number of ELL students, public education has not kept up with meeting their needs. ELL students comprise 10% of the student population nationwide and are slipping through the cracks when it comes to access to prepared educators, adequate resources, and high expectations for academic performance.

In view of the challenges facing ELL students, the NEA advocates for closer collaboration between ELL teachers and subject teachers to share pedagogic experiences and improve awareness of the needs of ELL students. Additionally, professional development and specialized training for instructors will help to dismantle the stigma and myth that ELL students lack the ability to do well. Providing resources to achieve high learning outcomes  for all students is imperative. All teachers need to play a part in helping students who otherwise would slip through the cracks of a system that undervalues their abilities because of a misguided notion of "intelligence" based on language abilities.

Patricia Ryan, an English teacher who has taught in the Middle East for over 30 years, offers a more inclusive way of thinking about ELL education in her TedTalk - Don't Insist on English. By requiring students to take standardized English tests for admission to top universities are we depriving our world of the next Einstein or Darwin?

References

Bilingual Education Act. (2016). In Wikipedia. Accessed 1 February 2017 at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilingual_Education_Act

Devlin, K. (2015). Learning a foreign language a ‘must’ in Europe, not so in America. Accessed 1 February 2017 at

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/13/learning-a-foreign-language-a-must-in-europe-not-so-in-america/

Moreno, W. (2016). California voters bring back bilingual education in a big win for students. Accessed 1 February 2017 at

http://educationvotes.nea.org/2016/12/10/california-voters-bring-back-bilingual-education-big-win-students/

“How Educators Can Advocate For English Language Learners.” (2015). Accessed 1 Feb 2017 at https://www.nea.org/assets/docs/18285_ELL_AdvocacyGuide2015_low-res_updated_6-23.pdf