New research from Gartner predicts that smartphones will become the most common browsing platform, with nearly two billion connected devices, by the end of 2013. Although PCs will still dominate total traffic at this stage, many more learners will be used to browsing the internet using mobile phones.
This means that schools may need to provide for learners to use these devices as their preferred means of access to the internet. Further, schools and education developers will have to consider whether their websites and applications will work on the wide variety of mobile platforms that may be found in the home as well as in educational establishments at that date. Should the next iteration of Glow have a mobile version?
I came across this from a tweet by @ggrosseck She had just nominated this Slideshare by Graham Attwell on Digital Identities and Personal Learning Environments. I can certainly recommend it to Scottish colleagues and beyond as it has a real resonance around Curriculum for Excellence developments and the future use of http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/glowscotland/about/index.asp
How do you educate a generation of students eternally distracted by the internet, cellphones and video games? That is the question posed in an article in Wired. The answer. You enable them by handing out free iPhones — and then integrating the gadget into your curriculum. That’s the idea Abilene Christian University has to refresh classroom learning. Located in Texas, the private university just finished its first year of a pilot program, in which 1,000 freshman students had the choice between a free iPhone or an iPod Touch. You can read the rest of the article here and the findings from the first year of piloting this approach.
This report by Christina Clark and George Dugdale for the National Literacy Trust is based on a survey of 3001 learners aged 9-16 from England and Scotland completed an online survey in May 2009. Well worth downloading.
The survey explored young people’s writing behaviours, perceptions of competence and level of engagement. The majority of writing by young people in the survey was technology mediated. Use of technology did not seem to have a negative impact on writing; moreover those who regularly blogged or used social networks were found to enjoy writing more and have higher levels of confidence in their ability.
Some of the key findings of this survey are:
75% of young people said that they write regularly. Technology-based formats were most frequently written. For example, 82% of young people wrote text messages at least once a month, 73% wrote instant messages (such as messages on AIM or MSN), and 63% wrote on a social networking site. Of non-technology based writing, 77% wrote notes or answers in class or for homework at least once a month followed by 52% writing notes to other people.
56% of young people said they had a profile on a social networking site, such as Bebo or Facebook. 24% said that they have their own blog. While frequently vilified in the media as ‘dumbing down’ young people’s literacy, this research shows that technology offers different writing opportunities for young people, which is seen in a link between blogging and (self-reported) writing ability and enjoyment of writing. For example, young people who write on a blog were much more likely than young people who do not write on a blog to enjoy writing in general (57% vs. 40%) and to enjoy writing for family/friends in particular (79% vs. 55%).
Young people with a blog (61%) as well as young people with a profile on a social networking site (56%) also displayed greater confidence, believing themselves to be good writers. Blog owners and young people with a social networking profile were also more prolific writers than their counterparts. They held more positive attitudes towards writing and computer use, and viewed writers more favourably.
Owning a mobile phone does not appear to alter young people’s enjoyment of writing, their writing behaviour or their attitudes towards writing. Most young people said they used computers regularly and believed that computers are beneficial to their writing, agreeing that a computer makes it easier for them to correct mistakes (89%) and allows them to present ideas clearly (76%). Overall, nearly 60% of young people also believe that computers allow them to be more creative, concentrate more and encourage them to write more often.
Highland are rolling out Glow. Part of this rollout is to pilot Glow in the Mallaig Associated School Group. This is made up of Mallaig High School, Mallaig Primary School, Lady Lovat Primary, Arisaig Primary, Inverie Primary, Eigg Primary, Muck Primary, Canna Primary and Rum Primary.
The choice of this area to pilot Glow is obvious for anyone who knows the challenges that the geography of the West Highland can bring to small schools.
They are making a short video on using Glow. Here is a the hilarious opening scene.
Becta has published major new research at the end of July. I have just come across it and it is interesting reading. It looks at the use of Web 2.0 technologies, such as wikis, blogs and social networking, by children between the ages of 11-16, both in and out of the school environment.
The reports found that young learners are prolific users of Web 2.0 technologies in their leisure time but that the use of Web 2.0 in the classroom was limited. However, schools and teachers who are innovating in this area have found benefits, such as:
Web 2.0 helps to encourage student engagement and increase participation – particularly among quieter pupils, who can use it to work collaboratively online, without the anxiety of having to raise questions in front of peers in class – or by enabling expression through less traditional media such as video
Teachers have reported that the use of social networking technology can encourage online discussion amongst students outside school
Web 2.0 can be available anytime, anywhere, which encourages some individuals to extend their learning through further investigation into topics that interest them
Pupils feel a sense of ownership and engagement when they publish their work online and this can encourage attention to detail and an overall improved quality of work. Some teachers reported using publication of work to encourage peer assessment.
The research also found that over half of teachers surveyed believe that Web 2.0 resources should be used more often in the classroom.
However, the majority of teachers questioned had never used Web 2.0 applications in lessons, despite being frequent users of technology in their personal and professional lives. Their main concerns involved a lack of time to familiarise themselves with the technology and worries about managing the use of the internet in class.
The reports recommended that teachers should be encouraged to help learners to develop more sophisticated use of Web 2.0 technology and to give them the skills to navigate this space.
Just finished listening to an excellent programme by BBC Education journalist Mike Baker. From Abacus to Circle Time: A Short History of the Primary School The first of a three part series. Mike explored the strict, no-nonsense Victorian schoolroom and hears from former pupils about their experience of primary schools from the 1930s to the 1960s, including Baroness Shirley Williams, who recalled the poverty of her fellow pupils in her London elementary shool in the 1930s. It certainly stuck a chord with my primary school experience in the late 1950’s
The other two programmes will go on to trace the controversial changes to the ways we have educated our youngest children over the past 150 years, from the rigidity of the Victorian age to the occasionally anarchic, experiential learning of the progressive 1970s.
It certainly puts some of the developments around Curriculum for Excellence in perspective.
At he end of the series the BBC will host a debate on primary education.
If you missed it it will soon be available on the BBC iPlayer site
Often when talking with colleagues about computing equipment for schools the discussion often starts with the use of terms such as desktops and laptops, the report below makes it clear we really need to change our terminology and start to talk about connected devices instead.
We know that smartphone sales on the increase but an analyst says that they will outstrip worldwide PC sales by the end of 2011. The report, by RBC analyst Mike Abramsky, estimates that by that time shipments of both will be approaching 400 million a year.Smartphones are much more capable of running web applications and browsing the internet than previous generations of phones, making them more able to interface with learning platforms. Many older pupils own smartphones and will increasingly expect to access educational content using them. This suggests that schools and colleges will need to plan to support a more diverse range of devices for home and remote learning.
