10 Quick Ways to Use Mobile Phones in the Classroom

In today's society a large majority of students own smartphones. Why not implement those devices in the classroom? While reading Edumedic, I can across an article on how to use mobile phones in the classroom.
The following tips are from that article written by Katie Lepi. I've included the 10 ways I feel are the easiest to implement with the greatest educational value. Each use listed is linked to an article, lesson plan, or source that will detail implementation of the mobile device. To see the list of 40 ways, click here.

1. Scavenger hunts:
   Smartphone scavenger hunts have proven a popular pastime for technophiles, and teachers have been known to use them to provide interactive lessons about everything from natural history to nature. It’s an easy concept to adapt!
2. Send reminders:
   Whether through text or apps like Remind 101, smartphones offer greater connectivity so teachers ensure students know when assignments are due, what materials to bring, test schedules, and more.
3. Clickers:
   Instructors who love punctuating lectures with visuals like slideshows can convert their smartphones into tools for scrolling through materials. Socrative Quick Guide.
4. Memorization skills:
   Create and distribute digital flash cards so students can stay on top of what they need to know – or, better yet, make them write and trade their own! Research suggests that fusing technology with traditional methods helps nurture memorization skills, despite stereotypes of smartphone owners as forgetful types.
5. Polling:
   Take quick surveys of what students think and want by asking them to respond via smartphone apps designed specifically for realtime feedback.
6. QR codes:
   Create QR codes and let students scan them for quick access to class materials, supplements, and anything else they might need to earn the best grades possible.
7. Storyboarding:
   Have students draw or shoot photos of sequential images and challenge them to draw up their own stories or storyboards involving both text and visuals.
8. Blogging:
   Blogging provides a wonderfully diverse tool for establishing a digital classroom, and it’s easy for teachers and students alike to post, comment, read, and follow analytics.
9. Remembering notes:
   Some teachers allow their students to snap photos of the chalkboard or whiteboard as class wraps up in case they couldn’t finish taking their notes fast enough.
10. Use educational apps:
    One of the simplest strategies for engaging students using smartphones involves taking advantage of the thousands of educational apps as supplements.
• TCEA iPad Apps - click here
• TCEA iPod Apps - click here
• Top 100 Apps of 2012 by David Kapuler - click here
• 60 Apps in 60 Minutes - click here

“Tis the season to shop for High-Tech Toys!

We have smartphones, iPads and iPod touches, 3D TV’s, tablets, and iPad minis, as well as Archos GamePad, PS3, xBox, Oakley Airwave Goggles with GPS, and so much more.  From the silly to the brilliant here are a few ideas.


The JOYSTICK-IT ($14.99) works with any device which features a capacitive touchscreen. This includes the iPad and many Android tablets.







The Olloclip for the iPhone is a 3-1 quick-connect lens solution for the iPhone that includes fisheye, wide-angle, and macro lenses in one small, convenient package that easily fits in your pocket.

Foosball for the iPad (around $100.00) Free app comes with it.  However, if I remember my college days, many many years ago, it could be dangerous for that iPad!

Helix Bendable Bluetooth Speakers ($50.00)  bluetooth speakers with a flexible inner core, that let the user wrap them like a bracelet. From the user’s wrist to their shower head, Helix’s flexible body helps it wrap around what they want, while its water resistant exterior keeps its inner electronics safe, as long as it's not submerged. The Quirky logo serves as an on/off tab, while the user controls it with their bluetooth device.

 

 
Polaroid Z2300 ($167.00) is the newest addition to Polaroid’s instant camera.  It allows users to print snaps instantly.  It produces a 10 megapixel 2 x 3 inch image in full color in under a minute.



 Put the future at your fingertips with a Virtual Laser Keyboard ($99.99 - $200.00). Revolutionary laser technology projects a virtual keyboard on any flat surface.  There are several out there. This one pictured is from Brookstone.

Digits - Conductive Glove Pins ($14.99) Don't let your gloves keep you away from your smartphone! Digits are mini conductive pins that convert the gloves you already own and love into smartphone-compatible gloves.





Tip of the Week:  Shopping Online Safety

1. Keep your computer, browser, and anti-virus software updated.
2. Pay attention to web addresses.  Many malicious websites may look like a legitimate site but may use a variation in spelling or a different domain.  Also look in the address box for the “s” in https:// before any transaction.
   Use a credit card, not a debit card.  With credit cards, laws limit your liability for fraudulent charges.
3. Keep a record of your order and compare when you receive your credit card bill.
4. Don’t use public computers and unsecured wireless connections.



Motivate with Mobile Learning

http://www.redkid.net/generator/billboard/

Just step out into the school hallway during a passing period and observe how many students saunter to their next class with ear buds dangling from their heads as they listen to their iPod. Watch the student who texts and walks absent-mindedly into another student doing the same thing. Notice the student who uses a flash card app  like StudyBlue to review vocabulary or who collaborates on his group project using GoogleDrive. Mobile devices (smart phones, tablets, media players, e-readers) are an integral part of students daily lives and can be a great tool to motivate, engage, and create excitement for student learning in and outside the classroom. Mobile learning doesn’t mean the students move from place to place. It’s actually the learning that goes wherever the student goes.

Creating a Mobile Lesson

Creating your first mobile lesson can be a bit intimidating. That is why planning is important. To begin the planning process, you need to start at the end of the lesson and work your way back to the beginning. Start by answering a few questions about your lesson.

1. What do I want the end result to be? 
2. Do I want students to show mastery of a concept? 
3. Do I want the students to publish a project or share results?
4.  Do I want students to collaborate with one another? 

Once you know the ending, it’s easy to find the best mobile lesson for the beginning. Check out this wiki which will help you find the right tool to use.  

Choosing the Best Device 

For the lesson to be successful, you have to know about your students and the devices they have.

1. Do most of them have smart phones? Tablets? 
2. What about the student who doesn’t have a phone? Do enough of your students have devices that would allow you to pair students who don’t have devices with those that do? 
3. Are the parents on board?

 Give the Students Lesson Ownership 

Allow the students to help you plan the lesson. Ask them about their favorite apps. Generate a discussion (even online!) about how they would like to see their devices used. Students will feel as if they have ownership in the lesson and will be excited to contribute. Plus you and your students might learn about something you didn't know about before.

Plan and Collaborate with Others

Don’t’ plan alone! Your instructional technology specialist can help you plan and offer a variety of resources for mobile integration. For more information, check out Mobile Devices for Learning Resource Guide  at  Eduptopia.org. This 10-page downloadable resource provides the tools to get you going mobile.

Website of the Week: Catch!

Catch is a fun site which allows the user to capture anything on a website: text, photos, audio and more. The information is easily shared with others. This is a great tool for use with mobile devices. 

Poll Everywhere into Flipcharts

Integrating Poll Everywhere into your Flipcharts

It seems that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon--embedding HTML into Flipcharts.  The great thing about this is you need never understand the code, just copy and paste.  The newest use is with Poll Everywhere.

Steps are easy:

1.   Make sure you have the latest version of ActivInspire. 

2.   After creating a poll, copy the embed code from Poll Everywhere.  This can be   found under the ‘Share and Publish’ menu……Live Chart Widget.

3.   In Inspire open the Insert menu, go to ‘Link’ and select ‘Embedded HTML’.

4.   Success!  The embedded poll will receive and display live votes as long as you have an internet connections.

For further information on Poll Everywhere check out their blog.

http://blog.polleverywhere.com/good-news-for-promethean-activboard-and-activ

Website of the Week:

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/topics

For a little summer learning try this website.  It gives you tutorials on so many topics. Not only do you get step-by-step slide shows, but there are interactives, and videos on many of the topics.  Here is an example of a lesson on iPads.  Check it out!