Teaching and Technology: My Journey

One of the most important concepts I learned during this class was that of “seamless learning”.  More importantly, the definition provided by Looi, Zhang, et al., that “With the mobile technologies at hand, students can learn seamlessly—both in classroom and out of classroom, both in school time and after school time.” (2010)  I am planning my final project based on this definition because I feel that it is extremely important to make my students aware that learning should never stop and not only occur in the school setting.  I want my project to include aspects of both in-school activities and out of school activities; therefore, I chose articles that did research on activities that included both.

The first article I chose to read described a project that was completed with 6th grade students in Taiwan visiting a Science Museum, Sung, Y., -T., et al, (2010)  One group was given a PDA with a problem solving mobile guide program that included stories and quests that could be solved by viewing the exhibits, the information on the device, and peer-peer interactions.  The second group was also given a device that only included information such as text, pictures, and voice narrations.  The third group was given a paper based guided learning sheet to complete while viewing the exhibits.  The research showed that problem solving mobile guide allowed for more peer-peer interactions and more relevant discussions about the exhibits than the other two groups.  This was important for me because it showed that simply creating a project that lists information through text and/or audio would not necessarily lead to more interaction and learning.  The project must include some sort of interactive feature that leads to further discussion amongst groups.

The second article that I chose set up an electrical circuit experiment using augmented reality and pedagogical scaffolds.  The purpose was to see if digital augmentation and scaffolds such as collaborative groups and response forms were helpful in conceptual development of science knowledge.  In short, the experiment had students complete a circuit by joining hands and touching metal spheres, which, for three out of four groups, would trigger a digital augmented projection of electricity moving through their arms.  The students had to answer questions before and after viewing the exhibit.  The most gains in mean score came from the group that only had the digital augmentation and no other scaffolds.  However, the research suggested”that scaffolds might be necessary to reach more advanced learning”, Yoon, S.a, et al, (2012).  So, while the augmented reality scaffold was a significant factor in gains for understanding, a deeper understanding was reached by students that were able to collaborate with others and complete response forms while viewing the exhibit.  A project must include both digital and traditional scaffolds to be successful in conceptual development.

The third article I chose was “Hands on, Mobiles on.  The use of a digital narrative as a scaffolding remedy in a classical science centre” Kahr-Højland, A. (2011).  This article documents a project that used student’s personal cell phones as a way to deliver a narrative that was developed to guide them through a Danish science centre.  The narrative was designed to increase student engagement and reflection as they navigated their way through the centre without decreasing the exploratory component that is important in a visit to a museum.  What I found very interesting is that the narrative had very little to do with science content, rather it placed the students in a role of a detective trying to solve a mystery in which the clues came from phone calls from the program.  This technique held the students attention and increased their motivation to complete the tasks at the exhibits in a more meaningful manner, rather than just “random button pressing” (Kahr-Højland, A. (2011, p.70 ).  If a project can include an aspect that can increase motivation and attention amongst students, then the ultimate goal of increasing conceptual knowledge will be easier to meet.

Within my setting for my final project, I would like to be able to incorporate aspects of each of these projects.  A problem-solving project that includes traditional scaffolding aspects while completing a task that holds motivation seems to be the most effective method for increasing conceptual knowledge.

My Updated Definition of Mobile Learning

Mobile learning is the ubiquitous use of technology to learn seamlessly in both formal and informal settings.

References:

Kahr-Højland, A. (2011). Hands on, mobiles on: The use of a digital narrative as a scaffolding remedy in a classical science centre. MedieKultur. Journal of media and communication research, 50, 66-83.

Looi, C.-K., Zhang, B., Chen, W., Seow, P., Chia, G., Norris, C., & Soloway, E. (2011). 1:1 mobile inquiry learning experience for primary science students: A study of learning effectiveness. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27, 269-287.

Sung, Y.-T., Hou, H.-T., Liu, C.-K., & Chang, K.-E. (2010). Mobile guide system using problem-solving strategy for museum learning: a sequential learning behavioural pattern analysis. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(2), 106-115.

Yoon, S. a., Elinich, K., Wang, J., Steinmeier, C., & Tucker, S. (2012). Using augmented reality and knowledge-building scaffolds to improve learning in a science museum. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.

The common response I get from fellow teachers when I tell them that every student in my classroom has their own iPad is usually: “Wow, I want that too!”  Admittedly, I felt exactly the same way when the opportunity was presented to me by my superintendent two years ago.  The feelings are understandable; almost everyone has integrated mobile technology into their own lives successfully, it makes sense to integrate it into the classroom.  But, as I have discovered, an iPad is simply another tool that can be used by a classroom teacher effectively with positive results, or ineffectively with negative results.  So the question is, how do we effectively integrate mobile technology into a classroom?  Fortunately, effective models exist that can be studied and applied to your own setting.

Looi, Zhang, et al., state that “With the mobile technologies at hand, students can learn seamlessly—both in classroom and out of classroom, both in school time and after school time.” (2010)  One way to effectively integrate mobile technology is to create this “seamless learning environment” that bridges the gap between learning at home and at school.  This is important, in my opinion, because the classroom setting can be the starting point for learning new material and with the use of mobile technology students can personalize additional learning at anytime and any place.  An example of this could be presenting a lesson on angle classifications in a math class and then having students using mobile technology to find real world examples in architecture and posting images and descriptions on an online forum for collaboration amongst the students.  Instead of having a few teacher provided examples, now you have numerous examples that are meaningful to the individual students.

Mobile technology can be integrated effectively if the students are given the opportunity to learn on both an individual and collaborative level.  Park states that “another unique attribute that mobile technology has is its ability to support effective face-to-face communication when students use the devices in the classroom” (2011).  It has always been a struggle for me as a teacher to encourage students to share information that they have learned.  But, with mobile technology, my students are able to continue learning at an individual level and are more willing to share their information with their peers when they can use their iPad to verify the information that they are sharing.  This example directly relates to the m-learning framework described by Kearney, M. et al (2012, p. 8-12).  The framework consists of three main concepts for effective learning with mobile technology; authenticity, collaboration, and personalization.  Within the concept of authenticity, the students can take information that is presented and make sense of the information by finding real-world situations to which it applies.  The students can then collaborate with their peers about this information as it applies to what is being studied.  The mobile technology is personalized because the students are using it by themselves and they have control over their learning content.  On a personal level, the concept of personalization is one that I have learned is extremely important for the successful integration of mobile technologies.  When the students begin to feel that their iPad is theirs and only theirs, they become more likely to use it as a tool to find, save, and present information that is relevant to their own interests because it is their choice whether to share information or not.

Finally, and one area that I have to improve upon personally, is the importance of including parents as learning partners.  There are different ways to look at how this can be done effectively, and Barron, B. et al (2009) list seven distinct roles that parents can play in regards to supporting learning; Teacher, Collaborator, Learning Broker, Resource Provider, Nontechnical Consultant, Employer, and Learner (p. 9).  I think that the roles of teacher and learner are the most important place to start when including parents while integrating mobile technologies into a classroom.  Many students could benefit from the expertise that some parents have with regards to mobile technologies; perhaps they work within a technology field or are simply very tech savvy.  Allowing parents to share how they use mobile technology in their own lives would motivate students to use it effectively and would motivate those same parents to be involved with their child’s learning on a different level.  With a parent in the learner’s role, the children would have the opportunity to explain how they are using mobile technology in their own lives.  This experience would be beneficial to both student and parent as the students would have to reflect on their own learning experiences to provide a meaningful explanation and the parents would again be able to be involved in their child’s learning.  This could be accomplished through an online environment, such as a website or social media site, where both parents and students are co-contributors to the content that is shared.

The integration of mobile technology is certainly an exciting journey in a classroom.  Creating a seamless learning environment between home and school is very important and including parents can assist in that endeavor.  Authentic and personal learning through collaboration with peers is a goal for all learning and is more attainable through mobile technology integration.  If these factors are incorporated, mobile technology integration has a great chance of being successful in addition to being exciting.

References:

Barron, B., Martin, C. K., Takeuchi, L., & Fithian, R. (2009). Parents as Learning Partners in the Development of Technological Fluency. International Journal of Learning and Media, 1(2), 55-77. doi:10.1162/ijlm.2009.0021

Kearney, M., Schuck, S., Burden, K., & Aubusson, P. (2012). Viewing mobile learning from a pedagogical perspective. Research In Learning Technology, 20:1, 1-17. doi:10.3402/rlt.v20i0/14406.

Looi, C.-K., Seow, P., Zhang, B., So, H.-J., Chen, W., & Wong, L.-H. (2010). Leveraging mobile technology for sustainable seamless learning: A research agenda. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(2), 154-169. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00912.x

Park, Y. (2011). A pedagogical framework for mobile learning: Categorizing educational applications of mobile technologies into four types. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(2).

This week’s lesson had us look at specific examples of how mobile computers have been integrated into learning environments.  Each example showed the great opportunities that exist now only through the use of mobile technology in a learning environment; they also showed some of the challenges that go along with mobile technology integration.  Each example allowed me to reflect upon my own classroom environment and address some issues that I have encountered that were similar to the issues addressed in the articles.

The first article that I read was “Mobile learning: two case studies of supporting inquiry learning in informal and semiformal settings.” (Jones, A. C., Scanlon, E., & Clough, G. (2013).  The article shared two studies that focused on using mobile technologies to support inquiry learning.  The first study was a “semi-formal” inquiry in that it contained aspects of both formal and nonformal learning settings.  Teachers chose the focus of a inquiry based project and then the student’s personal inquiries led their direction for the project, both in and out of school.  The importance of choice cannot be understated in this study.  As Jones, Scanlon, & Clough (2013) state “in informal learning, where learners set their own goals, intrinsic motivation is often higher than in formal settings where goals are pre-set.”  While this study looked at how mobile technology can support inquiry learning, I also think that it showed the importance of inquiry learning itself.  This brings up the importance of addressing the pedagogy that exists within a classroom before accurate measurements of technology integration can be taken.  I believe that mobile technology can be an amazing opportunity for students and teachers, but only if that teacher is willing to use it in an effective manner.  However, because mobile technology is able to support inquiry learning by providing resources such as cameras and internet resources, and by allowing communication between students and experts, and having mobility between formal and nonformal contexts the opportunity to expand student learning exists and is accessible.

The second article I read was about a study of young students, age 5, using iPads in a classroom in New Zealand.  (Falloon, 2013).  This article brought up the importance of researching apps before installing them on any device and also the importance of designing apps that, again, contain the proper pedagogy that support student learning.  The most effective apps contained teaching, practice, and reflection components in addition to “an entertaining but focused presentation and some game elements” (Falloon, 2013).  This relates to the first article in that it is imperative that the proper teaching techniques be incorporated into any integration of mobile technology because otherwise it will not be effective.  Apps must also address the needs of individual student learning.  This was something that I was able to relate to with my own review of the “Pick-a-Path” app in that eventually it became too difficult and the students would either return to easier material to continue playing the game, or never return to the app.  In the study, the students would also engage in “gamification”, in which they would deliberately enter wrong information to see what happens.  In cases such as this, the students are no longer engaged and are no longer learning.  However, the opportunities do exist for apps to be designed with the student’s best interests in mind and when they can be found they are a wonderful addition to a learning environment.

The third article I read addressed the issue of student multitasking and the effects it can have on reading comprehension. (Bowman, L. L., Levine, L. E., Waite, B. M., & Gendron, M. (2010).   I choose this article because I know that by integrating mobile technology into my own classroom I have added multitasking to my student’s academics.  This study showed the relationship between instant messaging during reading and the amount of time spent reading and comprehension of the material read.  Interestingly, the comprehension rates were all similar between those that using IM during reading and those that were not.  However, the amount of time that it took to complete the reading task was different between the two groups in that it took a significantly longer time for those who used IM during reading.  Within my 6th grade classroom, I would expect the comprehension rates to differ as well because they are not yet expert readers as those in the study.  They would most likely lose their place and not take the time to reread a section, as it was suggested the readers did in this study.  Most of the communication capabilities of the iPads in my classroom have been disabled because of this belief.  I mostly agreed with this until I saw them being effectively used in the following video:

One Transformed Classroom

The students in Larry Mitchell’s 5th grade classroom are engaged with their iPads throughout the entire day.  They are interacting with their teacher and with their peers.  They are collaborating on every assignment.  For me, the level of freedom they have with their iPad is motivating.  They have their own email addresses and are able to find and download new apps at their own discretion. This classroom is an excellent example of a semiformal learning environment; while the teacher is directing the focus for the day, the students have the choice on how to direct their learning.  They are also able to develop their own identities through collaborating with peers and through downloading relevant apps.  The students are using the iPads ubiquitously, even during lunch!  They have taken ownership of the iPads and this has led to high levels of motivation amongst the students.  One area that appears to be contrary to the use of inquiry learning occurs when the students are completing worksheets in PDF format and submitting them to the teacher for review; however, I use the same Math curriculum and can verify that it is very much inquiry based.  I also believe that there has to be some structured instructional time for this age group because some concepts need to be taught directly so that the students can have a better chance of being successful during their inquiries.

Integrating mobile technologies into a current learning environment can create many different opportunities to advance student learning.  The most effective use can occur with an inquiry based classroom pedagogy, and this needs to be an initial consideration before mobile technologies are integrated.  Mobile apps can be a very effective way to motivate and further student learning if they are based on solid instructional methods.  Multitasking will become a part of a classroom with mobile technology integration, but if it is used properly it can be a great asset to a student’s learning.  As mentioned in previous posts, these areas need to be addressed in professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators before mobile technologies are integrated.

References:

Bowman, L. L., Levine, L. E., Waite, B. M., & Gendron, M. (2010). Can students really multitask? An experimental study of instant messaging while reading. Computers & Education, 54(4), 927-931. Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.09.024

Falloon, G. (2013). Young students using iPads: App design and content influences on their learning pathways. Computers & Education, 68, 505-521.

Jones, A. C., Scanlon, E., & Clough, G. (2013). Mobile learning: two case studies of supporting inquiry learning in informal and semiformal settings. Computers & Education. 61: 21–32. Doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2012.08.008.

Via, S. (2001, May 16).  One Transformed Classroom [Video File].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYLirypK_Yo

Name of App:  iBrainstorm

Reviewed by:  Greg Sypa

Universal Mind, Version 2.5 Updated 12/21/12, iOS 6 or later.

Cost:  Free

Review:  The iBrainstorm app is a productivity app that allows users to create an interactive chart for any subject that they wish.  Users can draw, write, and insert digital “sticky notes” to organize their thoughts.  I have students use this in the classroom to create interactive word walls, graphic organizers, and basic note taking.  This app teaches the students the importance of organizing thoughts before attempting a solution to a problem or starting a writing piece.  It also allows them to develop their creative identities as the app has many options with colors and text.  The only weakness is that the user cannot add actual photos from internet searches or from the device camera.

Name of App:  iMovie

Reviewed by:  Greg Sypa

Apple Inc., Version 2.0 Updated 11/22/13, iOS 7 or later.

Cost:  $4.99

Review:  The iMovie app allows the user to create High-Definition movies using the iPad or iPhone platform.  I use this in my classroom for digital storytelling and for creating detailed presentations of research projects.  This app is a must-have for any classroom setting as it allows students to be creative with the development of high quality movies that can be shared with the class.  Students are able to develop their identities through the use of this app because every aspect of the movie that they create is a personal choice; for example, images, sound effects, music, voice overlays, and text supplements.  I have used this app for every subject area and it has been very successful.

Name of App:  Pick-A-Path

Reviewed by:  Greg Sypa

National Council of Teacher of Mathematics, Version 1.0 Updated 4/24/13, iOS 4.0 or greater

Cost:  Free

Review:  This app reviews math concepts such as powers of ten, fractions, multiplication, and positive and negative numbers by completing maze to reach a target number.  I have used this app in my 6th grade classroom to review each of the above concepts both formally and informally; although, the students become competitive and learn about concepts that they have not learned about due to the game nature of the app.  One weakness for this app is that it does reach a point with my 6th grade students in which they can no longer progress through the game because the concepts are too difficult or above their level of understanding.

Name of app:  NOVA Elements

Reviewed by:  Greg Sypa

Public Broadcasting Service, Version 1.3 Update 1/22/13, iOS 3.2 or later.

Cost:  Free

Review:  This app is an educational app that includes an interactive periodic table and a game that allows students to build molecules.  I have used this as a supplemental activity to my Science instruction; as the students learn in great detail about atoms and every element on the period table.  I have used this app in both formal and informal instructional situations.  If I am talking about a specific element, I ask the students to open the app and read and build the atom.  Mostly, in my 6th grade classroom, the students use this app in addition to lessons as they love the interactive features that are embedded.

Name of App:  Hopscotch

Reviewed by:  Greg Sypa

Hopscotch Technologies, Updated 6/6/14, iOS 7 or higher.

Cost:  Free

Review:  This app is a simple coding program that is designed for use by children that are at least 8 years old.  I used this in my classroom as a way to teach basic coding skills and for my students to have fun while creating and designing a program.  This app gave my students the freedom to create their own identities as they were able to create a program of their choice.  While they were exploring the possibilities, they were implicitly learning the computer code language.  I think this is a great introduction app for coding, the only weakness is the codes are limited to the parameters the developers set for the program.

Last week, I created the meme below that displayed my frustration with the excuse that some of my colleagues give me when I talk about integrating more technology into my classroom.

This week, I learned about important learning theories that have been researched that I can now share with these colleagues when they give me their excuse.  These learning theories are not anything new, at least in my experience in education; but the way that mobile devices allow educators to satisfy the different ways that humans learn is something that is changing how we can educate students more effectively.  In other words, the way that humans learn has not changed, but our understanding of how humans learn is deeper and using mobile devices can greatly assist in the efficiency of that learning.

Bransford, et al (2006), described a continuum model in which implicit learning occurs within informal and formal learning environments (p. 3). This made me think of an app that I installed on my iPads this past school year that was a basic computer coding app, called Hopscotch, in which students could create interactive demonstrations using a common coding language.  For myself, I recognized that students needed to have an understanding of angle degrees; for the students, they saw this as a fun activity that had no correlation to math concepts.  Neither the students nor myself knew the language when we first started using the app.  We started using the app together to understand the basic commands, then I let the students use the app whenever they had free time.  Students began “mirroring” different commands from one another, they began speaking the new language when they would ask each other how they were able to accomplish a particular task within their program; in other words, they were learning a new language without really thinking too much about it.  Furthermore, these students learned about angles and their measurements in practice without any instruction from myself.

This experience opened my eyes to the effectiveness of self-regulated learning.  I incorporated this into my classroom this past year when we were studying the different ecosystems on Earth.  Students were challenged to use their iPads to find and present information about each ecosystem according to their interests; for example, different animals, plants, climate, cultures.  I found immediately that students were motivated to do this research because they were given a choice to research a topic in which they were personally interested.  This was important because as Sha, et al (p. 720, 2012), states “the variance of student performance and achievement in mobile learning can be accounted for by the degree to which individual students are motivated intrinsically to ubiquitously engage in mobile learning activities”.  With my classroom example, the students were excited about the information that they were able to find with their mobile devices and were eager to share it with their classmates.  This led to many different discussions and further research that never would have occurred in a teacher-led classroom because some topics may not have been found and also the additional research was done instantly during class discussions.

Understanding how humans learn is allowing us to design our instruction in a way that allows for deeper understanding and by incorporating mobile technology we can enhance learning performance by increasing intrinsic motivation in students.

References:

Bransford, J., Vye, N., Stevens, R., Kuhl, P., Schwartz, D., Bell, P., … Sabelli, N. (2006). Learning theories and education: Toward a decade of synergy. In P. A. Alexander & P. H. Winne (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (2nd ed., pp. 209–244). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Elerbaum Associates.

Sha, L., Looi, C. K., Chen, W., & Zhang, B. H. (2012). Understanding mobile learning from the perspective of self‐regulated learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28(4), 366-378.

Anyone that has found any piece of technology valuable in education has undoubtedly encountered someone like Robin in my meme.  I have mostly encountered this from members of my community that do not understand that we have to educate our students for the world in which they live, which is very different from the time they were in school.  My frustration, and the moment that makes me want to be Batman in this meme, is when my colleagues use this argument instead of admitting that they are unwilling to go out of their comfort zone and try something new.