iPhones in the Classroom by Josh Cavender
Introduction Cellphones have become ubiquitous. It is time to embrace them as teaching tools. The best equipped for this integration is, not surprisingly, the Apple iPhone. The innovative touch screen and use of use, along with dynamic sound and video capabilities, makes the iPhone a popular media device and intriguing teaching tool. The following are just some of the ways the iPhone can be incorporated into classroom use. Technological Benefits
What can the iPhone REALLY do for educators? Here are three features that will impact education:
1. Multi-Touch Display
By far the most promising technology is the multi-touch display. In this case, it is the technology that will make the difference, especially in the long run. Multi-touch displays are not a new technology. What is unique here is the mass production of a multi-touch device. The iPhone will be the first multi-touch device in the hands of millions of people. This new interface will allow people to interact with the computer in a much easier and more human-like manner. This is going to be the jumping off point for a whole new generation of computing. As more and more
data becomes available on computers this will be the first technology that will help us to better manage that information.
From a mobile perspective, it has always been a hassle to use a mobile device. Perhaps the multitouch display will be the missing link for actually using a mobile device in the classroom.
2. Widgets
Most computer users are already familiar with the wonderful world of widgets. Widgets are most easily categorized as mini-applications. They can be anything and everything from simply displaying the weather and RSS feeds, to fully functional translation devices. Educators, and others, will begin to use the widgets and build others that can easily be added to the iPhone thus capitalizing on the mobility factor.
3. iPhone Applications and a Fully Functional Internet
The iPhone is now open to third party applications. This is going to be important and that this is going to open the flood gates of creativity. Imagine harnessing the power of a multi-touch display in a test. Allowing students to more naturally interact and manipulate the test and then send it back to you over the air, anywhere.
A fully-functional browser, and most importantly, easily-browsable internet will finally allow rich multimedia, and navigation that has been impossible before. Up till now, browsing the internet on a mobile device was terrible, especially if the page wasn’t formatted in mobile format. Now students and teachers can really interact with the internet, and best of all manipulate it (Edutechie, 2007).
Teacher/Student Interaction 1. Class Blogging
Instead of turning in a weekly journal, students could be asked to interact on a class blog. A class blog is a media platform that intersects with students where they are currently sharing, communicating, and thinking about the world. Twitter would be ideal for this. Logging in and checking out the blogs is as natural to these students as breathing.
How does the iPhone aid in hosting a class blog? Besides mobility and instant access, student interest and effort in online discussion is directly related to the degree to which the students feel that the teacher is interacting along with them. Basically, if students feel that no one is watching their online forum, they lose interest. It begins to feel like busy work. But if the teacher is constantly interacting with students the online conversation grows energized and creative. Applications are currently in development that would allow students to use the video feature of the iPhone as a webcam and as a video-blogging tool. Because of the iPhone’s browsing capability, no matter where teachers are during the day, during the week, or on the weekend, they would be in constant communication with the class blog. The same goes for students. With the iPhone, teachers are able to use small moments of free time (for example, walking from point a to point b) to check the blog and upload a quick comment. The total effect would be that students get the sense that the teacher is a constant presence on the blog. Teachers would be able to respond very quickly to just about every substantive post uploaded by students. And this quickness on their part causes the students to return to the blog to see what a classmate or teacher has said about their insights; a classroom discussion, without being in class.
2. Mass Communication Using a service such as AbbyMe, teachers can efficiently distribute classroom news, notes and assignments as well as the following: Reminders AbbyMe is a fantastic resource for students to use to remind themselves of tests, group meetings, activities, and homework assignments. This is also a nice way for teachers to send out a message about school activities to parents and/or students without having to call 30 or 100 of them. Additionally teachers can send out reminders about assignments, or even give assignments (such as a scavenger hunt, where the teacher calls students phones at random times with facts/items...etc to find and the students can message back when they have found them). CellCasts AbbyMe will allow teachers to record a message by cell phone, and once the messages are record (multiple students can record in the same private account) they can be put in a play list and then all the recordings can be resent at once to cellphones. This would be a great tool for creating CellCasts (cell phone podcasts or radio broadcasts). Students in one could create radio theater, and then send them to "subscribers" such as parents. Students could also use this feature to develop podcast "flash cards" for reviews or brainstorming sessions. A-louds Using the play list feature, students could each record think-a-louds or read-a-louds. In a think-aloud the teacher can ask for students to call in (using the record feature on the teacher's account) to answer an inquiry question from the homework assignment, and piece them together in the play list which can be resent to cell phones for reviews. For a read-a-loud students could record themselves each reading a different portion of a text. Once in the play list, the teacher could
piece it together and send it out as an entire storybook. Feedback This is a nice resource for teachers to give their students feedback on assignments. Since teachers can type in the feedback and have it sent at a specific date/time. They also get a record of their calls, so they will have a nice record of the feedback for all students. (Kolb, 2008) Other Application and Their Educational Benefits 1. MP3 capability. Schools can keep a library of podcasts that students can download onto their phones? Teachers can create podcasts of entire instructional lessons, or, more likely, pieces of lessons for aiding homework assignments, students who were absent or general class discussions. Also, students can create their own podcasts and share with the rest of the class. This can be done in class or at home. 2. Agenda. Schools can set up a means whereby assignment deadlines may be downloaded into or synchronized with students' cell phones. 3. Calculator. For Math and Science problems, obviously. Why not allow the iPhone to replace the scientific calculator in the students’ backpacks? The touch screen allows for calculator functions, is essentially the same size and can do so much more. Imagine graphing a function, watching a video explaining the solution, then posting your answer to the class message board and getting instant feedback. 4. Camera. National Geographic's "Guide to Digital Photography" contains a section entitled "12 ways to use your camera phone". 5. Assessment. In the future, schools can use iPhones for assessing students. See details of the e-viva project, for example.
6. Social networks based on the cell phone like Twitter or Cellphedia could be used, for example to exchange views with students in other countries and to get details of places of interest. 7. Email/ Instant Messaging. Email, Blogs, IMs and message boards are all ways to continue classroom discussion online. The iPhone can handle these tasks where Wifi is available. 8. A number of services are now available whereby parents are alerted if their child hasn't turned up at school. Schools can also send out SMS messages to students, perhaps reminding them of impending examinations, timetable changes, or warnings about safety on their way to school. 9. Uploading PowerPoint on YouTube and iPhones. Students can now watch, listen and study class slides away from a computer with their iPhone. Teachers can post the class slides online so a greater audience can see. Students can take those PPTs they worked so hard on and upload them online so that the world can see. Teachers can begin to use iPhones as a means of teaching students. 10. Audiobooks. Students can listen to MP3 files of novels and/or short stories (any text, really) to augment their understanding of material and class discussion. This can be especially helpful for auditory learners and can be listened to on the go. 11. Video Clips. Video clips can be downloaded to augment discussions. These can be of the instructional variety, as well as student-created elements and even current event news clips. 12. Integrating WiFi for website viewing. Along with wireless communication, the Safari browser on the iPhone can view full websites, not just stripped-down mobile versions.
This can allow students to research topics and access teachers websites (like www.jcavender.com). 13. Calculator function. Why not allow the iPhone to replace the scientific calculator in the students’ backpacks? The touch screen allows for calculator functions, is essentially the same size and can do so much more. Imagine graphing a function, watching a video explaining the solution, then posting your answer to the class message board and getting instant feedback. Conclusion
Like the computers of the past decades, most students have already incorporated the use of cell phones (if not iPhones) in their everyday life. It is only a matter of time (and money) before schools incorporate them as well.
Links and References http://kidstalkradio.pnn.com/articles/show/11385-what-about-iphones-in-the-classroom
http://teachdigital.pbwiki.com/cellphones
http://twitter.com/
http://www.abbyme.com/
http://www.apple.com/iphone/
http://www.cellphedia.com/
http://www.edutechie.com/2007/06/iphone-3-features-that-will-impact-education/
Kolb, Liz. http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/2008/07/abbymemobile-messaging-forstudents-and.html