Mobile Phones, Mobile Minds

Here I suggested that we can memorise something by using a mobile phone such an outline of the course at school, or suddenly we have a critical situation that can happen at school in an emergency situation. In that case a mobile phone can be used as a tangible evidence.
All of the good intentions can turn to bad according to the aim of using this sophisticated tools.

Phones can be a indicator of wealth and can lead to bullying in school if they are endorsed.
When they become more standard every studnet could have access to; 1) A personal audio recorder (2) A personal video recorder (3) A internet platform (4) A Camera This could help schools with budget constraints. But even then there are clear security and privacy concern. Just search Youtube to get the overtext!

History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon. - Napoleon Bonaparte www.historyontv.co.uk

Calculators were forbidden . Even watches with alarm devices had to be kept out of school.
Now, pupils must use calculators with graphic functions.
Phones will remain with us for a long time. Its better if we think how they will be a useful tool for learning.
DPauni. Argentina

Having had a secondment last year to investigate the potential of handheld learning devices and their impact on teaching and learning I think the programme was a poor and unbalanced representation of the wide range of educational uses of these devices. Why just show their use as camera's and recording devices? Yes they can be used for that but thats very limited. They are mini computers capable
of running a whole range of microsoft and other subject applications, with access to the internet + +. A computer in the pocket ! Any time, any place potential for 24/7 learning.
Come on Teachers TV, schools and their Leaders need more inspiration and leadership from you than this.

This programme seemed to be more about taking photographs than about phones as such and in many examples the pupils might as well have brought in their digital cameras.
All the benefits seemed to be related to this feature only- apart from parents buying mobiles to know where their kids are at any one time, which is not really relevant to mobiles in schools. I did not see much in the way of activities in schools that were really and specifically educational. Are there any?

Pity they didn't show a single example of TELEPHONY being used positively in a school.
PDAs, with cameras, yes - but nothing that relied on the PHONE!
Seems that the producers forgot their title.

C21st century technology and ways of working - so many of the teachers on the video have a C19th century proto-luddite approach. The mobile device, phone is such a reductionist term, is an amazing piece of kit that allows a pupil-computer ration of 1:1 - carpe diem people!

Paul Hopkins
www.mmiweb.org.uk