iPhones in the classroom? Are you kidding? No I'm not! Cell phones are often banned in the classroom or banned entirely from schools. Most cell phones today have more computing power than those available to NASA during the Apollo space program, however. In this session we'll explore ways cell phones, including the iPhone but not JUST the iPhone, can be used to help learners access web-based content, remix it, share it, collaborate with others, and create media-rich deliverables for the classroom teacher as well as a global audience. A specific focus on using cell phones as mobile recorders for digital storytelling projects, like the Library of Congress' Veteran Oral History Project, will also be included.
Jeff Johnson on 06 Aug 08Saugus Union School District in Santa Clarita, CA is launching a new program for its fourth-grade students that couples writing and science using ultra-mobile devices and collaborative learning software, among other technologies. According to information supplied to us by the district, the initiative is being funded through a $1.4 million EETT competitive grant the district recently won. The initiative, dubbed "Student Writing Achievement Through Technology Enhanced Collaboration" (SWATTEC), focuses on writing achievement within the science curriculum. EETT funding will provide access to Asus wireless ultra-mobile devices (UMDs) for all 1,700 fourth-grade students in the district, Web-based writing tools, and an online collaborative learning environment. It will also provide teachers with laptops, projectors, printers, interactive pads, mobile carts, and wireless hardware. Teachers are also receiving professional development for the initiative.
