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Interesting collection of arcticles

John

'We are now entering the mobile age, where phones are carried everywhere...cars are becoming travelling offices, airplane seats are entertainment centres, computer games are handheld ... We now have the opportunity to design learning differently: to create extended learning communities, to link people in real and virtual worlds, to provide expertise on demand, and to support a lifetime of learning' (Sharples, p.2 ). New technologies are enabling change, socially and economically, and education is cautiously embracing these tools for 21st century education. A paper presented at the recent 26th Australian Computers in Education Conference, titled Developing Early Learners' Creativity and Collaboration Using iPads, reports on a case study designed to investigate pedagogies using iPads that develop creative and collaborative skills in young learners. 'How can teachers use iPads to facilitate the development of creativity and collaboration in early learning?' (p. 3) is the focus of this research. The study was conducted in a Year 2 class where one of the authors was the teacher. Six iPads were available in a class of 25 students. Ten learning activities were developed and students in small groups used iPads to complete the assigned tasks. For some activities students worked in pairs. A reflective journal, guided by questions that focussed on creativity and collaboration was maintained by one of the authors. The paper responds to the forces of 21st century education: the surge of mobile computing devices and what have been termed the 21st century skills (critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration). The authors focus discussion on creativity and collaboration from various perspectives including those outlined in the Australian Curriculum documents (ACARA). It is through the review of these sources that the authors adapted and developed checklists to measure creativity and collaboration in their study. Three vignettes are shared by the aut

Saeed

Background information As part of the iPads for Learning trial we selected a range of apps to get teachers and students started using their iPads in school. The apps will be explored to determine their teaching and learning potential and their accessibility in a range of learning environments.