Group items tagged

"One of Android's missions is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Accessibility is the measure of how successfully a product can be used by people with varying abilities. Our mission applies to all users-including people with disabilities such as visual impairment, color deficiency, hearing loss, and limited dexterity."

Defining mobile learning

The start of a conversation about teaching and learning with mobile tools.

I do think of my phone as more of an output device than the tablet or pc. Now It is becoming a bit more of an "input also" device!

"Time-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less According to a recent report from mobile manufacturer Ericsson, studies show that by 2015, 80% of people accessing the Internet will be doing so from mobile devices. Perhaps more important for education, Internetcapable mobile devices will outnumber computers within the next year. In Japan, over 75% of Internet users already use a mobile as their first choice for access. "

This is the web version of the 2011 Horizon report predicting that in One Year or Less, Mobiles will be part of the landscape

Very accessible language that can be used in our discussion of 'transformation" The author pushes us to go beyond drill, practice, and be more mindful ofhow we are using technology.

the author gives us some very accessible language and examples of using technology well. Applied to mobile tools, could this help us add to our definition of transforming language

This iPad Users Guide can be accessed on line here, or you can save it to iBOOKS. You can also go to Safari click on Bookmarks Scroll down to find IPad Users Guide

This iPad Users Guide can be accessed on line here, or you can save it to iBOOKS. You can also go to Safari click on Bookmarks Scroll down to find IPad Users Guide

"Most smartphones and tablet devices have a range of accessibility features built in, such as screen readers and the ability to enlarge the screen, though these vary between devices. Some have functions that are not specifically designed for people with disabilities but may be particularly useful for them - voice search, for example, allows you to say what you want to search for rather than type"

includes a link to a 2 hour audio Global Education Conference via Blackboard Collaborative

This very short and concise article has been in my thinking as I've worked with students especially recently and pulled together other resources on Common Core. Amidst the glut of information and feeding frenzy tendencies, structure and guidance is needed from all of us to be deliberate. As we design instruction, consider learning expectations, select tools and resources and raise the bar for students, "re-impress upon digital natives the importance of thinking in absence of endless - and endlessly accessible - data sources." I urge you to shake up completely the animal, planet or country report. (I doubt that you are doing this cookie-cutter work, but spread the word). If a simple Google search can answer the question, throw out the assignment.

This is a favorite because Evernote is one of my all-time favorite apps. It is so much more than just a place to organize notes. I love that it's accessible from any device. I use the photo, audio, and formatting features quite a bit, and I am only touching the surface of how to get the most out of this app.

Direct quote: "Last year, we rolled out an ereader lending program in my fifth and sixth grade school library, and I plan to share here the ups, downs, and what-to-look-out-fors we encountered along the way. We'll talk planning and implementation of the program-but first, a bit of background. Let's hop into the librarian time machine (fashioned from an old card catalog I found on Etsy) and go back to August 2011…." This article spoke clearly to me with its tongue-in-cheek, soup to nuts look at a librarian's dilemma. Clearly, the votes not in yet and might never be. What to choose, how best to manage??? A very graphic, accessible article about the challenges of selection, purchasing and management of e-readers told from a school librarian's perspective. The author strikes a balance between humor and pragmatism, offering concrete suggestions, research and strategies. 

How can a mobile device support AIM?

Something to consider. How can a mobile device support AIM? How can it be a barrier to AIM?

iOS app for keeping and accessing textbooks. Looks uber useful.

Here is my Podcast about learning to snowboard! My goal is to provide a mobile audio guide that will lead students to learn beginner snowboarding skills. I hope that by leveraging mobile using the Podcast medium students will find this learning very accessible, convenient, and adaptable to their individual learning needs.

Divided as researchers sort out whether readers of tablets or textbooks perform better. As well as hidden costs of mobile devices.

I tried sharing comments using Evernote as an experiment. I don't think it worked, so here is what I had posted there: The Future of Education: Tablets vs. Textbooks BY MARGARET ROCK "Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt tested an interactive, digital version of an Algebra 1 textbook for Apple's iPad in California's Riverside Unified School District. Students who used the iPad version scored 20 percent higher on standardized tests versus students who learned with traditional textbooks." * This is interesting. It's noted later in the article that students who read a more traditional textbook in digital format, without the benefit of the bells and whistles of a book designed to play on the strengths of digital media, did no better than those reading paper books. My thinking on this is that the books that moved beyond just the traditional text and images were more intriguing because they allowed students to interact in more diverse ways with the information. One of the reasons I enjoy reading on my Nook is that it more closely resembles the experience of reading on paper. The advantage over paper is that I can annotate and highlight without damaging the book, plus I like the dictionary feature. Reading a book on a computer is not as rewarding as reading on a good quality reader. The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt folks add much more to the experience through videos, audio links, animations, and links to ancillary information while maintaining the options I mentioned in my Nook experience. It's more engaging because there's more to do and more of the senses are being addressed. "A small but growing number of researchers are uncovering evidence that readers are better able to remember what they read in printed books long-term when compared to materials read via an electronic screen, raising questions about tablets in the classroom." "For example, Kate Garland, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Leicester in England, conducted a study on the effects of e-books

The Future of Education: Tablets vs. Textbooks

A quote from the Op Ed, "This platform of instruction has established an environment where students are stimulated through exciting, interactive lessons that motivate creativity and hands-on learning. Within this environment, the iPad has become each student's personal learning device. This personal learning device has made learning more accessible with apps that help students with visual and hearing challenges and different learning styles connect with the world in new ways."

This article is interesting to me because I believe that access to information cannot be device-specific. Making information or communication reliant on a specific format limits the ability to interact on a truly global platform. Imagine the missed opportunities and conversations that would ensue if iPad owners were able to communicate with only people who have Apple devices. The same holds true for Google and Android, Microsoft, or any other current or emerging platform or system. As I've mentioned in other posts, and will most likely mention again: it's not about the device.