The researchers expect that due to this expansion in data consumption, capacity will be ‘exceeded’ only next year, and a deficit may emerge in the following.

A phone is considered a portable computing, gaming and social device rather than simply a means to place a call or send a quick message — and the younger generation are increasingly reliant on being able to access information quickly.

In the classroom, QR codes can be used in a variety of ways — from conducting treasure hunts to creating modern CVs. Below is a number of articles, tutorials and lesson plans designed to help educators.

Quick response codes, also known as ‘QR’ codes, are simple, scannable images that are a form of barcode. By scanning a QR code image through a mobile device, information can be accessed including text, links, bookmarks and email addresses.

The American education system, however, must proceed with great caution that this trend does not lead to a new digital divide and greater inequity among students accessing a good education.

South Korea has pledged that all elementary and secondary schools will be completely digital by the year 2015. The ministry of education will ensure that every student has access to a mobile device, a strong connection to the Internet, and a cloud-computing network dedicated to education.

School systems around the world are watching Korea, not just for its high-achievement rates, but also to see if it succeeds in being the first country to go entirely digital.

For teachers, some of which are just beginning to use tablets and mobile devices in class, these resources can be invaluable in promoting more interactive classrooms and understanding how best to use and control such products.

Gesture-based technology is on the rise; according to the latest NMC Horizon Report, gesture-based technological models will become more readily integrated as a method of learning within the next few years.

With more than 100,000 downloads and over 20,000 active customers, YogiPlay was developed to address the growing frustration by parents who are struggling to find the right, high-quality learning apps for their kids.

Every app in the YogiPlay network is carefully evaluated for age-appropriateness, educational value and, most importantly, fun.

The papers are part of UNESCO’s larger Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning, which scans the globe to provide concrete examples of how mobile technologies, thanks largely to their ubiquity and affordability, can respond to unique educational challenges, supplement and enrich formal schooling, and make learning everywhere more accessible, equitable and personalized.

“Mobile technology is enabling schools to truly reshape and rethink today’s and tomorrow’s K-12 classrooms. The more leaders and educators embed mobile learning into their districts, the more we’ll see an educational transformation that goes beyond our school walls, helping to maximize the potential of all students in the 21st century,” said CoSN CEO Keith Krueger

have students engage in one or both of the following exercises:

Ask students: How are cellphones used, and how can they be used, in our society today?

Engage students in a discussion about your school’s cellphone rules. Ask: What are the rules? What is the reason or philosophy behind them? How do they see students using cellphones in school? If cellphones are banned, how would they like to use cellphones in school? How are the rules enforced?

“The advantages of digital media now greatly outweigh the disadvantages and require that schools update their thinking and policies to provide guidance on the use of these tools to improve student learning and achievement,” the paper says.

“Digital responsibility is big.” Rankin said. “We’re teaching students how to operate in this new world. We wanted to change the wording in our guidelines because we don’t want students to accept them; we want students to be responsible for them.”

“The depth of thought and level of discourse gets much deeper when you add an online environment,” Wells said. The teacher can present information in class, and then the students are free to explore it online – they can look at other students’ work, or check out videos on YouTube. Time constraints are no longer a factor, the process becomes more individualized, and school becomes more relevant, Wells said.