No, and yes. At least from my shallow point of view. Students can be engaged easily through intelligent use of their mobile devices. Their capabilities are ever increasing as is their adoption. There are, however, a few huge holes in the logic. I can't imagine students typing a 4 page paper on a smart phone (yet). I can't imagine decent photo or video editing on a 3-4" screen... ever. Basic editing sure, but nothing presentation quality. This is why some schools are flocking to the iPad and testing other tablets. Not that I think those current programs will be successful at the moment either (for reasons that I'd be happy to qualify). At least tablet technologies attempt to address some of those more complex issues.
The real challenge is how do we teach with mobile devices. How to standardize software. What to expect from them realistically enough to be able to author curriculum that can utilize the devices. All these different smart phones have different capacities and capabilities. We can't distribute software to any of them, and even when that tech exists it may be difficult to find universal applications for the 20 different types of devices in your class. I think Bruce is making great inroads here by utilizing the functions of smartphone features that are somewhat universal (i.e. cameras, texting, quick note taking, bar code readers, etc.) Right now that's the level the bar's set at.
Disappointingly the interviewer and interviewee seem to be stating the obvious, and filling the rest with market speak like "Cloud computing" as if that explained or defined anything. Terms like that encompasses so many different ideas that it's a totally pointless distinction and hence, generally only used in marketing. To state that if you were to "Turn off texting, and turn off voice functions--the smart phone is now truly a computer" is both naive and misleading. Worse is the statement: "You can do everything on a smart phone that you can do on a laptop, except maybe for high school geometry and except for a few scientific visualizations. But for 90 percent of what a student has to do, the smart phone can do it". This may be true for some public schools that only let students surf the internet for 20 min a day in computer lab. This is far far from where any modern school stands in technology use and adoption.
The question posed in the title "Will smartphones eliminate the digital divide". In short, they already have... at least as far as the intended subject (the students) . The term "Digital Divide" is also used to the denote the imbalance both in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to effectively use those technologies. I fear that most schools and/or their faculty fall into this alternate definition.
Chris - thanks for the information. I had many of the same thoughts. Seems like a lot of sweeping generalizations were made don't hold up under scrutiny. Wish we had a forum to counter this article.
started by Peter Hess on 02 Feb 11
http://thejournal.com/Articles/2011/02/01/Will-Smart-Phones-Eliminate-the-Digital-Divide.aspx?Page=1
The real challenge is how do we teach with mobile devices. How to standardize software. What to expect from them realistically enough to be able to author curriculum that can utilize the devices. All these different smart phones have different capacities and capabilities. We can't distribute software to any of them, and even when that tech exists it may be difficult to find universal applications for the 20 different types of devices in your class. I think Bruce is making great inroads here by utilizing the functions of smartphone features that are somewhat universal (i.e. cameras, texting, quick note taking, bar code readers, etc.) Right now that's the level the bar's set at.
Disappointingly the interviewer and interviewee seem to be stating the obvious, and filling the rest with market speak like "Cloud computing" as if that explained or defined anything. Terms like that encompasses so many different ideas that it's a totally pointless distinction and hence, generally only used in marketing. To state that if you were to "Turn off texting, and turn off voice functions--the smart phone is now truly a computer" is both naive and misleading. Worse is the statement: "You can do everything on a smart phone that you can do on a laptop, except maybe for high school geometry and except for a few scientific visualizations. But for 90 percent of what a student has to do, the smart phone can do it". This may be true for some public schools that only let students surf the internet for 20 min a day in computer lab. This is far far from where any modern school stands in technology use and adoption.
The question posed in the title "Will smartphones eliminate the digital divide". In short, they already have... at least as far as the intended subject (the students) . The term "Digital Divide" is also used to the denote the imbalance both in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to effectively use those technologies. I fear that most schools and/or their faculty fall into this alternate definition.