Unconnected Classroom

In this piece he makes some observations about mobile learning in the so-called developing world. Traxler questions whether the dichotomy between 'developed' and 'developing', usually the basis for such thinking, is helpful, and whether mobile phone technologies reinforce, replicate, reduce or merely confuse 'digital divides' between the 'developing' and 'developed'.

Villagers in the rural areas of Uganda that have no direct access to telecommunications have relied on village phone operators for their communications needs. Bringing information and communication technology (ICT) to rural and isolated communities in Uganda has been made possible through an MTN and Grameen Foundation project established in 2003. This project facilitates the purchase of specialised mobile phones by rural entrepreneurs through microfinance loans to enable them to serve as village phone operators in areas with no telecommunication infrastructure. The Grameen Foundation acts as a facilitator between the telecom and microfinance sectors. To date, close to 7,000 new village phone operators have set up business in Uganda.

Pedagogy should not even be a consideration during the planning stages of technology use. Harsh statement? Perhaps, but it's a reality. Few Utopian situations exist where our decisions on how to teach can be based exclusively on pedagogy. Resources, expertise, technology, needs (of learners, educators, society), and funds impact what we choose to do. In a world: context. The mix of multiple, mutually influencing factors determine what we types of technology we select.

Unions keep saying the best people won't go into teaching unless we pay them what doctors and lawyers and CEOs make. Not only are Teach for America salaries significantly lower than what J.P. Morgan might offer, but these individuals go to some very rough classrooms. What's going on? It seems that Teach for America offers smart young people something even better than money - the chance to avoid the vast education bureaucracy. Participants need only pass academic muster and attend the summer training before entering a classroom. If they took the traditional route into teaching, they would have to endure years of "education" courses to be certified. The American Federation of Teachers commonly derides Teach for America as a "band-aid." One of its arguments is that the program only lasts two years, barely enough time, they say, to get a handle on managing a classroom. However, it turns out that two-thirds of its grads stay in the education field, sometimes as teachers, but also as principals or policy makers.

Junior high school teacher Motoko Okubo has used the handheld DS and textbook software since May in weekly sessions focusing on vocabulary, penmanship and audio comprehension. With years of games such as Super Mario on the prohibited list, she says students weren't expecting the Nintendo welcome. "They've been using it at home playing games, so at first they were surprised they can use it at school," Okubo said. Still early in a one-year free trial period, vice principal Junko Tatsumi says results so far have been encouraging in Japan's long struggle with English language education.

I love the idea of using new and fun technologies in the classroom. However, it needs to be balanced with real teaching, and a human touch. I think the best thing teachers can do with technologies such as Nintendo DS is use them to get students using English outside of the classroom. If all the kids have a Nintendo, and enjoy using the technology, what better way could there be to get them studying at home? One of the great dangers presented by technology in the classroom is for teachers to rely on the software to be the teacher. Japanese education is way too textbook reliant as it is. Now the teacher can stand at the front of class and say, do Level 2 and I'll give you a sticker.

"We are moving toward modeling our schools after today's workplaces," Baker said, "where technology is handled in a digital manner. Computers are one of the main tools. But too often there is too much focus on the tool rather than the purpose. It's about giving teachers the tools they need to become better educators."

The (lack of) implementation plan is only part of the OLPC hubris on this project. Underlying that is the more insidious educational theory level of the program. Teacher-centric approach While this philosophy is essential to the mission of OLPC, it's also a source of tension. Current educational leaders in Peru embrace Constructionism, but most countries base their education systems on the idea that teachers pass their knowledge to receptive students. That was a problem for OLPC in China as well as India. India's education department, for instance, calls the idea of giving each child a laptop "pedagogically suspect," and, when asked about it recently, Education Secretary Arun Kumar Rath barked: "Our primary-school children need reading and writing habits, not expensive laptops."