Lecture 10 – WebMeetsWorld

My approach to answering the questions suggested in the unit outline has been to go to the internet and either engage with it in a web1.0 sort of way or using web2.0 methodology.

So if you put m-learning in your search engine the following site comes up and it is a very good site in my opinion : http://www.m-learning.org/

It is well laid out, intelligent and thought provoking. I have chosen to download the video because the creators of “tribal” expand upon the uses of m-learning in an enthusiastic and succinct manner It is 10 minutes long but it acts as a very solid revision lesson of what Mark has already told us.

I enjoyed the fact that the presenters acknowledge “buzz" words of which one is different learning styles and as they point out m-learning can accommodate different learning styles. I think they are right.

What about the story of the teacher acknowledging her ignorance and her students helped her to learn? That is so me. I cannot wait to get one of those fancy phones.

However I was a little confused as I could not quite get a grip of what a pda is? A little more surfing through the site (as an aside I feel that the expression surfing the net maybe old fashioned and demonstrates I am digital immigrant) produced an answer!

Personal digital assistant (PDA)
A small handheld computer, typically providing a calendar, contacts address list, calculator and note-taking applications. It may also include other applications, such as a web browser and a media player. Small keyboards and pen-based input systems are most commonly used to input data.

(http://www.m-learning.org/knowledge-centre/glossaryaccessed 27 May 2011)

A problem we face is the inequity of the education system. Who will provide the pdas? What will be the cost of providing each student with a pda? How do we support this technology? Do they get given out as freebies or is there going to have to be a financial input from the learner so that they take ownership of the device and look after it etc. etc.? This becomes so boring and detracts from the pedagogy! Life does that - the mundane marches into the stimulus!

As I was unable to go to the school which has every latest gizmo - I wonder did they use this technology?

From my point of view I cannot wait for these little devices to be marching into the classroom. I think I prefer them to the huge White Board which will be staring down at me day in day out!