Cathie: Along with 200 educators, purveyors of educational materials and telco personnel, we attended the first ever conference devoted to the use of cellphone computers in K12 – Mobile Learning ‘09 http://www.mobilelearning09.org, in our nation’s capital.
Elliot: And the article http://tinyurl.com/by7dl7; published the day before MLC’09 started, in the New York Times, at the very top of the front page of the Business Section, was scurrilous!
Cathie: Wait a minute, first the good news. While there are schools and districts that ban cellphone computers from even showing up in school (and some states are trying to ban them see http://blogs.districtadministration.com/techdisruptions/), this conference seriously explored how cellphone computers could be used effectively to educate today’s mobile generation. Yes, schools will continue to use laptops and mini-laptops, but if there is any technology that will bridge the digital divide it is mobile technology.
Elliot: It is inevitable - as cellphone computers become more functional, they will play an increasingly important role as the technology of choice in K12. Adults brought laptops into school – with mixed results. But now the kids are bringing their technology into schools.
Cathie: I wonder – do our readers see the use of cellphones in K12 as “inevitable”?
Elliot: Before digging much deeper into the pedagogical, financial, etc. issues discussed at MLC’09 we need to trumpet loud and clear the recognition of a good colleague.
Cathie: For creating and running Wolverhampton’s Learning2Go Project, http://www.learning2go.org the largest mobile, handheld effort in the UK for the past 4 years, David Whyley was honored by MLC’09 as the first recipient of the “Mobile Learning Impact Award.” Congratulations, Dave!
Elliot: Way to go, Dave! I look forward to seeing a school district on this side of the pond be recognized next year. The gauntlet has been dropped… who will step up – to mix a metaphor.
Cathie: For a summary of the issues raised at MLC’09, we refer you to an eSchool News article http://tinyurl.com/byam4s
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