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FEW WOULD ARGUE THAT TODAY'S STUDENTS ARE NOT THE SAME AS students five or 10 years ago. Access to information via the Internet has changed everything. Today's students often go online initially and only later consult the teacher or the textbook.1 Google, YouTube and the Internet continue to change the way we perceive, interact with and find new information. One of my students recently mentioned that he had "learned more from Trivia Crack2 this semester than any class or book." I smiled when I heard him say that; not because he had learned more from his phone than his classes, but because I've learned a lot from Trivia Crack this semester, as well.
As the learning experiences and preferences of today's students change, learning is occurring more and more outside traditional classroom settings. This learning is happening most often via mobile devices (smart phones, PDAs, tablets or e-readers). Ownership of mobile devices has more than tripled since 2006, and the trend is expected to continue.3 This means that many (in some places a majority) of today's students carry more computing power in their pockets than their parents ever had access to.
Benefits and Classroom Application
Understandably, the prospect of allowing and including mobile devices in K 12 classrooms may be a scary idea. The potential for distraction is enough to keep many teachers from even considering the idea. However, as I have incorporated mobile devices in my own classroom, I have found the following benefits:
Improved Access to Information
Allowing students to use their mobile devices as part of classroom discussions, assignments and lessons can expand and improve their knowledge. In my classroom we had a debate on Internet privacy where students were encouraged to use mobile devices to access information. Videos, charts and legislation were all referenced during the debate despite little preparation time beforehand.
Increased Collaboration
Whether it's through apps (Snapchat, Vine, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) or through traditional methods (e-mail, message or phone call), mobile...