Lori+Horner

Are Mobile Technologies the Future of Learning? Lori Horner EDET 553 Summer 2013

  My name is Lori Horner and I am an elementary technology integration specialist at a rural school in Missouri. I have been in education for 17 years and have seen remarkable growth and expansion in the area of mobile technologies in and out of school settings. I do believe mobile technologies are the future of learning. In fact, we are experiencing those transformations today in education.  I think it is best to first consider the growth and innovation within the mobile phone industry as it celebrates its 40th year this year. The devices and service plans that we use today are a reflection of our needs and the purposes they serve. A presentation by PC MAG (PC Magazine, 2013) suggests that people are talking less and using internet and data services more. Mobile phones have raised internet access dramatically over the last few years. Information seekers have become mobile and have good delivery methods that are relevant to their needs and interests. Many applications even offer location based services through GPS that personalize searches to specific areas and information relevant to the users unique needs (2013).  In education “bring your own device” policies are on the rise and using mobile devices in the classroom are more common place than ever before (Cavanagh, 2013). By providing WiFi, these policies allow students access while filtering the financial responsibilities of supplying devices away from the districts. Cloud computing also offers districts a way to outsource tech infrastructures allowing for information sharing and access from a device at any location. Although open content sources like Blackboard are more widely used in higher education, more free and open sources are becoming available and being integrated into elementary and secondary classroom use (Cavanagh, 2013). These sources not only provide access to classroom materials from anywhere, but they also create home to school connections. Virtual laboratories allow students access to valuable learning tools that are quite costly for districts and interactive mobile apps that broaden the educational spectrum of field trips allow students to learn and share information from anywhere (Sparks, 2013).  These innovations are not going unnoticed by school districts across the nation. Many districts are employing the expertise of technology specialists to help teachers and students integrate the use of technology into the curriculum. Technology innovators are creating and improving the educational value of internet access by developing programs that allow users to interact with the world around them creating learning environments anywhere from a device (Sparks, 2013). This is a transformation from entertainment to learning.  Mobile learning is happening today and the rise of accessibility and transformation to a learning environment is a testament to its future and ours.

= = =  Bibliography = Cavanagh, Sean (June 13, 2013). Educational Technology Trends to Watch. Retrieved June 13, 2013, from [] PCMagazine Reviews (February 8, 2013). // The Future of Mobile Technologies //. Retrieved June 10,2013, from [] Sparks, S. (2013). Mobile Apps Make Field Trips More Interactive. // Education Week //, 32(31), 7. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from []