Michelle+Prewitt

"Are Mobile Technologies The Future of Learning?" Michelle Prewitt Missouri Baptist University Differentiating Instruction with Technology EDET 553 - WEB Professor Bass, Instructor June 11, 2013 = =

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"Are Mobile Technologies the Future of Learning?" If you asked me this question a few years ago I would be strongly against students in mobile technologies. Sure, I would think it was alright for college students such as me but not for some of the younger students. However, I think I have slowly started seeing times change (technology) along with how I believe students ability to learn and where they learn change as well.

I used to be a strong believer that everyone, especially younger students, needed some type of interaction with others to be able to “fit” into society. This meant it had to be done in school and they needed to have social skills to properly know how to interact. However, as I entered the school world I quickly realized that was not true. We have numerous families in our Church that home school their children that receive plenty of interaction with others. Reading the article “Point/Counterpoint”: Should We Let Student Opt Out of Face-To-Face Education?” reiterated my point when it stated that students will always have “interactions with family, friends, and the general public.” (Brown, 2012) When students have the social awkwardness and don’t feel welcomed at school sometimes bullying can happen. This is when students start opting out of face-to-face education. There are also students who are not physically challenged enough in a classroom and parents feel they could be challenged more at home in an online environment. There are a variety of reasons students choose to pursue their education online. “Students with physical [|disabilities] may be enticed by the ease of attending from their living room rather than going into a traditional classroom. Students that have an anxiety disorder or agoraphobia, for instance, might have great difficulty in attending public classes. Other disabilities can create a situation in which working from home becomes a much simpler way to gain the same education.” (White-Jullet, 2011)

Since I have been taking strictly online courses and no face-to-face classes I would have to say that I would favor them. I have many reasons but one main reason I like them is because it just works into my schedule. I can do most of the work on my own scheduled time. With this said, there is a lot of socialization and interaction with other students. No, I do not actually “see” them but I do work with them a lot and enjoy hearing what each one has to say. I feel this plays a huge role into socialization and interaction play a part in online classes. I truly feel that this is a huge decision to completely opt out of face-to-face education. This cannot solely be up to the student but has to be a family decision. The family has to make sure the students education is going to be taken care of and that has to be the number one priority. I also believe that the family should do their research and find all the resources prior to making this decision. However, I do feel that the student can benefit and can excel.

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Brown, D., Maltese, R. (August 8, 2012) Point/Counterpoint: Should We Let Students Opt Out of Face-to-Face Education? //ISTE// Retrieved on 6/11/13 from []

White-Jullet. (May 22, 2011) Why Do Students Choose Online Learning? //Examiner.Com// Retrieved on 6/11/13 from []