Jennifer+Parsonage

//** Mobile Technology, The Future of Education **// By: Jennifer Parsonage

Everyday, mobile technology is becoming more and more evident in our school systems. Technology is an essential part of education and is changing the way learning is happening in our schools. There is no way we can avoid mobile learning; technology is constantly changing and integrating itself into the classrooms, making learning more independent for all students. Because of this, we need to accept the use of mobile technology and learn how to use it to it’s fullest potential to make education more positive and rewarding for students.

Mobile technology in education is a wonderful way to individualize education in our country. Students today are very different than students 10-20 years ago, especially 100 years ago. Our students learn best from being taught in many different ways, and teachers need to be able to support their students by personalizing their teaching for all students. With the use of cell phones, laptops, and iPads, students today are used to having everything they need right in front of them. Dr. Purdy mentions in his article, //Inside Mobile: K-12 Education Needs Mobile Technology//, “The lack of personalization” is a key reason that our educational system is not producing “high-quality products (students).” (Purdy, p. 1) With everything that today’s technology has to offer, educators have a huge change at individualizing and differentiating learning for students. Purdy states, “ The most effective way to improve K-12 education outcomes is to personalize the experience. In order to personalize the experience, you have to move from print to digital. But once you move from print to digital, you need to develop personalized processes instead of assembly line 'spoon-feeding' of lessons.” (Purdy, p. 2) Learning with mobile devices will be more student-centered and interactive. By using a device such as the iPad or other tablet, teachers can provide 1:1 practice. Students can interact with texts, web content, and each other in ways they haven’t been able to in the classroom before. Teachers are able to create hands on learning and other experiences where students can collaborate on projects, participate in assessments with immediate results, and create digital tools to further their own education.

In order for our students to succeed, our country needs to have mobile technology accessible in all schools. Technology is constantly changing, growing, and becoming more advanced. Our teachers need to stay up to date with the latest resources and Web 2.0 tools so they can incorporate them into their classrooms and personalize instruction for their students. As we migrate into the 22nd century, we should see the change in our school systems toward personalized education through the use of mobile technology.

//Jennifer Parsonage is a Kindergarten teacher in the St. Louis, Missouri area. She has been a teacher for 4 years and is currently working on her Master's degree in Educational Technology through Missouri Baptist University.//

__**References:**__


 * Purdy, J. G. (2010, January 01). //Inside mobile: K-12 education needs mobile technology//. Retrieved from [] **