Mobile

About this time two years ago, while thinking about the growing void of quality mobile apps for education, an idea for a way to help fix that was born:  EdAppCamp. The idea was simple, easy to implement and would spark interest in a problem that needed attention. And the perfect domain name was registered: edappcamp.org/net/me/com/mobi (we thought it was going to be big, right?). Unfortunately, with only 24 hours in a day competing with other priorities, the idea slowly fell by the wayside… until today. 

Before the domains expire and get auto-registered from some remote corner in cyberspace, we’d like to transfer them (for free!) to an organization ready to carry the idea forward.  Read more...

At a recent conference, my suspicions were confirmed: no one else really has a clue to what the future of mobile learning looks like. The solution is getting more ideas out on the tablet.Read more...

In this age of budget cuts and shortfalls, many schools are exploring Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs. At first glance, it seems like a great solution to a problem, a way to implement one-to-one computing without the expense of buying computers for every student. While many educators are enthusiastic about BYOD, others object to such initiatives, citing both practical problems and philosophical disagreements.

The main reason for allowing students to bring their own devices, usually smartphones and tablets, rather than laptops, is to provide students with the benefits of being able to use technology for educational purposes both inside and outside of school. According to BYOD advocates, such a program provides students with ready access to computing devices, puts students at the center of the learning process, and encourages collaboration.Read more...

On March 20, 2012, I attended the Instructional Technology Strategies Conference in Portland. I had a great time and learned a lot, so I thought I’d share some random thoughts about the conference and my experiences.

Paperless Conference
I’m probably behind the times, but this was the first paper-free conference I have attended. Everyone was supposed to bring a connected device. It was strange, but liberating. No fumbling through folders to find the agenda. No not getting around to filing notes or handouts until they eventually get thrown out. Links and notes are stored on the device, along with any presentations, so I can find them later. Carrying around a computer is much less cumbersome than the folders, notebooks, or God forbid, those big bags full of stuff you get at some conferences. I loved it.Read more...

By now, you’ve probably seen quick response (QR) codes appearing just about everywhere. These high-contrast two-dimensional barcode graphics were appropriated from obscurity to convey information, mostly as a URL, about an object displaying the QR code. While it’s enjoyed widespread popularity in Japan and Europe for the last six years, it’s only recently become mainstream here in the mobile technology backwaters (better known as the United States). Unfortunately, not everyone realizes how QR codes are best used.Read more...

Over twenty years ago, Apple released a concept video to illustrate a vision about computers in the future. The video, simply titled Knowledge Navigator, anticipated wireless networks, steaming video, the World Wide Web and truly portable netbook style computing. To this day, no company has succeeded in achieving that vision. Maybe after 23 years Apple would introduce a product that does. With the launch of the iPad yesterday, we might be waiting a little bit longer.Read more...

The Pew Internet and American Life Project is a great resource for current research about the role that technology plays in our daily lives. In November, 2009, they released the findings from a new study, Social Isolation and New Technology, on mobile phones, the internet, and Americans’ social networks. This research contradicts a 2006 study claiming that these kinds of technology were making people more isolated. (Unfortunately, all the links I found to this original study seem to be broken, so it must not be available any more.)Read more...