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If you feel inundated with a massive amount of information you are storing on your personal computer or notebook, such as photos, videos, music files, ebooks, PDFs, your electronic documents, and are looking for ways to securely organize and protect this information, you are reading the right article.
You will find here three major reasons why installing a simple home network storage device is a much better solution than buying just another hard disk to store and organize your data.
When you are done reading, you should be better prepared when the time comes to buy an additional data storage device for your home.
The three reasons for installing home network storage devices instead of just another hard disk attached to your laptop or desktop, are: Data access from anywhere, Access anytime, and a Separate secure storage for backups. Let's look at all three in more detail.
Data access anytime
When your new hard disk is attached to your laptop or your desktop, that hard disk becomes inaccessible as soon as you shut down your laptop or desktop. And when you travel, or work outside your home, that can happen quite often with a laptop. When, however, you have a networked storage device, that device stays on and attached to the network. So it can be accessed anytime as the network in your home will be on at all times. The energy consumption is not an issue as home network storage devices can consume as little as 20 Watt. Such devices can even be put to sleep automatically when idle and can be awaken as soon as a data request is received on the network.
Data access from anywhere
A huge number of homes today have internet, or LAN, local area networks already installed. Your existing network will be a route to your home network storage device. So it will be a simple matter to connect each computer on the network to your home network storage device.
But you can do more. Using a secure connection from the internet, you can decide to have your files stored on your house network device, available on your laptop or netbook when you travel. Also, you can stream your music and videos over a wireless broadband connection to your smart phone or iPhone. You can make your home network storage device a central information repository and information service to anywhere you have a connection to the internet.
Secure network backups
Backup is a safety procedure that many of us know we should practice but many of us don't practice regularly. The reasons are many. One of them is the possible complexity and possible backup failure when a device we backup to becomes unavailable. This becomes quite a non issue with an always-there, accessible-from-anywhere home network storage device. One big reason for backup frustration due to failures is removed. You can setup backups easily, in a "set it and forget it" fashion and you will have peace of mind that as long as your home network storage is operational, all your computers will be backed up safely.
For more information on the various options for your home network storage devices and their manufacturers, please see the website http://homenetworkstorage.org.
The evening news screams scary headlines ("Pedophilia!", "Cyber-bullying!") that make it seem as if mobile devices in the hands of children are more dangerous than handguns. As a parent myself, I obviously agree that every parent needs to safeguard their child's mobile computing experience. However, mobile devices can be the key to learning and dare I even say it...success.
The question is not IF your child should use a mobile device in school, but HOW to do it safely. As mobile devices like iOS devices (like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc); Android (the Barnes & Noble Nook, a variety of tablets and cell phones) or other platform (such as Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry, Nokia, etc.) make their way into classrooms, students, parents, teachers and administrators need to implement best practices that increase learning without compromising safety.
In the United States, many schools are seeing six-year-olds with cell phones. The average UK kid gets their first cell phone at eight. Children's access to mobile devices is staggering, as you can see from the "Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile!" survey. For instance, among middle school (6th-8th grade) students:
• 59 percent have a cell phone
• 24 percent have an Internet-enabled Smartphone
• 53 percent have a personal laptop or tablet
A generation of students is growing up with a different level of access to information at their collective fingertips.
Mobile Education 101
Mobile learning, aka m-learning, is one of education's fastest growing trends (starting in kindergarten and going all the way through university, as well as professional learning environments). Properly used, these devices are effective educational tools.
Benefits of mobile learning include:
Individualized Instructions and Learning: With automatic personalization, all learning styles are engaged so there is no "one size fits all" program. Most programs adapt to the individual learner's strengths, allowing the learner to work through their weak spots in the privacy of their handheld. If a student has problems grasping a concept, they can do additional work on their device whenever they choose.
Learning is seen as fun: Subjects like algebra are more palatable when placed in a game format and students can relate the relevancy of real world experiences.
Collaborative and Interactive: Mobile learning tends to increase communication between peers and instructors. Young people communicate differently based on today's technology. Teaching on their terms helps this information sink in faster.
Discipline issues nearly vanish: Discipline issues went down by 90% after the Rowan-Salisbury School Systems implemented a mobile learning project according to Phil Hardin, Executive Director of Technology. This is because students were more engaged on learning activities on the school bus and had less time to play pranks or bother other students.
Class attendance and participation: There is no need to cancel class due to bad weather, or fall behind as a result of extended absences if mobile devices are set up with online content filtering technology to protect the content they view when they are not in the classroom. Students can attend class and submit homework from any location with devices that have a two-camera system that allows collaboration and participation. This has particular relevance for disadvantaged and special needs students.
Saves schools money: Cash strapped school districts are also attracted to mobile learning technology as a way to save money over the long term. The iSchool Initiative estimates each $150 iPod touch would save at least $600 per student per year.
Inexpensive lessons and materials: E-books for e-readers and other online educational tools like mobile apps are less expensive to produce than traditional textbooks and will save money. Some online materials such as Open Text book are free. Amazon recently introduced a new ad-supported e-ink Kindle at a reduced rate (less than half of a comparable tablet). Whether schools will allow ad-supported technology in the classroom remains to be seen. E-books shouldn't be seen as a separate device like an e-reader, but as a free application that exists on almost every platform. The e-book learning experience can be enjoyed anywhere for free. Today a student can read a free textbook on her school PC, continue reading on her BlackBerry smartphone during the bus ride home and then open the reading app on her iPad to the exact point where she stopped reading on her phone. Any notes she made on any platform would be saved automatically. This content and extra portability costs the student and the school nothing.
Given these pluses, instead of confiscating handhelds, today's teachers want more of them in the classroom. According to a great report The New 3 Es of Education: Enabled, Engaged, Empowered How Today's Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning, "Teachers highly value the ability of the devices to increase student engagement in learning (77 percent), to facilitate improved communications between teachers, parents and students (64 percent) and to access online textbooks anytime, anywhere (64 percent). Administrators note the same benefits but with stronger validation of the student engagement component (84 percent) and adding in the idea that the devices can extend learning beyond the school day (66 percent) or create opportunities for more personalized learning experiences (64 percent)."
When mobile devices are introduced, studies show that students become more excited about learning and teachers become more enthusiastic about teaching. The benefits are showing in higher test scores, decreases in disciplinary actions and increases in attendance. Some school programs are beginning to require an iPod touch. (A few schools will even standardize over to the iPod touch's big brother, the larger and more expensive iPad.)
But don't think m-learning is an expensive way of throwing new money at an old problem. In the developing world, m-learning is seen as the best and cheapest approach to leapfrogging into the 21st century. M-learning has the benefit of a cheap display technology that the student probably already has. (The majority of the world accesses the Internet through a mobile device instead of a desktop PC.) Most of the infrastructure isn't in the school but in the cloud, which means that an m-learning program's back office hardware costs are negligible.
What Parents and Educators Can do to Support Mobile Learning
Mobile learning must enjoy the same investment in time from parents and teachers that other classroom activities do. Technology does not run itself, it needs management. Collaboration is key for all aspects of mobile learning, including child safety, content filtering and safeguarding against the Internet's unsavory elements. Adults need continuing education. Events like the Global Education Conference help support mobile learning from a place of knowledge and understanding.
Last November, the first Global Education Conference was held entirely online (which seems appropriate!). It operated as a platform for discussion on mobile learning practices and showed how technology can enable learning anywhere and everywhere. Engaging presenters ranged from seasoned educators to technology experts. "Mobile Learning Using the iPod touch - In Hindsight was a unique discussion that I moderated. As a mobile Internet safety expert, parent and CEO and co-founder of a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks, I love being part of the mobile education conversation. This informative discussion joined educators with educational technology experts to discuss ways in which learning can be encouraged in the mobile age. Also covered were acceptable use policies, security and deployment management, as well as anecdotal student benefits. Panelists discussed how these programs evolved from concept to reality and how a leading online content filtering service helped reach and exceed goals.
The Future
The future of "mobile" learning means moving into a more virtual educational environment.
More government dollars will be granted for pilot projects such as Learning On-The-Go 2011 Wireless Pilot Projects (partially funded by the FCC). Corporate and business expenditures for mobile learning products and services in the US alone are expected to reach over $246.9 million in 2011. As mobile learning continues to grow, school districts will see more regulation, oversight and safety mandates that, if not met, could result in restricted funding. Clear Child Internet Safety Guidelines will need to be established and safe browser technology implemented to make sure investments in education continue to flow.
Clearly, more money needs to be spent on research and development of mobile technology as statistics report glowing successes in current school programs. An ongoing open dialogue with all parties including educators, technology experts, parents, business leaders and politicians must recognize the importance of mobile learning and support it.
Whatever modality is used for teaching, whether a book or a touch screen, the principles and discipline of learning remain the same - parents and teachers stand at the podium of a child's education. Mobile learning blends traditional pedagogy with technology to reach every child. Implementing proper web filtering tools will put them on the fast track to success.
If you want to start your own M-learning program, check out these resources:
To get the latest examples of mobile learning best practices, visit UW-Stout Mobile Learning website.
Tony Vincent's fantastic web site Learning in Hand is an educator's resources for mobile learning. It was started in 2002 as part of Tony Vincent's classroom website. At first focusing on Palm handhelds, Learning in Hand now covers podcasting, iPods, iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, and netbooks. He takes his 15 years of teaching experience and shows educators (and parents) how to use handhelds to educate with easy to follow examples.
Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile! by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow.
The Consortium for School Networking has a very well thought out m-learning guidelines in their Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 & Mobile Era
Mobile Learning Experience 2011
Learning2Go: Great approach for teachers on how to finance and implement an m-learning program.
Upside Learning website has produced a great slide show on mobile learning.
To see how such a program would work, check out ProjectKnect which helped North Carolina's at risk students learn math and more via their mobile phones. You should also check out their instructive blog.
About the Author
Suren Ramasubbu is a mobile Internet safety expert and CEO of Mobicip.com, the leading Internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Mobicip has won Parent Choice awards and is used by schools all over the country to filter out dangerous and inappropriate content. Besides Mobicip, there are a number of child-safe iPod browsers on the market.
Suren Ramasubbu is a co-founder of Mobicip.com, a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks. Mobicip's mission is to provide a safe, secure and educational Internet experience for school-age children. Mobicip's dynamic content filtering technology helps parents protect their children in the new era of Internet hazards stemming from anytime anywhere access on personal devices. Suren is a passionate advocate of mobile learning and Internet safety, and speaks or hosts panels at conferences and seminars on these topics for parents and educators. He has also served as a consultant for educational technology projects in K-12 schools and school districts. As an active member of the community, Suren has led successful United Way volunteering and fundraising campaigns. He holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
The evening news screams scary headlines ("Pedophilia!", "Cyber-bullying!") that make it seem as if mobile devices in the hands of children are more dangerous than handguns. As a parent myself, I obviously agree that every parent needs to safeguard their child's mobile computing experience. However, mobile devices can be the key to learning and dare I even say it...success.
The question is not IF your child should use a mobile device in school, but HOW to do it safely. As mobile devices like iOS devices (like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc); Android (the Barnes & Noble Nook, a variety of tablets and cell phones) or other platform (such as Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry, Nokia, etc.) make their way into classrooms, students, parents, teachers and administrators need to implement best practices that increase learning without compromising safety.
In the United States, many schools are seeing six-year-olds with cell phones. The average UK kid gets their first cell phone at eight. Children's access to mobile devices is staggering, as you can see from the "Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile!" survey. For instance, among middle school (6th-8th grade) students:
• 59 percent have a cell phone
• 24 percent have an Internet-enabled Smartphone
• 53 percent have a personal laptop or tablet
A generation of students is growing up with a different level of access to information at their collective fingertips.
Mobile Education 101
Mobile learning, aka m-learning, is one of education's fastest growing trends (starting in kindergarten and going all the way through university, as well as professional learning environments). Properly used, these devices are effective educational tools.
Benefits of mobile learning include:
Individualized Instructions and Learning: With automatic personalization, all learning styles are engaged so there is no "one size fits all" program. Most programs adapt to the individual learner's strengths, allowing the learner to work through their weak spots in the privacy of their handheld. If a student has problems grasping a concept, they can do additional work on their device whenever they choose.
Learning is seen as fun: Subjects like algebra are more palatable when placed in a game format and students can relate the relevancy of real world experiences.
Collaborative and Interactive: Mobile learning tends to increase communication between peers and instructors. Young people communicate differently based on today's technology. Teaching on their terms helps this information sink in faster.
Discipline issues nearly vanish: Discipline issues went down by 90% after the Rowan-Salisbury School Systems implemented a mobile learning project according to Phil Hardin, Executive Director of Technology. This is because students were more engaged on learning activities on the school bus and had less time to play pranks or bother other students.
Class attendance and participation: There is no need to cancel class due to bad weather, or fall behind as a result of extended absences if mobile devices are set up with online content filtering technology to protect the content they view when they are not in the classroom. Students can attend class and submit homework from any location with devices that have a two-camera system that allows collaboration and participation. This has particular relevance for disadvantaged and special needs students.
Saves schools money: Cash strapped school districts are also attracted to mobile learning technology as a way to save money over the long term. The iSchool Initiative estimates each $150 iPod touch would save at least $600 per student per year.
Inexpensive lessons and materials: E-books for e-readers and other online educational tools like mobile apps are less expensive to produce than traditional textbooks and will save money. Some online materials such as Open Text book are free. Amazon recently introduced a new ad-supported e-ink Kindle at a reduced rate (less than half of a comparable tablet). Whether schools will allow ad-supported technology in the classroom remains to be seen. E-books shouldn't be seen as a separate device like an e-reader, but as a free application that exists on almost every platform. The e-book learning experience can be enjoyed anywhere for free. Today a student can read a free textbook on her school PC, continue reading on her BlackBerry smartphone during the bus ride home and then open the reading app on her iPad to the exact point where she stopped reading on her phone. Any notes she made on any platform would be saved automatically. This content and extra portability costs the student and the school nothing.
Given these pluses, instead of confiscating handhelds, today's teachers want more of them in the classroom. According to a great report The New 3 Es of Education: Enabled, Engaged, Empowered How Today's Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning, "Teachers highly value the ability of the devices to increase student engagement in learning (77 percent), to facilitate improved communications between teachers, parents and students (64 percent) and to access online textbooks anytime, anywhere (64 percent). Administrators note the same benefits but with stronger validation of the student engagement component (84 percent) and adding in the idea that the devices can extend learning beyond the school day (66 percent) or create opportunities for more personalized learning experiences (64 percent)."
When mobile devices are introduced, studies show that students become more excited about learning and teachers become more enthusiastic about teaching. The benefits are showing in higher test scores, decreases in disciplinary actions and increases in attendance. Some school programs are beginning to require an iPod touch. (A few schools will even standardize over to the iPod touch's big brother, the larger and more expensive iPad.)
But don't think m-learning is an expensive way of throwing new money at an old problem. In the developing world, m-learning is seen as the best and cheapest approach to leapfrogging into the 21st century. M-learning has the benefit of a cheap display technology that the student probably already has. (The majority of the world accesses the Internet through a mobile device instead of a desktop PC.) Most of the infrastructure isn't in the school but in the cloud, which means that an m-learning program's back office hardware costs are negligible.
What Parents and Educators Can do to Support Mobile Learning
Mobile learning must enjoy the same investment in time from parents and teachers that other classroom activities do. Technology does not run itself, it needs management. Collaboration is key for all aspects of mobile learning, including child safety, content filtering and safeguarding against the Internet's unsavory elements. Adults need continuing education. Events like the Global Education Conference help support mobile learning from a place of knowledge and understanding.
Last November, the first Global Education Conference was held entirely online (which seems appropriate!). It operated as a platform for discussion on mobile learning practices and showed how technology can enable learning anywhere and everywhere. Engaging presenters ranged from seasoned educators to technology experts. "Mobile Learning Using the iPod touch - In Hindsight was a unique discussion that I moderated. As a mobile Internet safety expert, parent and CEO and co-founder of a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks, I love being part of the mobile education conversation. This informative discussion joined educators with educational technology experts to discuss ways in which learning can be encouraged in the mobile age. Also covered were acceptable use policies, security and deployment management, as well as anecdotal student benefits. Panelists discussed how these programs evolved from concept to reality and how a leading online content filtering service helped reach and exceed goals.
The Future
The future of "mobile" learning means moving into a more virtual educational environment.
More government dollars will be granted for pilot projects such as Learning On-The-Go 2011 Wireless Pilot Projects (partially funded by the FCC). Corporate and business expenditures for mobile learning products and services in the US alone are expected to reach over $246.9 million in 2011. As mobile learning continues to grow, school districts will see more regulation, oversight and safety mandates that, if not met, could result in restricted funding. Clear Child Internet Safety Guidelines will need to be established and safe browser technology implemented to make sure investments in education continue to flow.
Clearly, more money needs to be spent on research and development of mobile technology as statistics report glowing successes in current school programs. An ongoing open dialogue with all parties including educators, technology experts, parents, business leaders and politicians must recognize the importance of mobile learning and support it.
Whatever modality is used for teaching, whether a book or a touch screen, the principles and discipline of learning remain the same - parents and teachers stand at the podium of a child's education. Mobile learning blends traditional pedagogy with technology to reach every child. Implementing proper web filtering tools will put them on the fast track to success.
If you want to start your own M-learning program, check out these resources:
To get the latest examples of mobile learning best practices, visit UW-Stout Mobile Learning website.
Tony Vincent's fantastic web site Learning in Hand is an educator's resources for mobile learning. It was started in 2002 as part of Tony Vincent's classroom website. At first focusing on Palm handhelds, Learning in Hand now covers podcasting, iPods, iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, and netbooks. He takes his 15 years of teaching experience and shows educators (and parents) how to use handhelds to educate with easy to follow examples.
Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile! by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow.
The Consortium for School Networking has a very well thought out m-learning guidelines in their Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 & Mobile Era
Mobile Learning Experience 2011
Learning2Go: Great approach for teachers on how to finance and implement an m-learning program.
Upside Learning website has produced a great slide show on mobile learning.
To see how such a program would work, check out ProjectKnect which helped North Carolina's at risk students learn math and more via their mobile phones. You should also check out their instructive blog.
About the Author
Suren Ramasubbu is a mobile Internet safety expert and CEO of Mobicip.com, the leading Internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Mobicip has won Parent Choice awards and is used by schools all over the country to filter out dangerous and inappropriate content. Besides Mobicip, there are a number of child-safe iPod browsers on the market.
Suren Ramasubbu is a co-founder of Mobicip.com, a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks. Mobicip's mission is to provide a safe, secure and educational Internet experience for school-age children. Mobicip's dynamic content filtering technology helps parents protect their children in the new era of Internet hazards stemming from anytime anywhere access on personal devices. Suren is a passionate advocate of mobile learning and Internet safety, and speaks or hosts panels at conferences and seminars on these topics for parents and educators. He has also served as a consultant for educational technology projects in K-12 schools and school districts. As an active member of the community, Suren has led successful United Way volunteering and fundraising campaigns. He holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
The evening news screams scary headlines ("Pedophilia!", "Cyber-bullying!") that make it seem as if mobile devices in the hands of children are more dangerous than handguns. As a parent myself, I obviously agree that every parent needs to safeguard their child's mobile computing experience. However, mobile devices can be the key to learning and dare I even say it...success.
The question is not IF your child should use a mobile device in school, but HOW to do it safely. As mobile devices like iOS devices (like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc); Android (the Barnes & Noble Nook, a variety of tablets and cell phones) or other platform (such as Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry, Nokia, etc.) make their way into classrooms, students, parents, teachers and administrators need to implement best practices that increase learning without compromising safety.
In the United States, many schools are seeing six-year-olds with cell phones. The average UK kid gets their first cell phone at eight. Children's access to mobile devices is staggering, as you can see from the "Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile!" survey. For instance, among middle school (6th-8th grade) students:
• 59 percent have a cell phone
• 24 percent have an Internet-enabled Smartphone
• 53 percent have a personal laptop or tablet
A generation of students is growing up with a different level of access to information at their collective fingertips.
Mobile Education 101
Mobile learning, aka m-learning, is one of education's fastest growing trends (starting in kindergarten and going all the way through university, as well as professional learning environments). Properly used, these devices are effective educational tools.
Benefits of mobile learning include:
Individualized Instructions and Learning: With automatic personalization, all learning styles are engaged so there is no "one size fits all" program. Most programs adapt to the individual learner's strengths, allowing the learner to work through their weak spots in the privacy of their handheld. If a student has problems grasping a concept, they can do additional work on their device whenever they choose.
Learning is seen as fun: Subjects like algebra are more palatable when placed in a game format and students can relate the relevancy of real world experiences.
Collaborative and Interactive: Mobile learning tends to increase communication between peers and instructors. Young people communicate differently based on today's technology. Teaching on their terms helps this information sink in faster.
Discipline issues nearly vanish: Discipline issues went down by 90% after the Rowan-Salisbury School Systems implemented a mobile learning project according to Phil Hardin, Executive Director of Technology. This is because students were more engaged on learning activities on the school bus and had less time to play pranks or bother other students.
Class attendance and participation: There is no need to cancel class due to bad weather, or fall behind as a result of extended absences if mobile devices are set up with online content filtering technology to protect the content they view when they are not in the classroom. Students can attend class and submit homework from any location with devices that have a two-camera system that allows collaboration and participation. This has particular relevance for disadvantaged and special needs students.
Saves schools money: Cash strapped school districts are also attracted to mobile learning technology as a way to save money over the long term. The iSchool Initiative estimates each $150 iPod touch would save at least $600 per student per year.
Inexpensive lessons and materials: E-books for e-readers and other online educational tools like mobile apps are less expensive to produce than traditional textbooks and will save money. Some online materials such as Open Text book are free. Amazon recently introduced a new ad-supported e-ink Kindle at a reduced rate (less than half of a comparable tablet). Whether schools will allow ad-supported technology in the classroom remains to be seen. E-books shouldn't be seen as a separate device like an e-reader, but as a free application that exists on almost every platform. The e-book learning experience can be enjoyed anywhere for free. Today a student can read a free textbook on her school PC, continue reading on her BlackBerry smartphone during the bus ride home and then open the reading app on her iPad to the exact point where she stopped reading on her phone. Any notes she made on any platform would be saved automatically. This content and extra portability costs the student and the school nothing.
Given these pluses, instead of confiscating handhelds, today's teachers want more of them in the classroom. According to a great report The New 3 Es of Education: Enabled, Engaged, Empowered How Today's Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning, "Teachers highly value the ability of the devices to increase student engagement in learning (77 percent), to facilitate improved communications between teachers, parents and students (64 percent) and to access online textbooks anytime, anywhere (64 percent). Administrators note the same benefits but with stronger validation of the student engagement component (84 percent) and adding in the idea that the devices can extend learning beyond the school day (66 percent) or create opportunities for more personalized learning experiences (64 percent)."
When mobile devices are introduced, studies show that students become more excited about learning and teachers become more enthusiastic about teaching. The benefits are showing in higher test scores, decreases in disciplinary actions and increases in attendance. Some school programs are beginning to require an iPod touch. (A few schools will even standardize over to the iPod touch's big brother, the larger and more expensive iPad.)
But don't think m-learning is an expensive way of throwing new money at an old problem. In the developing world, m-learning is seen as the best and cheapest approach to leapfrogging into the 21st century. M-learning has the benefit of a cheap display technology that the student probably already has. (The majority of the world accesses the Internet through a mobile device instead of a desktop PC.) Most of the infrastructure isn't in the school but in the cloud, which means that an m-learning program's back office hardware costs are negligible.
What Parents and Educators Can do to Support Mobile Learning
Mobile learning must enjoy the same investment in time from parents and teachers that other classroom activities do. Technology does not run itself, it needs management. Collaboration is key for all aspects of mobile learning, including child safety, content filtering and safeguarding against the Internet's unsavory elements. Adults need continuing education. Events like the Global Education Conference help support mobile learning from a place of knowledge and understanding.
Last November, the first Global Education Conference was held entirely online (which seems appropriate!). It operated as a platform for discussion on mobile learning practices and showed how technology can enable learning anywhere and everywhere. Engaging presenters ranged from seasoned educators to technology experts. "Mobile Learning Using the iPod touch - In Hindsight was a unique discussion that I moderated. As a mobile Internet safety expert, parent and CEO and co-founder of a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks, I love being part of the mobile education conversation. This informative discussion joined educators with educational technology experts to discuss ways in which learning can be encouraged in the mobile age. Also covered were acceptable use policies, security and deployment management, as well as anecdotal student benefits. Panelists discussed how these programs evolved from concept to reality and how a leading online content filtering service helped reach and exceed goals.
The Future
The future of "mobile" learning means moving into a more virtual educational environment.
More government dollars will be granted for pilot projects such as Learning On-The-Go 2011 Wireless Pilot Projects (partially funded by the FCC). Corporate and business expenditures for mobile learning products and services in the US alone are expected to reach over $246.9 million in 2011. As mobile learning continues to grow, school districts will see more regulation, oversight and safety mandates that, if not met, could result in restricted funding. Clear Child Internet Safety Guidelines will need to be established and safe browser technology implemented to make sure investments in education continue to flow.
Clearly, more money needs to be spent on research and development of mobile technology as statistics report glowing successes in current school programs. An ongoing open dialogue with all parties including educators, technology experts, parents, business leaders and politicians must recognize the importance of mobile learning and support it.
Whatever modality is used for teaching, whether a book or a touch screen, the principles and discipline of learning remain the same - parents and teachers stand at the podium of a child's education. Mobile learning blends traditional pedagogy with technology to reach every child. Implementing proper web filtering tools will put them on the fast track to success.
If you want to start your own M-learning program, check out these resources:
To get the latest examples of mobile learning best practices, visit UW-Stout Mobile Learning website.
Tony Vincent's fantastic web site Learning in Hand is an educator's resources for mobile learning. It was started in 2002 as part of Tony Vincent's classroom website. At first focusing on Palm handhelds, Learning in Hand now covers podcasting, iPods, iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, and netbooks. He takes his 15 years of teaching experience and shows educators (and parents) how to use handhelds to educate with easy to follow examples.
Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile! by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow.
The Consortium for School Networking has a very well thought out m-learning guidelines in their Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 & Mobile Era
Mobile Learning Experience 2011
Learning2Go: Great approach for teachers on how to finance and implement an m-learning program.
Upside Learning website has produced a great slide show on mobile learning.
To see how such a program would work, check out ProjectKnect which helped North Carolina's at risk students learn math and more via their mobile phones. You should also check out their instructive blog.
About the Author
Suren Ramasubbu is a mobile Internet safety expert and CEO of Mobicip.com, the leading Internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Mobicip has won Parent Choice awards and is used by schools all over the country to filter out dangerous and inappropriate content. Besides Mobicip, there are a number of child-safe iPod browsers on the market.
Suren Ramasubbu is a co-founder of Mobicip.com, a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks. Mobicip's mission is to provide a safe, secure and educational Internet experience for school-age children. Mobicip's dynamic content filtering technology helps parents protect their children in the new era of Internet hazards stemming from anytime anywhere access on personal devices. Suren is a passionate advocate of mobile learning and Internet safety, and speaks or hosts panels at conferences and seminars on these topics for parents and educators. He has also served as a consultant for educational technology projects in K-12 schools and school districts. As an active member of the community, Suren has led successful United Way volunteering and fundraising campaigns. He holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Out of Band communication has arrived, as bandwidth has become commoditised. Device management is important. This article will cover two emerging technologies MDM and AMT and what the future holds for device management. Both technologies are developing rapidly, MDM in the mobile device market and AMT for the Intel based desktop PC?s on the LAN.
Mobile device management or MDM is now a familiar term describing solutions and technologies which enable the remote management of our growing estate of mobile devices including laptops, PDA?s, smart phones and tablets. MDM secures and monitors, manages and supports mobile devices deployed across mobile operators, service providers and enterprises.
The growing popularity of these devices due to the commoditization of wireless internet access, their ever growing powerful operating systems and accessibility by the majority, make them an essential tool to own for enterprise today. These devices are no longer used for the sole purposes of personal information management, while the applications are now endless.? More businesses than ever before are facing the challenge of how to fully provision, manage and secure mobile devices in their corporate environments. Desktops and all these mobile devices are uniting and require a single platform to manage, both personal and corporate.
The cost of owning a Mobile device is high given its uses within an enterprise, as they are very mobile and thus vulnerable to being lost, stolen or damaged. However, the advantages of having a mobile device with its endless applications at your fingertips outweigh the cost. Thus given the potential, it is agreeable that having a mobile device management solution is essential for the effective implementation and execution of a mobility strategy. The most common issue is that of compliance relating to corporate data on mobile devices, be it personal devices or company issued. The intent of MDM is to optimize the functionality and security when using mobile devices while minimizing cost and downtime.
Most mobile device management solutions would offer a variation on the following functions:
Management of software
Ability to remotely assign software to the device, this is useful for when updates or patches are needed, and distribution of applications.Management of Assets
The ability to group or categorise and generate inventory of managed devices.Management of configuration
The ability to change the settings within the group of devices, OTA (Over The Air) settings like WPA keys deployed to all devices.Security management
There are various forms of security offered for mobile devices such as, password policy enforcement, remote locking of the device as well as the ability to remotely wipe all data on the device.Back up and restoration
The ability to store a backup of files or folders from the device in the unfortunate event of the device being damaged, or becoming inoperative for one or other reason. Allowing restoration at some point.Measuring performance and diagnostics
Reporting and alerting concerning your devices performance with regards to battery life, memory and network informationBefore you put a MDM solution in place consider the following:
Be realistic in your chosen policy and get management buy in.a.?????? This is accomplished through supporting multiple device platforms and allowing personal devices alongside corporate devices, and agreeing with management a reasonable enforceable policy. Put in place a multi-platform inventory and reporting tool from the beginning.
a.?????? You should have a MDM tool that is able to quantify the mobile devices within the business, this way you ensure control of mobile devices. You would be able to identify which devices should be in use or the devices that should not be in use. Enforce security precaution within the business
a.??????Physical security is still important
b.????? Password/PIN when powering the device on, mirroring corporate password policy.
c.?????? Enable local encryption.
d.????? Allow remote wiping if the need occurs.
e.??????Make Bluetooth hidden as a security measure. Plan for a single console multi-platform MDM solution
a.?????? Look for a MDM platform that can manage various devices alongside one another. In the long term this will be beneficial as it will reduce set-up costs, improve functionality and efficiency, and create a singular viewpoint into the devices and data for maintenance and security.
b.????? Be sure that the reporting/inventory tool combines both your existing solution and your new multi-platform MDM solution.?Avoid manual processes to access information on your mobile devices. Rely on your reporting and inventory tool for this. It will be more effective in the long run and is scalable.
c.?????? Consider a cloud based solution, it is as effective and more economical and will have global reach of all your devices including your wintel platform. Ensure that there is a backup and recovery service available, that is either compliment or included in the platform. You can choose to limit the transfer of data, or prepare for the bills, especially for roaming users. Ensure security is also covered, there are many MDM vendors that have forgotten the essential security rational which should be the focus of MDM.? Elements like DLP, AV and all the other security controls should be standard and not retrospectively bolted onto MDM at a later stage.? So, words of warning pick your vendor carefully and be weary of flash in the pan start-ups. Increase mobile device security by installing firewall, anti-virus and intrusion prevention tools, ideally part of the same solution.
There are a large number of vendors selling MDM Solutions including on-premise and cloud-based solutions.? Both solutions having their pros and cons, the cloud-based solution is more appealing due to its favourable capex/opex.
The enterprise should carefully consider their requirements, and research the various vendors and solutions to find the one most suited to them as a company. As each Vendor claims to have a Mobile Device Management Solution, they all provide some different features, yet some features might be more prominent with one solution than another, and vice versa. The key is to understand your own requirements and work with those to achieve the most effective solution.
For example:
If your enterprise has limited security and management requirements, and profound control is not accepted by employees using personal devices. It?s probably best to choose a Vendor with a solution that supports a lightweight management approach. If your enterprise requires strict security and compliance requirements, then choose a vendor with a solution that supports a heavyweight approach to security and management of the devices.The effective solution for one enterprise may not be the best solution for another.?
AMT or Active Management Technology is a management and security solution from Intel. It is an out of band remote management technology. It uses a dedicated communication channel which is part of an Intel AMT enabled chipset, thus making use of a hardware based platform.? It works independently of the platform processor and operating system.
This technology allows for ease of desktop and notebook security, maintenance, monitoring, repairing and updating all remotely. This is achieved through its independence of the processor and operating system so remote management applications can access AMT even when the device is turned off.
Out of band management, including rebooting PC?s, remote BIOS updates, access to event logs and asset information as well as sending of alert messages. Its main defence feature is through blocking outside threats, preventing infected PC?s from spreading viruses to other networked PC?s. It sends alert messaging when the firewall or anti-virus software has been disabled. It also automatically updates the antivirus software. AMT provides authentication and encryption; these features can be activated only by authorised management consoles. Another advantage of AMT being hardware is that this feature can?t be removed by users. If a desktop on the network has been corrupted in some or other way, it can be rebooted from files on another system on the network.AMT is a powerful tool for remote and out of band management of PC?s using the hardware, however, it is limited to Desktops that have the Intel hardware only. AMT is purely a desktop management technology and is not suited to server technology yet. In due time, it may move to server management. AMT does not possess the features to replace service processors for server management. There is no out of band network access as AMT works over the main production network. It is thus unsuitable for administering servers in datacentres with management networks. It has great features for client PC management but the downfall is that it does not offer any virtual hardware or features like support power, temperature and fan speed monitoring to name a few. AMT is an advanced piece of technology and enables development of powerful management tools, however due to its unlimited permissions it could leave room for potential security downfalls.Technologies for management and securing ones devices both mobile and desktop PC?s are quickly emerging and vital for compliance, as the market adapts and rapidly evolves. A management and security solution has become a necessity for all enterprises or anyone owning a personal computing device of any sort. The increasing complexity of these devices makes it a prerequisite, even if it is solely for the purpose of ease of management and compliance.
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Ricky M Magalhaes is an International Information Security business specialist, author and consultant, working with a myriad of high profile organizations. He has been consulting in the information security field for over thirteen years and continues to promote information security best practice, strategic security and creative ways to achieve compliance to many top international entities. He has trained government agencies and other governmental entities on various information security disciplines and has speaks at national and international conferences on behalf of companies software and security vendors.
Click here for Ricky M. Magalhaes's section.
The evening news screams scary headlines ("Pedophilia!", "Cyber-bullying!") that make it seem as if mobile devices in the hands of children are more dangerous than handguns. As a parent myself, I obviously agree that every parent needs to safeguard their child's mobile computing experience. However, mobile devices can be the key to learning and dare I even say it...success.
The question is not IF your child should use a mobile device in school, but HOW to do it safely. As mobile devices like iOS devices (like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc); Android (the Barnes & Noble Nook, a variety of tablets and cell phones) or other platform (such as Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry, Nokia, etc.) make their way into classrooms, students, parents, teachers and administrators need to implement best practices that increase learning without compromising safety.
In the United States, many schools are seeing six-year-olds with cell phones. The average UK kid gets their first cell phone at eight. Children's access to mobile devices is staggering, as you can see from the "Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile!" survey. For instance, among middle school (6th-8th grade) students:
• 59 percent have a cell phone
• 24 percent have an Internet-enabled Smartphone
• 53 percent have a personal laptop or tablet
A generation of students is growing up with a different level of access to information at their collective fingertips.
Mobile Education 101
Mobile learning, aka m-learning, is one of education's fastest growing trends (starting in kindergarten and going all the way through university, as well as professional learning environments). Properly used, these devices are effective educational tools.
Benefits of mobile learning include:
Individualized Instructions and Learning: With automatic personalization, all learning styles are engaged so there is no "one size fits all" program. Most programs adapt to the individual learner's strengths, allowing the learner to work through their weak spots in the privacy of their handheld. If a student has problems grasping a concept, they can do additional work on their device whenever they choose.
Learning is seen as fun: Subjects like algebra are more palatable when placed in a game format and students can relate the relevancy of real world experiences.
Collaborative and Interactive: Mobile learning tends to increase communication between peers and instructors. Young people communicate differently based on today's technology. Teaching on their terms helps this information sink in faster.
Discipline issues nearly vanish: Discipline issues went down by 90% after the Rowan-Salisbury School Systems implemented a mobile learning project according to Phil Hardin, Executive Director of Technology. This is because students were more engaged on learning activities on the school bus and had less time to play pranks or bother other students.
Class attendance and participation: There is no need to cancel class due to bad weather, or fall behind as a result of extended absences if mobile devices are set up with online content filtering technology to protect the content they view when they are not in the classroom. Students can attend class and submit homework from any location with devices that have a two-camera system that allows collaboration and participation. This has particular relevance for disadvantaged and special needs students.
Saves schools money: Cash strapped school districts are also attracted to mobile learning technology as a way to save money over the long term. The iSchool Initiative estimates each $150 iPod touch would save at least $600 per student per year.
Inexpensive lessons and materials: E-books for e-readers and other online educational tools like mobile apps are less expensive to produce than traditional textbooks and will save money. Some online materials such as Open Text book are free. Amazon recently introduced a new ad-supported e-ink Kindle at a reduced rate (less than half of a comparable tablet). Whether schools will allow ad-supported technology in the classroom remains to be seen. E-books shouldn't be seen as a separate device like an e-reader, but as a free application that exists on almost every platform. The e-book learning experience can be enjoyed anywhere for free. Today a student can read a free textbook on her school PC, continue reading on her BlackBerry smartphone during the bus ride home and then open the reading app on her iPad to the exact point where she stopped reading on her phone. Any notes she made on any platform would be saved automatically. This content and extra portability costs the student and the school nothing.
Given these pluses, instead of confiscating handhelds, today's teachers want more of them in the classroom. According to a great report The New 3 Es of Education: Enabled, Engaged, Empowered How Today's Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning, "Teachers highly value the ability of the devices to increase student engagement in learning (77 percent), to facilitate improved communications between teachers, parents and students (64 percent) and to access online textbooks anytime, anywhere (64 percent). Administrators note the same benefits but with stronger validation of the student engagement component (84 percent) and adding in the idea that the devices can extend learning beyond the school day (66 percent) or create opportunities for more personalized learning experiences (64 percent)."
When mobile devices are introduced, studies show that students become more excited about learning and teachers become more enthusiastic about teaching. The benefits are showing in higher test scores, decreases in disciplinary actions and increases in attendance. Some school programs are beginning to require an iPod touch. (A few schools will even standardize over to the iPod touch's big brother, the larger and more expensive iPad.)
But don't think m-learning is an expensive way of throwing new money at an old problem. In the developing world, m-learning is seen as the best and cheapest approach to leapfrogging into the 21st century. M-learning has the benefit of a cheap display technology that the student probably already has. (The majority of the world accesses the Internet through a mobile device instead of a desktop PC.) Most of the infrastructure isn't in the school but in the cloud, which means that an m-learning program's back office hardware costs are negligible.
What Parents and Educators Can do to Support Mobile Learning
Mobile learning must enjoy the same investment in time from parents and teachers that other classroom activities do. Technology does not run itself, it needs management. Collaboration is key for all aspects of mobile learning, including child safety, content filtering and safeguarding against the Internet's unsavory elements. Adults need continuing education. Events like the Global Education Conference help support mobile learning from a place of knowledge and understanding.
Last November, the first Global Education Conference was held entirely online (which seems appropriate!). It operated as a platform for discussion on mobile learning practices and showed how technology can enable learning anywhere and everywhere. Engaging presenters ranged from seasoned educators to technology experts. "Mobile Learning Using the iPod touch - In Hindsight was a unique discussion that I moderated. As a mobile Internet safety expert, parent and CEO and co-founder of a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks, I love being part of the mobile education conversation. This informative discussion joined educators with educational technology experts to discuss ways in which learning can be encouraged in the mobile age. Also covered were acceptable use policies, security and deployment management, as well as anecdotal student benefits. Panelists discussed how these programs evolved from concept to reality and how a leading online content filtering service helped reach and exceed goals.
The Future
The future of "mobile" learning means moving into a more virtual educational environment.
More government dollars will be granted for pilot projects such as Learning On-The-Go 2011 Wireless Pilot Projects (partially funded by the FCC). Corporate and business expenditures for mobile learning products and services in the US alone are expected to reach over $246.9 million in 2011. As mobile learning continues to grow, school districts will see more regulation, oversight and safety mandates that, if not met, could result in restricted funding. Clear Child Internet Safety Guidelines will need to be established and safe browser technology implemented to make sure investments in education continue to flow.
Clearly, more money needs to be spent on research and development of mobile technology as statistics report glowing successes in current school programs. An ongoing open dialogue with all parties including educators, technology experts, parents, business leaders and politicians must recognize the importance of mobile learning and support it.
Whatever modality is used for teaching, whether a book or a touch screen, the principles and discipline of learning remain the same - parents and teachers stand at the podium of a child's education. Mobile learning blends traditional pedagogy with technology to reach every child. Implementing proper web filtering tools will put them on the fast track to success.
If you want to start your own M-learning program, check out these resources:
To get the latest examples of mobile learning best practices, visit UW-Stout Mobile Learning website.
Tony Vincent's fantastic web site Learning in Hand is an educator's resources for mobile learning. It was started in 2002 as part of Tony Vincent's classroom website. At first focusing on Palm handhelds, Learning in Hand now covers podcasting, iPods, iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, and netbooks. He takes his 15 years of teaching experience and shows educators (and parents) how to use handhelds to educate with easy to follow examples.
Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile! by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow.
The Consortium for School Networking has a very well thought out m-learning guidelines in their Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 & Mobile Era
Mobile Learning Experience 2011
Learning2Go: Great approach for teachers on how to finance and implement an m-learning program.
Upside Learning website has produced a great slide show on mobile learning.
To see how such a program would work, check out ProjectKnect which helped North Carolina's at risk students learn math and more via their mobile phones. You should also check out their instructive blog.
About the Author
Suren Ramasubbu is a mobile Internet safety expert and CEO of Mobicip.com, the leading Internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Mobicip has won Parent Choice awards and is used by schools all over the country to filter out dangerous and inappropriate content. Besides Mobicip, there are a number of child-safe iPod browsers on the market.
Suren Ramasubbu is a co-founder of Mobicip.com, a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks. Mobicip's mission is to provide a safe, secure and educational Internet experience for school-age children. Mobicip's dynamic content filtering technology helps parents protect their children in the new era of Internet hazards stemming from anytime anywhere access on personal devices. Suren is a passionate advocate of mobile learning and Internet safety, and speaks or hosts panels at conferences and seminars on these topics for parents and educators. He has also served as a consultant for educational technology projects in K-12 schools and school districts. As an active member of the community, Suren has led successful United Way volunteering and fundraising campaigns. He holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
The evening news screams scary headlines ("Pedophilia!", "Cyber-bullying!") that make it seem as if mobile devices in the hands of children are more dangerous than handguns. As a parent myself, I obviously agree that every parent needs to safeguard their child's mobile computing experience. However, mobile devices can be the key to learning and dare I even say it...success.
The question is not IF your child should use a mobile device in school, but HOW to do it safely. As mobile devices like iOS devices (like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc); Android (the Barnes & Noble Nook, a variety of tablets and cell phones) or other platform (such as Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry, Nokia, etc.) make their way into classrooms, students, parents, teachers and administrators need to implement best practices that increase learning without compromising safety.
In the United States, many schools are seeing six-year-olds with cell phones. The average UK kid gets their first cell phone at eight. Children's access to mobile devices is staggering, as you can see from the "Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile!" survey. For instance, among middle school (6th-8th grade) students:
• 59 percent have a cell phone
• 24 percent have an Internet-enabled Smartphone
• 53 percent have a personal laptop or tablet
A generation of students is growing up with a different level of access to information at their collective fingertips.
Mobile Education 101
Mobile learning, aka m-learning, is one of education's fastest growing trends (starting in kindergarten and going all the way through university, as well as professional learning environments). Properly used, these devices are effective educational tools.
Benefits of mobile learning include:
Individualized Instructions and Learning: With automatic personalization, all learning styles are engaged so there is no "one size fits all" program. Most programs adapt to the individual learner's strengths, allowing the learner to work through their weak spots in the privacy of their handheld. If a student has problems grasping a concept, they can do additional work on their device whenever they choose.
Learning is seen as fun: Subjects like algebra are more palatable when placed in a game format and students can relate the relevancy of real world experiences.
Collaborative and Interactive: Mobile learning tends to increase communication between peers and instructors. Young people communicate differently based on today's technology. Teaching on their terms helps this information sink in faster.
Discipline issues nearly vanish: Discipline issues went down by 90% after the Rowan-Salisbury School Systems implemented a mobile learning project according to Phil Hardin, Executive Director of Technology. This is because students were more engaged on learning activities on the school bus and had less time to play pranks or bother other students.
Class attendance and participation: There is no need to cancel class due to bad weather, or fall behind as a result of extended absences if mobile devices are set up with online content filtering technology to protect the content they view when they are not in the classroom. Students can attend class and submit homework from any location with devices that have a two-camera system that allows collaboration and participation. This has particular relevance for disadvantaged and special needs students.
Saves schools money: Cash strapped school districts are also attracted to mobile learning technology as a way to save money over the long term. The iSchool Initiative estimates each $150 iPod touch would save at least $600 per student per year.
Inexpensive lessons and materials: E-books for e-readers and other online educational tools like mobile apps are less expensive to produce than traditional textbooks and will save money. Some online materials such as Open Text book are free. Amazon recently introduced a new ad-supported e-ink Kindle at a reduced rate (less than half of a comparable tablet). Whether schools will allow ad-supported technology in the classroom remains to be seen. E-books shouldn't be seen as a separate device like an e-reader, but as a free application that exists on almost every platform. The e-book learning experience can be enjoyed anywhere for free. Today a student can read a free textbook on her school PC, continue reading on her BlackBerry smartphone during the bus ride home and then open the reading app on her iPad to the exact point where she stopped reading on her phone. Any notes she made on any platform would be saved automatically. This content and extra portability costs the student and the school nothing.
Given these pluses, instead of confiscating handhelds, today's teachers want more of them in the classroom. According to a great report The New 3 Es of Education: Enabled, Engaged, Empowered How Today's Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning, "Teachers highly value the ability of the devices to increase student engagement in learning (77 percent), to facilitate improved communications between teachers, parents and students (64 percent) and to access online textbooks anytime, anywhere (64 percent). Administrators note the same benefits but with stronger validation of the student engagement component (84 percent) and adding in the idea that the devices can extend learning beyond the school day (66 percent) or create opportunities for more personalized learning experiences (64 percent)."
When mobile devices are introduced, studies show that students become more excited about learning and teachers become more enthusiastic about teaching. The benefits are showing in higher test scores, decreases in disciplinary actions and increases in attendance. Some school programs are beginning to require an iPod touch. (A few schools will even standardize over to the iPod touch's big brother, the larger and more expensive iPad.)
But don't think m-learning is an expensive way of throwing new money at an old problem. In the developing world, m-learning is seen as the best and cheapest approach to leapfrogging into the 21st century. M-learning has the benefit of a cheap display technology that the student probably already has. (The majority of the world accesses the Internet through a mobile device instead of a desktop PC.) Most of the infrastructure isn't in the school but in the cloud, which means that an m-learning program's back office hardware costs are negligible.
What Parents and Educators Can do to Support Mobile Learning
Mobile learning must enjoy the same investment in time from parents and teachers that other classroom activities do. Technology does not run itself, it needs management. Collaboration is key for all aspects of mobile learning, including child safety, content filtering and safeguarding against the Internet's unsavory elements. Adults need continuing education. Events like the Global Education Conference help support mobile learning from a place of knowledge and understanding.
Last November, the first Global Education Conference was held entirely online (which seems appropriate!). It operated as a platform for discussion on mobile learning practices and showed how technology can enable learning anywhere and everywhere. Engaging presenters ranged from seasoned educators to technology experts. "Mobile Learning Using the iPod touch - In Hindsight was a unique discussion that I moderated. As a mobile Internet safety expert, parent and CEO and co-founder of a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks, I love being part of the mobile education conversation. This informative discussion joined educators with educational technology experts to discuss ways in which learning can be encouraged in the mobile age. Also covered were acceptable use policies, security and deployment management, as well as anecdotal student benefits. Panelists discussed how these programs evolved from concept to reality and how a leading online content filtering service helped reach and exceed goals.
The Future
The future of "mobile" learning means moving into a more virtual educational environment.
More government dollars will be granted for pilot projects such as Learning On-The-Go 2011 Wireless Pilot Projects (partially funded by the FCC). Corporate and business expenditures for mobile learning products and services in the US alone are expected to reach over $246.9 million in 2011. As mobile learning continues to grow, school districts will see more regulation, oversight and safety mandates that, if not met, could result in restricted funding. Clear Child Internet Safety Guidelines will need to be established and safe browser technology implemented to make sure investments in education continue to flow.
Clearly, more money needs to be spent on research and development of mobile technology as statistics report glowing successes in current school programs. An ongoing open dialogue with all parties including educators, technology experts, parents, business leaders and politicians must recognize the importance of mobile learning and support it.
Whatever modality is used for teaching, whether a book or a touch screen, the principles and discipline of learning remain the same - parents and teachers stand at the podium of a child's education. Mobile learning blends traditional pedagogy with technology to reach every child. Implementing proper web filtering tools will put them on the fast track to success.
If you want to start your own M-learning program, check out these resources:
To get the latest examples of mobile learning best practices, visit UW-Stout Mobile Learning website.
Tony Vincent's fantastic web site Learning in Hand is an educator's resources for mobile learning. It was started in 2002 as part of Tony Vincent's classroom website. At first focusing on Palm handhelds, Learning in Hand now covers podcasting, iPods, iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, and netbooks. He takes his 15 years of teaching experience and shows educators (and parents) how to use handhelds to educate with easy to follow examples.
Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile! by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow.
The Consortium for School Networking has a very well thought out m-learning guidelines in their Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 & Mobile Era
Mobile Learning Experience 2011
Learning2Go: Great approach for teachers on how to finance and implement an m-learning program.
Upside Learning website has produced a great slide show on mobile learning.
To see how such a program would work, check out ProjectKnect which helped North Carolina's at risk students learn math and more via their mobile phones. You should also check out their instructive blog.
About the Author
Suren Ramasubbu is a mobile Internet safety expert and CEO of Mobicip.com, the leading Internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Mobicip has won Parent Choice awards and is used by schools all over the country to filter out dangerous and inappropriate content. Besides Mobicip, there are a number of child-safe iPod browsers on the market.
Suren Ramasubbu is a co-founder of Mobicip.com, a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks. Mobicip's mission is to provide a safe, secure and educational Internet experience for school-age children. Mobicip's dynamic content filtering technology helps parents protect their children in the new era of Internet hazards stemming from anytime anywhere access on personal devices. Suren is a passionate advocate of mobile learning and Internet safety, and speaks or hosts panels at conferences and seminars on these topics for parents and educators. He has also served as a consultant for educational technology projects in K-12 schools and school districts. As an active member of the community, Suren has led successful United Way volunteering and fundraising campaigns. He holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
The evening news screams scary headlines ("Pedophilia!", "Cyber-bullying!") that make it seem as if mobile devices in the hands of children are more dangerous than handguns. As a parent myself, I obviously agree that every parent needs to safeguard their child's mobile computing experience. However, mobile devices can be the key to learning and dare I even say it...success.
The question is not IF your child should use a mobile device in school, but HOW to do it safely. As mobile devices like iOS devices (like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc); Android (the Barnes & Noble Nook, a variety of tablets and cell phones) or other platform (such as Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry, Nokia, etc.) make their way into classrooms, students, parents, teachers and administrators need to implement best practices that increase learning without compromising safety.
In the United States, many schools are seeing six-year-olds with cell phones. The average UK kid gets their first cell phone at eight. Children's access to mobile devices is staggering, as you can see from the "Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile!" survey. For instance, among middle school (6th-8th grade) students:
• 59 percent have a cell phone
• 24 percent have an Internet-enabled Smartphone
• 53 percent have a personal laptop or tablet
A generation of students is growing up with a different level of access to information at their collective fingertips.
Mobile Education 101
Mobile learning, aka m-learning, is one of education's fastest growing trends (starting in kindergarten and going all the way through university, as well as professional learning environments). Properly used, these devices are effective educational tools.
Benefits of mobile learning include:
Individualized Instructions and Learning: With automatic personalization, all learning styles are engaged so there is no "one size fits all" program. Most programs adapt to the individual learner's strengths, allowing the learner to work through their weak spots in the privacy of their handheld. If a student has problems grasping a concept, they can do additional work on their device whenever they choose.
Learning is seen as fun: Subjects like algebra are more palatable when placed in a game format and students can relate the relevancy of real world experiences.
Collaborative and Interactive: Mobile learning tends to increase communication between peers and instructors. Young people communicate differently based on today's technology. Teaching on their terms helps this information sink in faster.
Discipline issues nearly vanish: Discipline issues went down by 90% after the Rowan-Salisbury School Systems implemented a mobile learning project according to Phil Hardin, Executive Director of Technology. This is because students were more engaged on learning activities on the school bus and had less time to play pranks or bother other students.
Class attendance and participation: There is no need to cancel class due to bad weather, or fall behind as a result of extended absences if mobile devices are set up with online content filtering technology to protect the content they view when they are not in the classroom. Students can attend class and submit homework from any location with devices that have a two-camera system that allows collaboration and participation. This has particular relevance for disadvantaged and special needs students.
Saves schools money: Cash strapped school districts are also attracted to mobile learning technology as a way to save money over the long term. The iSchool Initiative estimates each $150 iPod touch would save at least $600 per student per year.
Inexpensive lessons and materials: E-books for e-readers and other online educational tools like mobile apps are less expensive to produce than traditional textbooks and will save money. Some online materials such as Open Text book are free. Amazon recently introduced a new ad-supported e-ink Kindle at a reduced rate (less than half of a comparable tablet). Whether schools will allow ad-supported technology in the classroom remains to be seen. E-books shouldn't be seen as a separate device like an e-reader, but as a free application that exists on almost every platform. The e-book learning experience can be enjoyed anywhere for free. Today a student can read a free textbook on her school PC, continue reading on her BlackBerry smartphone during the bus ride home and then open the reading app on her iPad to the exact point where she stopped reading on her phone. Any notes she made on any platform would be saved automatically. This content and extra portability costs the student and the school nothing.
Given these pluses, instead of confiscating handhelds, today's teachers want more of them in the classroom. According to a great report The New 3 Es of Education: Enabled, Engaged, Empowered How Today's Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning, "Teachers highly value the ability of the devices to increase student engagement in learning (77 percent), to facilitate improved communications between teachers, parents and students (64 percent) and to access online textbooks anytime, anywhere (64 percent). Administrators note the same benefits but with stronger validation of the student engagement component (84 percent) and adding in the idea that the devices can extend learning beyond the school day (66 percent) or create opportunities for more personalized learning experiences (64 percent)."
When mobile devices are introduced, studies show that students become more excited about learning and teachers become more enthusiastic about teaching. The benefits are showing in higher test scores, decreases in disciplinary actions and increases in attendance. Some school programs are beginning to require an iPod touch. (A few schools will even standardize over to the iPod touch's big brother, the larger and more expensive iPad.)
But don't think m-learning is an expensive way of throwing new money at an old problem. In the developing world, m-learning is seen as the best and cheapest approach to leapfrogging into the 21st century. M-learning has the benefit of a cheap display technology that the student probably already has. (The majority of the world accesses the Internet through a mobile device instead of a desktop PC.) Most of the infrastructure isn't in the school but in the cloud, which means that an m-learning program's back office hardware costs are negligible.
What Parents and Educators Can do to Support Mobile Learning
Mobile learning must enjoy the same investment in time from parents and teachers that other classroom activities do. Technology does not run itself, it needs management. Collaboration is key for all aspects of mobile learning, including child safety, content filtering and safeguarding against the Internet's unsavory elements. Adults need continuing education. Events like the Global Education Conference help support mobile learning from a place of knowledge and understanding.
Last November, the first Global Education Conference was held entirely online (which seems appropriate!). It operated as a platform for discussion on mobile learning practices and showed how technology can enable learning anywhere and everywhere. Engaging presenters ranged from seasoned educators to technology experts. "Mobile Learning Using the iPod touch - In Hindsight was a unique discussion that I moderated. As a mobile Internet safety expert, parent and CEO and co-founder of a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks, I love being part of the mobile education conversation. This informative discussion joined educators with educational technology experts to discuss ways in which learning can be encouraged in the mobile age. Also covered were acceptable use policies, security and deployment management, as well as anecdotal student benefits. Panelists discussed how these programs evolved from concept to reality and how a leading online content filtering service helped reach and exceed goals.
The Future
The future of "mobile" learning means moving into a more virtual educational environment.
More government dollars will be granted for pilot projects such as Learning On-The-Go 2011 Wireless Pilot Projects (partially funded by the FCC). Corporate and business expenditures for mobile learning products and services in the US alone are expected to reach over $246.9 million in 2011. As mobile learning continues to grow, school districts will see more regulation, oversight and safety mandates that, if not met, could result in restricted funding. Clear Child Internet Safety Guidelines will need to be established and safe browser technology implemented to make sure investments in education continue to flow.
Clearly, more money needs to be spent on research and development of mobile technology as statistics report glowing successes in current school programs. An ongoing open dialogue with all parties including educators, technology experts, parents, business leaders and politicians must recognize the importance of mobile learning and support it.
Whatever modality is used for teaching, whether a book or a touch screen, the principles and discipline of learning remain the same - parents and teachers stand at the podium of a child's education. Mobile learning blends traditional pedagogy with technology to reach every child. Implementing proper web filtering tools will put them on the fast track to success.
If you want to start your own M-learning program, check out these resources:
To get the latest examples of mobile learning best practices, visit UW-Stout Mobile Learning website.
Tony Vincent's fantastic web site Learning in Hand is an educator's resources for mobile learning. It was started in 2002 as part of Tony Vincent's classroom website. At first focusing on Palm handhelds, Learning in Hand now covers podcasting, iPods, iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, and netbooks. He takes his 15 years of teaching experience and shows educators (and parents) how to use handhelds to educate with easy to follow examples.
Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile! by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow.
The Consortium for School Networking has a very well thought out m-learning guidelines in their Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 & Mobile Era
Mobile Learning Experience 2011
Learning2Go: Great approach for teachers on how to finance and implement an m-learning program.
Upside Learning website has produced a great slide show on mobile learning.
To see how such a program would work, check out ProjectKnect which helped North Carolina's at risk students learn math and more via their mobile phones. You should also check out their instructive blog.
About the Author
Suren Ramasubbu is a mobile Internet safety expert and CEO of Mobicip.com, the leading Internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Mobicip has won Parent Choice awards and is used by schools all over the country to filter out dangerous and inappropriate content. Besides Mobicip, there are a number of child-safe iPod browsers on the market.
Suren Ramasubbu is a co-founder of Mobicip.com, a leading online child safety service for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PCs, laptops and netbooks. Mobicip's mission is to provide a safe, secure and educational Internet experience for school-age children. Mobicip's dynamic content filtering technology helps parents protect their children in the new era of Internet hazards stemming from anytime anywhere access on personal devices. Suren is a passionate advocate of mobile learning and Internet safety, and speaks or hosts panels at conferences and seminars on these topics for parents and educators. He has also served as a consultant for educational technology projects in K-12 schools and school districts. As an active member of the community, Suren has led successful United Way volunteering and fundraising campaigns. He holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
