Wireless Technology in Support of K-12 Environments

The implication is very promising for wireless technologies to widely support K-12 environments. School districts are finding that it is more cost effective to use personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile handhelds, as a flexible alternative to expensive computer labs, classroom computers, and laptops. (Futurekids, 2008) PDA’s are versatile, compatible with most mainstream software, and other wireless connectivity. Mainstream software includes Pocket Word, Pocket PC, Microsoft Reader, and Media Player for Pocket PCs. Wireless connectivity includes MSN Messenger, Microsoft Outlook email, and Pocket Internet Explorer. Mobile wireless technologies include PDAs, iPhones, iPods, iPodTouch, or palm or pocket PCs. These mobile handhelds positively impact curriculum design, students, teachers, and infrastructure requirements.

Curriculum Design: As far as curriculum design, many schools are using Studywiz Spark, a virtual learning environment, to redesign K-12 curriculum so teachers get a multimediarich, technology-infused setting. (Rama,2008) Studywiz Spark is customized for iPhone, iPod, and iPod Touch. (Rama, 2008) Studywiz Spark provides access to a Dynamic LearnSpace using any device, from any place, at any time (Studywiz Spark, 2007)

Another example of curriculum design is Seaford School District’s (2005) integration of mobile Palm or Pocket PCs in 2004. Their intent was to attach various science probes to conduct in class science experiments. Students learned to use the graphing software to analyze data and interpret it immediately. They could attach the keyboard and use the word processing applications to complete reports, journals, and lab reports. Students could also create spreadsheets, compose stories in class, and illustrate them via the mobile handheld with drawing programs. Students could use their mobiles to do research from Internet sites, and utilize 3rd party software for curriculum instruction and assessment.

Impact on Learners: Mobile handhelds had a positive impact on student achievement. (Seaford School District, 2005) Handhelds are more easily used in the flow of instruction than desktop computers. Seaford School District (2005) had an implementation component that made available handhelds to be checked out for home use by students. This policy helped bridge the digital divide for students who did not have Internet functions of mobile handhelds from home. Students could use handhelds as a reference tool to access encyclopedias, create Microsoft Word documents, complete spreadsheet functions, and access 3rd party software for assessment.

Impact on Teachers: With mobile handhelds, teachers got a new assessment tool called the Quizzler (Seaford School District, 2005) that allowed teachers to create assessments for students to complete on their handhelds. Students beam their answers to the teacher and the computer grades the assessments instantly. (Seaford School District, 2005) This software allows for immediate feedback for classroom questioning, warm up activities, and tests.

With Studywiz Spark, teachers do not have to patch together solutions. Teachers can incorporate RSS fees, podcasts, real-time polling and multi-media components into their teaching, with one place to organize it. Teachers can invite parents to be more in touch with their student’s day-to-day educational experience using Studywiz Spark’s (2007) LearnSpace environment.

Infrastructure Requirements: Seaford School District (2005) formed learning communities or peer groups of 4-5 teacher or staff participants. These groups met formally four times per year to complete activities and share new handheld ideas. Learning communities documented usage on the project web site, read and reacted to a new piece of research, and participated in the technology discussion group. Teachers and staff then had a support group within their schools to have informal access to questions and sharing. These learning communities had nurturing and supportive environments to allow teacher and staff mentors and mentees to exchange ideas, share experiences, and learn together to accommodate individual learning styles. (Seaford School District, 2005)

I particularly like learning communities for mobile handhelds because it refocuses integration from a focus of the same routine tasks (known as teaching to the test) to get higher standardized test scores that hold teachers and students accountable. Mobility and flexibility of mobile technology focuses on how to encourage teachers to be thoughtful and creative problem solvers in the design of learning environments for students. Students learn to model teacher activities of thoughtful and creative problem-solving and constructive, independent thinking as lifelong learning goals using mobile technology. Thoughtful and creative problem solving, and constructive, independent thinking are more enduring qualities and values than focusing on how to make higher scores on one-shot standardized tests. (Seaford School District, 2005)

References

FutureKids. (2008). Infusing PDA technology. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from http://www.futurekids.com/links/srvcs_pd_infusing_pda_tech.html

Rama, R. (2008). Fill’er up! What to do with all those cell phones, PDAs, and iPods tucked away in students’ backpacks? Forward-thinking administrators have found a ’smart” solution: Load them with educational content and welcome them into instruction. Retrieved April 19, 2009, from http://www.articlearchives.com/education-training/education-systems-institutions/251592-1.html

Seaford School District. (2005). Building learning communities: Pocket portal. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from http://www.seaford.k12.de.us/it/pda/pocketportal/home.htm

Studywiz Spark. (2007). Studywiz Spark launches learnspace for students, teachers and parents. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from http://weseepeople.blogspot.com/2007/11/studywiz-spark-launches-learnspace-for.html