Group+5

Add your thoughts to this wiki, reflecting on mobile phones in education .You are welcome to put on and take off a new colour hat as your reflect on different issues and perspectives!

De Bono's Hats
If you are unfamiliar with de Bono's six thinking hats, [|visit][|Volunteering Australia] for a reso urce on the topic. Then edit the table provided as scaffolding, add your ideas, opinions, and where possible your research. How will a collation of diverse perspectives from 19 different people inform your thinking? How could you use this in your classroom?


 * ==Colour Hat== || ==Names of students adding ideas== || ==The colour perspective== || ==Your ideas, research, perspectives and arguments== ||
 * [[image:black.jpg width="126" height="122"]] || Emily Malycha

Brodee Raymond

Rosemary Corr Kellie Pagel

Rianna Pension

Faith Gray

Antonia Yubai Xue || Judgement: What is wrong with this? Why will this not work? Is this safe? Can this be done? || Many students now have mobile phones, however within the classroom they can be a distraction due to the temptation to use them for non-educational purposes. Students may use mobile phones inappropriately by taking pictures/videos without permission, accessing disapproved sites by the school and cheating. Without close supervision students can access anything they want and become unfocused. The teacher may lose student attention due to the focus on mobile phones instead of the content being taught. Allowing the use of mobile phones in education may increase cyber-bullying between students and create an increase in theft. Mobile phones bring opportunities for distraction and disruption to classroom activities with things like social media outlets and text messaging friends. The mobile phones could potentially be misused and cause issues such as cyber bullying. There is also potential for students to take inappropriate photos of others and misuse them without permission, yet another form of bullying for students. There are also limited opportunities for teachers to monitor what students are accessing and doing on their mobile phone during school hours. Restrictions on student use may prevent some of these things from occurring, however bullying is prevalent even without mobile phones being permitted at school, will this make things worse?

The use of mobile phone in the classroom would make it much easier to cheat in an exam Without careful monitoring student could go online to look up answers to exams. Students may also use smart phones with calculators to work out sums rather than working it our for themselves. Social media may also be a disruption in the classroom causing students to lose focus on what is being taught or breaking concentration during an exam. By integrating mobile phones into the class is not a smart idea, some students already get easily distracted. By adding mobile phones in to the mix these students will find the tendency to play games etc. and be more disengaged to the content when they are using these as a learning tool. This will also not work as each classroom will need a class set to make it fair and the expense of this would be horrific. The danger of cyber bulling would also increase as their is 1 teacher and 20+ students, this allows the students to work on a small screen that is not being monitored 24/7.

Mobile phones can be a huge disruption to students if used in the classroom. As we live in the 21st century, the mobile phone is now used for a range of reasons from messages to research. Students are already surrounded by disruption, let alone adding a mobile phone to the situation. We live in a world where students are being cyber bullied at home, therefore mobile phones could be potentially harmful to students and make classrooms not a safe place for the students.

The use of mobile phones in education can have a significant impact on the lives of not only students but their surrounding environment and those which it encompasses. When I was in high school there was a certain stigmatism around having a mobile phone, what the mobile phone was, even where you got it from, each having individual impacts on the owner of the phone; bullying, stereotyping etc. In high school there was also a system create by students to conceal their phones from teachers and teaching staff; to hide it in your pocket or between your books, then to hide it just underneath the desk enough so you could still see it but not have the teacher notice. Surprisingly this worked rather well, until teachers and teaching staff noticed that the students with phones looking towards the floor often and falling behind in their work. I believe that having mobile phones in education won’t work because of not only these reasons but because of a lack of knowledge of mobile phones, specific features and how they are used by teachers and students alike.

In society mobile phones are used extensively and from a young age. Working in a supermarket while I study, I constantly see children being handed a mobile phone or mobile device from their parents or the adult with them to 'keep the entertained/quiet' while they shop. Although this is an effective way to ensure that children are entertained while shopping, it can pose disadvantages to the child's educational future through the developed dependency on mobile phones and technology to complete common things, e.g. needing a mobile phone to use the installed calculator when solving a math problem or equation rather than solve the problem or equation mentally.

When mobile phones or other electronic devices are used excessively or in an inappropriate manner in a classroom environment they bring with them a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the obvious disadvantage of having a multimedia device with an internet connection is an incredible source of distractions for the students. Access to things like social media, YouTube and any number of other websites has the potential to hinder learning quite profoundly. Secondly, this ready access to virtually endless content with a massively varying degree of appropriateness afford students the opportunity to expose both themselves and their peers to content that is unacceptable in a school environment. Lastly, excessive use of electronic devices bring with it a degree of unsociability in the form of children being drawn into their device. As a result of this, they may disregard the social environment around them. ||
 * [[image:debonoshats/blue.jpg]] || Emily Malycha

Brodee Raymond

Rosemary Corr Kellie Pagel

Rianna Pension

Faith Gray

Antonia Yubai Xue || The Process: Where are we now? What is the next step? Where have we been? What sort of thinking is needed? || Technology is now prevalent within most classrooms around Australia; however student usage of mobile phones within the classroom remains incoherent. As mobile phones have become so common, using them as a tool within the classroom around crafted activities would create phone integration. However consistent school policies would need to be introduced.

Most teenagers have mobile phones, I got my first phone when I was 14 years old. However times are changing and even younger children have access to mobile phones or even own their own. We are part of a society where technology is ever changing and as educators, it is our responsibility to adapt and change with it. Incorporating mobile phones into the classroom has the potential to offer both positive and negative effects; teachers need to approach this matter with both caution and an open mind in order to safely and sensibly incorporate this technology into learning experiences. We want to prepare children to actively participate in this technology rich world, how can we do that if we are not embracing the technology at hand?

At the moment most schools still restrict the use of mobile phones in the classroom. The first step to introduce mobile phones in today's classrooms would be to implement guidelines and policies to ensure appropriate rules are in place for these devices. Schools must move forward with the times and embrace this technology as a tool to engage students. Most teenagers have mobile phone for social aspects. these are evident in schools but are not used for an educational purpose. As mostly students love their phone incorporating these tin to education may be a useful tool. If mobile phones where to be bought in to schools, a session would need to be conducted on the safety, how and how not mobile phone are to be used with in the school environment and encourage this behaviour outside school as well. The school policy's will have to be followed accurately by all staff to maintain a safe school environment.

Students in this day and age are very tech savvy and could bring a huge variety of experience and teachings to the classrooms from using their mobile phone. Personally, I use my mobile phone for everything as it is at my fingertips. I think as educators we can definitely encourage the use of mobile phones through strict planning and guidelines. Also, only implementing mobile phones in the upper years as the younger years don’t particularly need to be encouraged to have confidence in using mobile phones.

The prominence of not only mobile phones, but technology itself in society is constantly changing and improving for better and worse when it comes to education. In education, many websites, apps, games and resources have been created, most of which can be accessed through a mobile phone. Such websites, apps, games and resources can be used effectively in the classroom and during teaching/teacher development to ensure the success of students and their development. Keengwe, Schnellert and Jonas (2012, p.2) note that "schools will not only need to evaluate their school curriculums but also recognize the power in the digital devices to engage, enable, and empower Gen-M and iGen learners." Even though there is a multitude of resources or education at our fingertips, I believe that mobile phones and technology need to be understood more in education, not only by educators but students as well. Constant reminders of safety precautions and rules and regulations will be necessary for all parties if mobile phones and their technology are to be incorporated and embedded into education.

In modern times children are much more adept as using technology, such as mobile phones, than those of the past. This is a direct result of massive advances in technology allowing for access to previously unobtainable or non-existent devices. While some children are at more of a technological disadvantage than other children due to their circumstances, it is more than fair to say that as a whole this generation, for the most part, has either their own mobile phone or has ready access to one from a relatively early age. It has been made blatantly obvious that the products that are the result of ever developing technological market are vital to classrooms to all levels of education. For this reason, educators must be able and willing to adapt to and implement new technology into their classroom. ||
 * [[image:green.jpg]] || Emily Malycha

Brodee Raymond

Rosemary Corr Kellie Pagel

Rianna Pension

Faith Gray

Antonia Yubai Xue || Creativity: What new ideas are possible with this? What is my suggestion for success? Can I create something new? || Phones can be used in many different ways. It would create many opportunities for students to explore, engage and connect with the world. Different apps can be applied to various subjects, students can google unknown answers, social networks can be used for group collaboration and cameras can record information.

The use of mobile phones in the classroom is motivating and engaging for the students. An increase in student motivation and participation leads to increased student achievement. Creating class blogs, using drop box, or various other social networks to post various information for the class, enables students to stay up to date both in and out of school while also encouraging students to collaborate and share ideas. It also allows students to ask questions at any time, and allows the teacher to see which areas students need most help with. There are many apps available on smart phones that could be utilized and implemented across all subjects, for example students could utilize the google map app during mathematics classes, and they could be incorporated into investigations.

Mobile phones can enhance student ability to collect data by audio, pictures and videos making field experiments more accurate and engaging. Whilst on the field experiments student could post pictures or data to a wiki or blog. They can also be used as a creative tool for writing blogs for English assessment. Students could also access e books for research. Students could also make mini video documentaries for assessment for a most subjects. the use of mobile phone in the classroom would make research easier for both the teacher and students. Students can use the mobile phone to record data save images for projects, watch specific you tube videos, have emails set up with the teacher. The teacher could email all student the worksheet they need to complete and students could complete it and email it back rather than using paper.

I believe that technology should be used in the classrooms each and every day, as we live in a very technical world. Mobile phones provide human beings with a range of apps, games, books and resources at their fingers. Mobile phones can pretty much start replacing desktop computers as we can access what needs to be accessed from the mobile phones.

Technology and mobile phones can be used effectively in education especially when encompassing the diversity of learners; their learning needs, styles and wants in effort to effectively ensure student success. The constant advance in technology can be integrated into lessons and unit planning to develop students competency with technology, however I believe technology should not be the main focus when integrated into lessons and unit planning, only a tool to enhance and develop learning. For example, when learning about another country, using a map to see how far from Australia the country is, but incorporating google and google earth to see what the country looks like and analyse its features, or watching a video about the country on YouTube or educational websites; all of which are researched and accessed by the educator before the lesson to ensure quality.

Advances in technology allow for devices such as mobile phone to be capable of a staggering amount of different functions. For example, during class students can be given the opportunity to input their thoughts, opinions, predictions and work via apps or computer software. Educators can then hook students’ devices to the IWB and use the software to calculate results. This could streamline the experience for students and allows them to see the process and statistics during and after the experiment is done. To be implemented successfully it would be done hand in hand with conventional methods. To completely switch methods would expose the students to too much distraction. They would rather spend their time on mobiles than they would reading making it difficult for them to focus on reading their texts. Additionally, as an aside, it has been shown that too much exposure to devices such as these can have a detrimental effect to both cognitive development and function. ||
 * [[image:debonoshats/red.jpg]] || Emily Malycha

Brodee Raymond

Rosemary Corr Kellie Pagel

Rianna Pension

Faith Gray

Antonia Yubai Xue || Feelings: How do I feel about this? What do I like about the idea? What don't I like about the idea? || I feel indecisive as there are both negative and positive impacts of incorporating the mobile phone within the classroom. I agree it would be engaging and embracing what technology has to offer. I like that students would feel comfortable with it and there are endless opportunities for the teacher to include the phone within learning. However I do not like that it would need a lot of management and would be another distraction to student learning.

I think there is a huge amount of trust that is needed to allow students the use of mobile devices at school. There would need to be a lot of education around cyber bullying and the importance of using the technology in a safe, responsible and respectful manner. It is alarming how prevalent bullying is for young students, in a survey conducted by the Queensland government (2013), more than a quarter of the 20’000 students surveyed from years 4-9 said that they had experienced bullying over a few weeks or more within a school term. This is alarming and a huge cause for concern for teachers as this device offers easy access for student harassment and bullying. There is also a concern for theft and damage caused to the phones of students, as well as the concern for students who cannot afford to purchase such expensive technology. However I do feel that the device offers students motivation and engagement that otherwise wouldn’t be there for them. There are also opportunities for students to use the apps available to them outside of school hours and to time manage their school and extracurricular activities through the use of a calendar app.

Although there are both negative and positive arguments for mobile phones in the class room I think it would be largely a positive addition to the classroom. There would need to be strict rules about when and where students can use the mobile phone in the classroom to ensure there is no disruption to the classroom or bullying or misuse of the phone. Mobile phones will help bring the classroom into a more technological era with little cost to the school. I find there are both positives and negatives about incorporating mobile phones in to education. The amount of trust the teacher would need to have in the students in enormous, and the amount of self power students need to have to stay on task is also enormous. For this to work effectively a lot of work would need to be put in place before they can enter the education system. I like the idea that students would be able to have their own screen and the independence to use these as an educational tool. I do not like the fact that everything is turning to technology, what happened to the good old pen and paper?

I feel strongly about technology being applied in classrooms, although am ‘sitting on the fence’ about mobile phones being applied into the classrooms. I like the fact that mobile phones can provide students with a range of resources at their fingertips. I don’t like the thought of students being cyber bullied in their classroom where they are supposed to feel safe. I think it definitely depends on the age of the students and the extent that the school provided boundaries and guidelines to keep the students engaged and safe.

Personally, I feel that technology can be used effectively in the educational environment, but to be used effectively it has to be just as a learning or teaching tool. Both during pracs and during my schooling experience, I have seen the effects of technology both positive and negative and want to ensure that when I become a teacher I do my absolute best to ensure that experiences and effects of learning with technology have a higher positive effect than negative. I like the how technology for education has advanced and is beginning to become tailored to specific learning needs and styles, however I feel that is important for students to know that there is a world outside of technology, a world full of adventure and a multitude of experience, all of which is right in front of them if they put their mobile phones or mobile devices down and step away from technology. I saw a couple pictures online recently that encompass this idea quite well and made me laugh a little when I saw them; the pictures can be found below.

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I have nothing but complete support for the implementation of progressive technology in the classroom. Technology such as mobile phone or tablet computers are not only helpful for students to explore the society they are living in, but they also help them to do some in-depth research to aid them with their studies. However, mobile phone and tablet apps can draw attention from their studies, especially when it comes to topics that the students already lack interest in. Furthermore, I do not agree with the notion that students should use or have access to this manner of technology all of the time. This is a result of the thought that constant access to mobile phones, tablet computers or even laptop and desktop computers are of a detriment to critical thinking and physical development. || Brodee Raymond Kellie Pagel
 * [[image:debonoshats/yellow.jpg width="117" height="128"]] || Emily Malycha

Rianna Pension

Faith Gray

Antonia Yubai Xue || //**Benefits:**// What are the good points? Why can this be successful? Why is this a good thing? || Students will be engaged with the use of many apps and various networking sites that can be used to interact with peers. Easy communication in and outside of school, due to size students can work outside the classroom. Safety wise students can be contacted in emergencies and the use of a GPS can be helpful. Through the use of mobile phone devices, students will be able to be in constant contact with both teachers and parents, which will enhance student safety. Students will be engaged and motivated to learning through using the device as it connects both their home life and school life. Due to the devices small size, students are able to take it anywhere, school excursions and trips or at home to complete homework or research tasks. Mobile phones would be very cost effective for schools as most students have access to or have there own mobile phone. This would reduce the need for equipment like video cameras microphones etc. Mobiles can be used as a creative tool, learning aid, reference book, safety devise, collaborative learning and communication. Using mobile phones as an educational tool would engage leaners, the use of apps make students think they are playing games rather than learning. the communication through a mobile phone can be useful as well, if students are struggling with their work they can send a friend a message and ask for help, and for saftety reasons they are able to contact parents or teachers. Most students already know how to use a phone so the learning time will be greatened as their will be minimal explanation time.

The apps and resources that are available on the mobile phones are ‘out of this world’. Classes could be so engaging and interesting for students in which students can then use in their home environment and show their parents. Students will be taught the importance of having resources at their fingertips.

Mobile phones and technology in education can be very useful when used in the right way. There is an immense number of resources online and on mobile devices which can be used for both educational development and purposes as well as teacher development. Mobile devices have a number of applications that inform and improve learning and learning levels including learning difficulties. Schools currently integrate computer programs which are accessed online like Reading Eggs designed to improve students reading skills and levels as well as Mathletics, designed to improve students maths skills and levels. Not only are these programs readily available to education but there are also a number of mobile applications which are designed to improved students reading and math skills, but also applications that have been developed and designed specifically to cater for specific learning need and disabilities; all of which can be successfully used to develop students learning and ability levels in order to promote the life long learning of not only students but educators as well.

The use of multimedia devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers or even laptops has the potential to be one of the greatest assets at a student’s disposal. Highly mobile and capable devices such as these offer many advantages such as ready access to multimedia content for the class and a more efficient way of recording and documenting the learning points of the class. Furthermore, with ready access to the internet which is unequivocally the most powerful research and study tool the world has ever seen they are afforded access to a tool that will revolutionise how they learn, communicate and document regarding every facet of school life. || Brodee Raymond Rosemary Corr Kellie Pagel
 * [[image:white.jpg width="153" height="133"]] || Emily Malycha

Rianna Pension

Faith Gray

Antonia Yubai Xue || //**Information**//: What information do I have? What are the facts? What information do I need? What do I want to KNOW? || The information I read consisted of discussions focusing on the possibility of mobile phones being very beneficial within classrooms, while others considered them a distraction and to hard to manage within a classroom setting. Some schools that do allow them have specific management policies. I want to know how mobile phones could be effectively managed to avoid potential bullying, accessing of inappropriate sites and ensure students maintain focus and are not distracted. A lot of school policies discourage students from bringing their mobile phones to school due to them being seen as a distraction to the student and others around them. However from the information I have read online, there is plenty of discussion about the matter available, presenting the positive effects that this device could offer students. My biggest question is how can mobile phones be effectively monitored and managed in order to avoid potential bullying, theft or damage to the items or the access to inappropriate sites to enable them to be effectively utilized within the classroom. No classrooms I have been in currently use mobile phones as a technology aids. My concern with mobile phones in the classrooms is how to monitor the use of phones in the classroom to ensure all students are protected. Strict guidelines would need to be introduced in schools to ensure students use their mobile phones appropriately. by putting mobile phones in to the classroom many educators think that this will be more of a distractions/hassle than it is worth. Students are easily distracted so why should we add to this issue. I would like to know if by adding mobile phones into the educational setting it would increase the amount distractions or minimise them? How would adding mobile phones differ from the use of Ipads?

I want to know how students will provide strict enough guidelines to ensure that students know the importance of the use of mobile phones in the education system. Very few classrooms I have been in use technology let alone mobile phones, and particularly as I am in Early Childhood, students don’t particularly need to be introduced to the power that the mobile phone has.

I would love to see the impacts both positive and negative of the incorporation of mobile phones in the educational environment. To become a better and successful educator when I am qualified I need to have a developed understanding of technology and be adaptable to change. Although technology can be an amazing tool when used correctly, I believe it needs to be integrated at a more mature age than it is now. Yes, it is effective when used in a controlled and secure environment, but when introduced at such an early age like what I have seen while I am at work and personally experienced during pracs and with young family members, it can be detrimental to students long-term development as they become dependent on technology and mobile phones and don't know what to do without access to them. I would like to know how we as future teachers and educators can redevelop learning to incorporate the effective use of mobile phones and technology to ensure that the future generations have the ability to survive with out both mobile phones and technology; after all, if there were no mobile phones or technologies what would we do once we have developed a life where we are severely dependent on mobile phones and technology to survive?

I have been given, and sought out, access to number of resources that discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of mobile devices in classroom. The advantages of such devices are clear. However, the disadvantages are numerous and must be considered as well. It has become clear, that in order to use the information I have I must critically consider both sides of the theoretical argument while keeping the variables present in a very much dynamic classroom firmly in mind. As a professional educator I must keep my knowledge up to date. Regarding the classroom I must be mindful of the dynamic of the classroom and judge the efficacy of multimedia devices. Secondly, I must keep myself up to date on the evolving technology, if I cannot use the technology to a high degree myself I can’t possibly hope to implement it effectively in my classroom. Lastly, I would be interested in studying the efficacy of mobile phones as compared with conventional methods regarding effective teaching strategies. ||