Dutch mobiles in primary school: turn that phone on!

In the pilot from Leiden Uni in Holland 4th gen phones were used to stimulate teacher and student reflection: VOD (video), POD (mp3-based) and Photo cams. The Homo Zappiens ideas from Wim Veen formed the basis for the study.

1st Assignment
Students and teachers were asked: What possibilities have you got for using cell phone in education?

2nd Assigment
Primary kids making a mobile phone cam alphabet, shooting objects which begin with each letter of the alphabet on the phone. These were collected in a VLE (could have been a blog or public webspace, of course, although here permission was asked from parents only to use the images internally) and then exploited as posters, for example.

Does using a mobile have an effect on thinking and reflection? The theory says yes: reinterpretation of experiences to come to a higher level of professional development (Dewey, Jay and Johnson)

The visual aspect of the phone (video and pics) helped students realise better where they could make improvements. When they couldn't believe or understand something the image, moving or still, could be brought up immediately from the pocket. But the filming and sharing of images did have to be stimulated - it didn't come naturally to teachers or students within the school environment.

And what about the money question? Well, the very pragmatic Dutch have no issues letting the parents and students pick up the tab of this apparently enhancing education experience. Is that such a bad thing?

Comments

[KC Jones]

I think this is really intresting, considering that my parents are teachers, and recently at our school even the site of cell phones earns you a detention. Though our teachers readily answer thier phones in class. The question one should ask should be is the technology present in the classroom crippling or enhancing our education?

[Ewan McIntosh]

Any technology can cripple learning if it's used badly, but if the teacher can use it in a way that does something better, faster or deeper than traditional means then it is enhancing. Can mobiles help? Almost certainly, but only if we look at what they add or what is lacking in our current system.