What is considered a mobile device? In looking to the survey developed by our instructor Greg Lewis the following were listed as mobile devices: smartphone, tablet, netbook, laptop, eReader and PDA. Based on this the first mobile device I owned was a laptop. When I shared this list with my husband and daughter quite a conversation ensued, in relation to whether a laptop belonged in this category. They both felt that it did not fit, as they see it as a rather cumbersome item to be used as a mobile device. Interesting, this gives me a true sense of how far we have come in the area of mobile devices in such a short time. In September 2012 when I began this graduate diploma the only mobile devices I owned were a smartphone and laptop, and I would not have even thought twice that the laptop was on the list. Now looking at the list I own a smartphone, tablet, laptop and eReader. For Info on the history of smartphones, tablets, eReaders and laptops please view the info-graphics at the end of this post.
Looking at my past experiences with mobile learning/technologies: smartphone, tablet, laptop and eReader.
My first smartphone was an Android. When I chose my plan I did not get data as such I used it only for texting and calling. Recently, in December, my husband upgraded his iPhone so I acquired his iPhone4. I had my first real mobile iPhone experience, that truly opened my eyes to what one could do, at the beginning of OLTD 509 see my blog “Emerging Technologies” that relays this experience
When I first received my laptop, I also owned a desktop computer. I must admit I was so comfortable with using the desktop that I rarely used the laptop. It was not until I started OLTD and my desktop was dismantled did I truly embraced the use of my laptop and the mobility it offered.
Last March I received as a gift an iPad Mini. All my family members owned a full size iPad but at that time I could not see why I might want an iPad, my laptop worked perfectly for me. Once I owned one I came to question why I would not have wanted one. I found myself using it to do almost everything I did on my laptop except marking related to my teaching job and OLTD course work. I had the opportunity to experiment with using it for course work in OLTD 509, amazing when you have the correct apps what one can do. See my blog post “ To Use iPad Only or Not That Is The Question” that relays this experience. My school has just moved to using D2L, as our LMS, which has a mobile marking option. I know Julia Hengstler, our instructor in OLTD 506, used the mobile option for marking. I may now find that I can use my iPad just as easily as my laptop.
As a reader I enjoy the opportunity to turn the pages of a pocket book. I have slowly warmed to an eReader as a great way to travel with a multitude of books without having to worry about the weight or space required. Learning to read on any mobile device is a skill I feel that needs to be learned. When I started OLTD I found it hard to read the assigned reading on an electronic device and must admit I printed off most course readings. As we have progressed I now feel much more comfortable doing the assigned reading on either my laptop or tablet, and scanning through others on my smartphone. This has all lead to me feeling more comfortable reading on an eReader.
We have now had the opportunity, through OLTD, to see many different ways an online course can be presented: D2L, Canvas Instructure, Google + and now through Weebly. I am loving the way this course is laid out in Weebly, including the fact that it is password protected. As our instructor said he found Weebly much easier to create in then D2L, plus he was more familiar with Weebly. The one plus however of both D2L and Canvas, is that they have all the features in one location that are needed to create a pedagogically sound course. In looking to Weebly, which I used to create a non-LMS for OLTD 504, one still needs to go to outside sources for such things as a course calendar, submission of assignments and course discussions, but these can be linked easily through Weebly. I am sure in time Weebly will have these to offer as well. I have also used Weebly to create a site for the PE 9-12 courses I teach. This is for accessing course info and first assignments only as we are required to use D2L as our LMS, so our students are not having to go to different venues for their courses. I chose to host this info in Weebly and then post the link on our school website rather than have this posted directly on the school website, as it allows me the flexibility to access and update the information myself.
I am looking forward to learning more about mobile learning/ technologies including mobile apps and evaluation of apps, BYOD/BYOT, and game based learning focusing on selecting educational games, and application and creation within a game based environment, and finally the application of all of these in both the DL and blended environment. In particular, how I can apply all of these in my teaching in a blended math 8 course and in my fully online PE 9-12 courses.
Looking at my past experiences with mobile learning/technologies: smartphone, tablet, laptop and eReader.
My first smartphone was an Android. When I chose my plan I did not get data as such I used it only for texting and calling. Recently, in December, my husband upgraded his iPhone so I acquired his iPhone4. I had my first real mobile iPhone experience, that truly opened my eyes to what one could do, at the beginning of OLTD 509 see my blog “Emerging Technologies” that relays this experience
When I first received my laptop, I also owned a desktop computer. I must admit I was so comfortable with using the desktop that I rarely used the laptop. It was not until I started OLTD and my desktop was dismantled did I truly embraced the use of my laptop and the mobility it offered.
Last March I received as a gift an iPad Mini. All my family members owned a full size iPad but at that time I could not see why I might want an iPad, my laptop worked perfectly for me. Once I owned one I came to question why I would not have wanted one. I found myself using it to do almost everything I did on my laptop except marking related to my teaching job and OLTD course work. I had the opportunity to experiment with using it for course work in OLTD 509, amazing when you have the correct apps what one can do. See my blog post “ To Use iPad Only or Not That Is The Question” that relays this experience. My school has just moved to using D2L, as our LMS, which has a mobile marking option. I know Julia Hengstler, our instructor in OLTD 506, used the mobile option for marking. I may now find that I can use my iPad just as easily as my laptop.
As a reader I enjoy the opportunity to turn the pages of a pocket book. I have slowly warmed to an eReader as a great way to travel with a multitude of books without having to worry about the weight or space required. Learning to read on any mobile device is a skill I feel that needs to be learned. When I started OLTD I found it hard to read the assigned reading on an electronic device and must admit I printed off most course readings. As we have progressed I now feel much more comfortable doing the assigned reading on either my laptop or tablet, and scanning through others on my smartphone. This has all lead to me feeling more comfortable reading on an eReader.
We have now had the opportunity, through OLTD, to see many different ways an online course can be presented: D2L, Canvas Instructure, Google + and now through Weebly. I am loving the way this course is laid out in Weebly, including the fact that it is password protected. As our instructor said he found Weebly much easier to create in then D2L, plus he was more familiar with Weebly. The one plus however of both D2L and Canvas, is that they have all the features in one location that are needed to create a pedagogically sound course. In looking to Weebly, which I used to create a non-LMS for OLTD 504, one still needs to go to outside sources for such things as a course calendar, submission of assignments and course discussions, but these can be linked easily through Weebly. I am sure in time Weebly will have these to offer as well. I have also used Weebly to create a site for the PE 9-12 courses I teach. This is for accessing course info and first assignments only as we are required to use D2L as our LMS, so our students are not having to go to different venues for their courses. I chose to host this info in Weebly and then post the link on our school website rather than have this posted directly on the school website, as it allows me the flexibility to access and update the information myself.
I am looking forward to learning more about mobile learning/ technologies including mobile apps and evaluation of apps, BYOD/BYOT, and game based learning focusing on selecting educational games, and application and creation within a game based environment, and finally the application of all of these in both the DL and blended environment. In particular, how I can apply all of these in my teaching in a blended math 8 course and in my fully online PE 9-12 courses.