Mobile Tools For Kids
It’s been a while since we gathered at one of our usual family get-togethers and my three nieces rushed to me, showing me their little pink Nintendo DS consoles. They played some mathematical game and handed it to me, so I could try it for myself. And I have to admit, it was hard – at least for me, all-time math jerk! But I was wondering. If I had had some fun and entertaining math support, maybe I would have started liking it more. Sure, consoles are expensive and might even distract kids from learning. But parents don’t need to buy their kids a console; they might just use their mobile phones to support the learning process of their children.
Mobile phones already serve as educational tools in more than one way. The most obvious: Playing an educational game or using an application. Apple’s App Store currently counts 132 educational applications. By letting kids play games on a mobile phone, they not even learn from the game itself, but also, how to use the phone technology, as for example in order to get from one game to another. Kids even start to apply the phone technology, e.g. swipping the iPhone, to other devices such as the TV, proudly showing off the skills they accquired from playing with the phone (Source).
A mobile phone itself is the best educational tool, says Lydia Plowman, Professor of Education at the University of Stirling. She recommended parents to give their children their old mobile phones so that they can learn the technology in an authentic setting (Source). A new research study conducted by the Michigan State University found out that gaming even had a positive effect. Kids learn to think in pictures and images, which is an important skill not only for maths, but also in science, engineering and technology (Source).
Sure, games can also be played online and kids will learn more about computer technology and wouldn’t necessarily need a mobile phone for this. But there is one thing that mobile technology can do better than the web. As always – it is more personal! It can tackle more delicate issues that one would rather not discuss on a family computer. As the New York Times reports, American teenagers nowadays learn about sex the mobile way. Various programs in different parts of the States allow teenagers to text in their questions about sex. In return, they will receive a cautious and well formulated answer or even the address of a free clinic nearby.
Also, mobile technology can be helpful especially in places, where mobile penetration might overreach PC usage. It can help teachers and students to get a hold on educational material, as numerous best practice examples from developing countries indicate. At the Philippines, teachers can request educational material via SMS, which will then be sent to their schools via SMS. And in South Africa, distant students get SMS-support while learning (Source). Although developing countries might not be the best example, as technical and socio-economic barriers prevail, it indicates what we can achieve when using mobile technology in education.
All these examples show that it is time to stop demonizing mobile technology in the hands of kids. We should rather look at the ways in which mobile can help children in having a better and more interactive learning experience. And maybe, even we can relive a positive learning experience when using mobile technology. Does anyone know a good maths game?
Tags: education, m-learning, mobile applications, mobile games, mobile technology