Article Summary "Effective Mobile Learning" by Shelly Terrell

Mobile learning is the present and the future of education, and has implications both inside and outside of the traditional classroom.  Shelly Terrell's article provides some great insight on how we can embrace and become effective with our use of mobile learning devices.

Her guide provides insight, links, and advice for how to get teachers started along the way to a technologically equipped classroom.  She begins with some great advice on which device to choose for your type of classroom and your particular situation.  Shelly also provides some great insight on how to get parents "on board" with the use of mobile devices in the classroom, as well as, how to influence your educational leadership to allow/endorse the movement.

Shelly completes her guide with a great list of educational apps depending on the goal of your classroom and its implementation.  I have used many of the apps myself in my graduate and undergraduate classes (Evernote, puppetpals, storykit, talking tom, etc.), so I am on board for testing some of her other suggestions.  Below is a link to her guide with active links to check our some of her suggested apps and related articles.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/67369598/Effective-Mobile-Learning-50-Tips-Resources-Ebook

Learning Map- Solving Systems of Complex Inequalities

Above I have included my learning map that tackles a difficult mathematical concept that I will be covering in my class in the next few weeks, "Solving Systems of Complex Inequalities".  This mathematical concept requires a multi-faceted solution process, and a learning map helps to keep all steps and skills organized for the learner.  Providing this learning map to the students will help them to better understand the logical process required to solve such problems, and the skills they must master in order to be successful.

Although we were provided the resources to use ExamTime, I chose to use Inspiration.  Inspiration is another version of concept map building software that I have used previously.  You can obtain a free 30-day trial, or pay for a subscription at http://www.inspiration.com/. One of the main reasons I stuck with Inspiration is that it was easy to link more than one concept to the same "node".  This was a task I was not able to accomplish using ExamTime, so it seemed more appropriate given how this concept is organized.  I also enjoyed including some more of the intricate design details that Inspiration provides.

Engaging Learning in an Online Environment

For many years, educational theorists have emphasized the need for student engagement in order for effective learning to take place.  The teacher-centric classroom has been replaced by a teacher-facilitated, student-centered classroom approach.  This is especially the case within online learning environments.  Online learners must be engaged in content collaboration, as well as, content creation throughout the course duration.  Online courses can thrive when it is treated as a learning community more so than simply a classroom.

In Chapter 1: Engaging Learning in an Online Environment, of our class text, Engaging the Online Learner, we are taken through the phases of online engagement.  Phase 1 begins simple with teacher led introductory activities, and the phases build to Phase 4 where the activities and content are being delivered by the learner/student instead of the instructor.  If this progression is successfully implemented, the students will gain confidence and eventually take ownership of the learning that occurs within the online class context.  This is a necessary piece to the online learning experience, because it can be so easy for a student to sit back and take a passive role throughout the course.  Without the engagement, and the responsibility for learning, students will not get as much from the course as would be expected.  However, if they are provided the opportunity to play such a crucial role in the process, they can walk away from the course interested, passionate, and more knowledgeable.

I have taken several online courses in my undergraduate and graduate programs in a variety of subject matter.  Furthermore, I have had a variety of experience within those courses, from impressed to completely underwhelmed.  The key element to my impression was engagement.  When courses develop a learning community with a safe and enjoyable collaborative aspect, it makes learning fun, social, and effective.  However, when I endured a class of weekly lecture videos and quizzes, I never became interested in the content, and I cannot recall a single modicum of information that was disseminated to me during that course.  Engagement and interaction is crucial in the everyday classroom, and is even more imperative in the online classroom.

For more information on how to improve student engagement in the online classroom, visit the site below from ProProfs.com:

http://www.proprofs.com/c/e-learning/improving-student-engagement-and-participation-in-online-classes/