In the past few years, I have noticed mobile learning (mLearning) has been gaining traction within more classrooms and with more teachers. I learned the importance of mLearning while teaching English in Wuhan, Hubei, China. Some of my students would use their phones during class, and while I initially assumed they were using their phones for texting, I quickly learned they were using dictionaries and translators for words or phrases they did not know. I now believe that mLearning is a valuable tool that can greatly assist students in their studies. Why do we need technology in the art classroom? Popular art and media is a perfect example why we need technology in the art classroom. How many children do you personally know that enjoy watching a particular television show, enjoy video games, or spend time on social media? From receiving phone calls on a smart phone to ordering from an animated screen at McDonalds, media on a screen is prevalent in our day-to-day life. Artists are involved in every form of digital media; with growing popularity and technology frequently evolving, the art room needs to adapt to these changes. Children enjoy new and exciting technologies, so why not facilitate their excitement within the classroom? How can technology integration increase learning using the SAMR model? The four classifications of technology integration are SAMR: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, & Redefinition To explain SAMR, I will use my personal experience in the classroom:
My Chinese students substituted using a dictionary with their smartphones. They could have used a traditional dictionary, but they used their phones. They obtained the same result, yet used a different tool to obtain that result. I augmented my classroom by posting a short story in English on my WeChat profile every day. I allowed my students to be my friend on this social media platform and my posts appeared in their feeds every day. This allowed students to learn things outside of the classroom that were quick bits of information that led up to the upcoming lecture. This helped students bring questions into the classroom before my presentation began. I modified my classroom by using WeChat, a popular communication tool in China. Outside the classroom, students could ask me questions in an audio clip and I could respond to. My responses were often immediate, which provided students with a quick response. My students who asked more questions on WeChat than they did in the classroom, providing a sense of comfort for them to approach me outside of the classroom setting. Many students excelled with their English skills through WeChat in comparison to face-to-face interactions in the classroom. I redefined the learning environment for these students by using mLearning. The veteran teachers mostly had older phones and were not as tech-savvy, so they did not allow the use of mobile devices in the classroom to the extent I did. My students were surprised I did not make them put their phones away during class, and in turn, I saw these students improve their English skills at a faster pace. In all, I learned mLearning is an effective tool that truly grabs the attention of students and I highly encourage teachers to be more open to mLearning in their classrooms.
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