How Mobile Technology Can Improve the K-12 Education Processes
Given the widespread use of mobile devices in personal and work life, it doesn’t seem farfetched to imagine greater use of this technology within K-12 classrooms. In fact, many classrooms are now investing in mobile technology for teaching and administrative purposes. COVID-19 has sped up the adoption by schools or school districts to adopt the technology. Many companies like Docutrend or Promethean have been hard at work developing their offerings to help teachers to provide the best for their students.
Mobile technology provides convenience, speeds up tasks
One huge benefit of mobile technology is that it is portable. Tablet computers, and smartphones, in particular, can be easily carried or placed in a pocket—enabling them to be used in virtually any location.
This provides convenience to educators, helping explain why they are more likely to agree than disagree that mobile technology improves K-12 education processes. Furthermore, immediate access to a mobile device speeds up the completion of tasks.
Mobile technology opens up learning possibilities
When students have access to mobile devices and associated mobile apps, they have access to a wide range of content they might not otherwise encounter. For example, they can view information that’s updated in real-time, available in a variety of languages, and sourced from all corners of the world.
While this information could theoretically be viewed on a desktop PC as well, there are typically not many of these in a classroom. A classroom is more likely to have access to multiple mobile devices due to their size, portability, and cost.
Mobile technology gives students technical skills
The skills required for student success are shifting as technology evolves. Once, schools prioritized typing on a traditional keyboard, but this need is largely being replaced by typing (or swiping) on a mobile device touchscreen or voice-controlled input.
Additional trends include interactive displays and applications
Companies like Promethean are bringing mobile learning to another level. With their interactive displays, teachers can prepare lessons for their students and place them in a virtual location where students easily can access them. Practice and assessments are provided and turned in virtually upon completion. When possible, there are a variety of lessons provided to meet the differentiated needs of the students. This could include videos, readings, online collaborative work, virtual discussions, project-based, and more.
Students are given a certain amount of time to complete the lessons. Teachers then provide feedback to the students on the “assignments” using a comment feature and/or a grade.
In most cases, teachers schedule “office hours” when they are available via online video “chats,” such as Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, or Skype, to answer questions or to check-in “face-to-face” with students.
In order for students to excel in new technologies, they need to be using them. They will gain advantages over students who lack access to these devices (and associated software), making them better prepared for college and ultimately a career.
Summary
Mobile technology in the form of devices and software can truly improve processes from a convenience, speed, and learning perspective. Teachers can complete tasks more efficiently, while students have the opportunity to acquire a vast array of content and technical skills that can serve them throughout their personal and work lives.