Journal 8

Journal 8 The Future of Education “Learning while mobile”
Mark Van’t Hooft

The article starts by mentioning the changing world we live in. The world is more mobile. The advancement of technology is making the way we live and learn change. It talks about the future being very close and what it might bring to education. The author talks of learning while mobile. An education “on the run.” No longer are we waiting for people at payphones. Technology has given people the ability to be on the go, and education is no different. This article talks of the more informal side of learning.

Question 1: What will this mean to classroom collaboration? I spoke with one of my vice principal’s at the high school I work at about working with the English department when covering certain parts of history. For example, this vice principle told me that he thought it would be very beneficial if our history class covered the holocaust at the same time that the English classes are reading Night, or The Diary of Anne Frank. With this these ideas of mobile learning, where students are connected, how will teachers collaborate and share? If students are online and mobile, the classrooms could follow suit by staying in tune with each other to get the most out of each project. I think technology is giving teachers the ability to collaborate in a more efficient manner. I can see all the classes being connected someday using these new mobile technologies.

Question 2: If learning while mobile provides a bridge between schools and society, would this take away from the autonomy of the teachers and students? We now have the means to be forever connected, are we helping the educational process at the cost of freedom?
When school ended at 2:30 today, I felt like I was on an island again. I knew that I had more work to do at home, but I felt like I had an escape from the students. I wonder if this connection online will take the freedom out of teaching? Will we become all time teachers? Will our union allow us to work more than full time? I have this feeling something will be lost. I do believe that the education teachers can provide to students will be much better as the result of mobile technology and learning, but I have this fear something will be lost in return.