Discussions

This interactive, experiential BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) workshop has its foundation in three guiding principles: (1) Building a sense of community in the classroom helps address the whole learner including achievement and academic success, (2) The Coda Research Consultancy predict global smartphone sales of some 2.5 billion over the 2010-2015 period, and suggest that mobile Internet use via smartphones will increase 50 fold by the end of that period, and  (3) Mobile devices are extensions of young people. As such, they can and should be used by communities of learners who are collaborating on learning projects.

Young people are connecting with one another through technology in unprecedented ways. Computers, Wi-Fii networks, and smart phones allow young people 24/7 access to technology and to one another. Using smart devices in educational settings as learning and community building tools can promote interpersonal communication and encourage young people to positively express their individuality and build their student-to-student, student-to-educator relationships. The activities that will be presented and experienced during this workshop use the technology that young people use - cell phones, social networking sites, laptops, blogs, and digital cameras. These activities focus upon and build diversity and cultural sensitivity, teamwork and problem solving, self-reflection and self-exploration, and communication and self-expression (adapted from Wolfe & Sparkman, 2009).

The 2011 Horizon report identified the use of mobile devices in educational settings as a trend that is emerging now. "For most people in the developed world, a mobile is always close at hand and available with speedy Internet access whenever it is needed. Mobiles are easy to use for web browsing; much of the available content seamlessly adjusts for optimal display on whichever device is used to access it" (2011 Horizon Report).  As such mobile devices lend themselves to assisting groups of students working virtually from remote locations to build a sense of community and collaboration.

Through participation in this session, you can expect to:

• Explore the research about the use of mobile devices by young people worldwide.
• Learn through experience at least two community-building activities within global-based virtual learning environments.
• Develop ideas and strategies for integrating mobile-driven team building activities into your global collaboration projects.

This session is divided into three parts:

1. Exploring research on the importance of building a learning community and how people throughout the globe are using their mobile devices.
2. Learning, playing, and experiencing community-building games that can be used virtually by learners involved in global collaborations using their own mobile devices - see http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/team-and-community-building-using-mobile-devices/ for a list and descriptions of these activities. Yes, we will do this virtually!
3. Brainstorming through Wallwisher and discussion - how these ideas and activities can be integrated into one's own work environment.

Supporting Research:
Cisco. (2011). Air, Food, Water, Internet – Cisco Study Reveals Just How Important Internet and Networks Have Become as Fundamental Resources in Daily Life. Retrieved from http://newsroom.cisco.com/press-release-content?type=webcontent&articleId=474852 

 Cranston, P, and Davis, T.  Global Social Networks. Retrieved from http://www.communicationforsocialchange.org/publications/future-connect?articleid=35

Lenhart, A., Ling, R., Campbell, S., Purcell, K. (2010, April). Teens and Mobile Phones. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones.aspx.

New Media Consortium. (2011).  2011 Horizon Report: One Year or Less: Mobiles. Retrieved from http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2011/sections/mobiles/.

Schaps, E. (2003) Creating Caring Schools. Educational Leadership, 60(6) p. 31-33.

Smith, A. (2011, August). Americans and Text Messaging. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Cell-Phone-Texting-2011/Summary-of-Findings.aspx.

Shuler, C. (2009). Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children’s Learning New York: Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Retrieved from http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/Reports-23.html.

Teaching Today. (n.d.). Cell Phones in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/cell-phones-in-the-classroom.

Wallace. J. (2011). Student-Community Collaboration to Construct Mobile Learning Games Educause 24(3). Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/StudentCommunityCollaborationt/236668.

Watters, E. (2011). Texting in the Classroom: Not Just a Distraction. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/texting-classroom-audrey-watters.

Wolfe, B. D, and Sparkman, C. P. (2009). Team-Building Activities for the Digital Age: Using Technology to Develop Effective Groups. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.