Module 4: eBooks for mLearning and Curriculum Development

In this fourth module, our objectives were to research and compare mobile applications that integrate resources for various curriculum and target audiences. We were also to analyze how to repurpose or complement instructional content and learning activities of various media types via mobile instruction and extend learning opportunities beyond traditional barriers.

Readings for this module included:

• Ebooks and 21st Century Learning
• Amazon Now Sells More eBooks Than Paper Books
• GISG Study Reveals eBook Buyers are Accelerating Their Move Away From Print
• Are eBooks Changing How We Read?
• Should Schools Replace Textbooks with eBooks?
• How to Grow a Textbook
• Monetize the Hidden Value of eBooks and Other Digital Learning Assets
• Create an eBook: The Benefits of Ownership
• Send PDF to Kindle
• The Math of Publishing a Book in Print or Electronic Format
• Using Electronic Books to Increase Positive Literacy Experiences for Students with Disabilities

Videos:

• "The Kindle vs. the iPad" as eBook Readers"
• eReader 1.2 for iPhone and iPod Touch
• Amazon Kindle Software on the iPhone and Kindle 2
• Calibre eBook Management Software
• Create iPad-compatible children's ebooks for free!

Activities:

Download an eBook: I chose to download the iPad ios5 Guide. This was a free eBook in the iTunes store.

Use ePubBud and prepare and publish a simple eBook of anything that would be helpful in your educational environment. I used ePubBud to publish an iPad - iBook-formatted-guide, "How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint 2010."  Link to my book: 
http://www.epubbud.com/book.php?g=NH6DXE9P#.TuDTAq4aXSA.email

Module 3: Applications and Educational Uses

In this module, we applied evidence-based practices of mobile learning for research, communications, collaboration, and productivity. I researched and compared mobile applications that integrate resources for various curriculum and target audiences.

Readings for this module included:

• 7 Things You Should Know About Mobile Apps for Learning
• Evaluation Rubric for iPod/iPad Apps
• An Investigation Into Mobile Applications and the Viability of Mobile Learning
• Create an Instant SMS Chatroom on Your Phone
• GroupMe, Fast Society Create Private Mobile Social Networks
• Google Goggles - Use Pictures to Search the Web
• YouTube Video: Google Mobile App for iPhone - Now With Google Goggles

Activities:

We were assigned to identify and download a classroom management app fro the iTunes store. Here is a list of the apps chosen by the students in the course:

• Explain Everything (this is the app that I chose) - Link to my first demo
  
• LanSchool Teacher's Assistant
• Stick Pick
• Teacher's Assistant
• Attendance App
• Evernote
• iBehavior
• iQuiz
• Socrative Teacher - Teacher/Student Clickers
• You Can Handle Them All

We were also assigned to select, from the iTunes store, an educational application that could be used in our own educational environments.

Here's the list of apps chosen by the students in the course:

• Preschool: FingerCountLt and Rhyming Lite
• NASA
• The Elements: A Visual Exploration
• Outliner App for iPad
• EasyBib Citation App
• Evernote
• Topographic Map
• Application for World Languages
• StoryKit
• Edmodo
• The Weather Channel App

Using Voice Activated and Video Call Apps

• We watched the video "Google Mobile App for iPhone with Voice Search"
• We also watched "Introducing Voice Actions for Android"
• Mobile Tips: Voice Activation for Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and Twitter with Vlingo
  
• No Facetime? No Problem with Tango And Skype Video Calling Apps
• Skype for iPhone with Video Chat

Module 2: Action Research: Comparing Learning Outcomes of Mobile Education with Face-to-face Education

Research and compare mobile applications that integrate resources for various curriculum and target audiences.

Readings for this Module:

• Five Steps to Mobile Learning Success
• Cellphones Now Used More for Data Than for Calls
• Mobile Internet to Dominate Within 5 Years - Study
• Comparison of Mobile Learning and eLearning
• Backchannel in Education - Nine Uses

Activities and Apps:

• Sharing and Storing Documents for Mobile Use. We used DropBox, which allows you to have an online dropbox (free!) that can be accessed from any of your devices (laptop, desktop,iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Phone, and Blackberry). Whenever you drop a file into your dropbox, it is immediately available from any of your devices. Very handy! Read DropBox Basics. Macs: Dropbox for Macs. Watch this video: What is Dropbox?
  
  
• Twitter Group Discussion - The Future of Mobile Learning. Twitter in Plain English. Tools for Twitter. About GroupTweet.

Module One: Orientation and Research of Mobile Learning (m-learning)

Some of the more interesting readings for this module: 

• Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile The Speak Up National Research Project is a national initiative of Project tomorrow.
• 7 Learning Models for Mobile Learning
•  iPads in, textbooks out at some U.S. schools More than 600 U.S. school districts are moving to iPads for classroom use. The iPads are loaded with electronic textbooks and apps for taking notes. Schools hope the iPads will save money in the long run. Gadgets are a big part of today's academic life.
•  Cell phones in the classroom The internet catalog for students, teachers, administrators & parents. Over 20,000 relevant links personally selected by an educator/author with over 30 years of experience.

Also, be sure to read the UWStout Mobile Learning Newsletter.

Activites and Apps

• Introduction to D2L (Desire 2 Learn) - a course management system
• Icebreaker - Added our own "Placemark Pin" to the class Google Map with a brief introduction to our location. Very fun to see where all my classmates are located.
• Created our UWStout Profiles
• Using Twitter for Mobile Learning, including reading articles about Twitter, sharing an article with others by posting it to our class Twitter group, and responded to two classmates' tweets.
• Preparing and Taking Online Surveys, including watching two videos about polleverywhere.com (the videos are linked at polleverywhere.com.  Submitted a survey response using my iPod Touch.

Hello, I'm Pam Gades, an Instructional Technology Specialist at the University of Minnesota, Morris. As part of my continuing education and professional development, the Academic Dean encouraged me to take a 3-credit "Using Mobile Technologies to Enhance Learning" graduate course at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.  The course began on Monday, October 3, 2011.

The course is divided into eight modules, designed to be finished one module per week.  I have just completed Module 1.

I plan to focus my course work, as much as is allowed, to higher education, or more specifically, Mobile Learning in Higher Education.

I've decided to blog about my experiences in this course and share what I'm learning with those others who are interested.  For anyone who may wish to read some of the resources and try some of the mobile apps that I'm learning, please feel free to email or phone me.