MOBILE LEARNING GROUP

Alison, Yes! We should have a Mobile Learning group for all the reasons you enumerate. Funding should be one of the three main topics of discussion. As long as ‘formal’ adult education centers are not able to go beyond the walls, we should take the case to the Community Based Organizations that provide classes. CBOs are more able to provide “mobile learning opportunities for the hardest to reach - who can be reached by smart phone!”    

You mentioned that mobile learning can “increase learner motivation through the fact that cell phones are addictive, prestigious and social. “

And by extrapolation a class based on mobile learning can become “addictive, prestigious and social.”  Actually the ‘social’ aspect of learning is very important and can be the main ingredient in a successful class.

Anyway, perhaps you could give us a short seminar on the experiences with Cell-Ed. It would serve a dual purpose by also introducing a How To ...incorporate mobile learning into any class.

Paul

Comments

Paul, and others,

For several years,I have moderated an international mobile learning group, Mlearning, on the free discussion group platform, Wiggio. Anyone here is welcome to join. Send me an email, and I'll send you an invitation. Most members are adult education practitioners in the U.S. Several are also on the LINCS Technology and Learning CoP and other LINCS CoPs.

David J. Rosen

djrosen123@gmail.com

Paul and others,

I had not planned on publicizing this for a couple of months, but since you asked...Alison is actually presenting (along with Susan Gaer) on just these topics. However not until May. But you can register now (You will get a reminder in May.)  and she can of course share her knowledge here or in the mlearning group in the meantime.  

Steve Quann 

Director, EdTech Center World Education

 

Hi Paul, You also have a lot to share about using your Facebook page LECTURAS PARA APRENDER INGLES and your new mobile enabled website: http://www.inglesconprofepablo.com/collated mobile-enabled websites to bring critical ESL resources to native spanish speakers (and their teachers!). After signing up for your FB page, I've been "notified" many times by Facebook of new lessons and if I were a student, I'd be reminded of my interest in improving my English various times a week (if not day!). I'd find these reminders very helpful and motivating. And we see the same with Cell-Ed students- that the texts we send out with motivational messages or with Spaced Learning questions (with questions from their curriculum) do motivate students to call back in to study. I'm going to post a new question in this community about use of Facebook pages. I hope you respond!

Let's keep this conversation going- and yes, especially about funding so we can put all of our lessons learned together and truly reach those our system is not serving or underserves.

Alison - Thanks!!!!!! You once again hit the nail on the head. This morning I had a "class" via Facebook video chat with two students in Costa Rica. They are two women in their 40s with kids, and very eager to learn English. One told me she talks with others from Facebook who are too shy to chat with me! I said...this is exactly what I would love to see happen! It will go this way, there is no doubt. Interestingly Pumarosa is now more and more of a reference, sort of like a talking dicitiionary with a little more. Sooon, very sooon I am told, it will be in a Mobile version. 

We often talk about Life Long Learning - well mobile lessons provide the matrix for Life Long learning, especially with English, which takes a lot of time and patience at first, especially.

I see the Pumarosa program working well with Cell-Ed....providing everyone in the world with a solid base to use in their studies of this all too vexing language! 

Funding - I think it is a good idea to focus on funding along with "program developement", etc. Grants and "creative-fund raising" - from Bake sales to...Concerts with Adele or Jennifer Lopez! Why not!?

Thanks again, your post made this day a great day!

Paul