Mlearning here we come!

Mlearning? The lecture on this Wednesday really opened my mind and triggered me to think further, what I as a future teacher who is going to educate the digital learners have to do with it. It really made me ponder upon my role and it made me realised my inadequacy in this techno savvy world as well. It made me realised that chalk and talk, flashcards, OHP, or even power point will not work effectively with young learners nowaways anymore. We are now venturing into the world of "mobile" learning. My sister came back from school today and told me that her year 3 pupil, has facebook and has been surfing the net for the wholeday. This is not a surprising phenomenon anymore. Undeniably, mLearning is here to stay, as it has the ability to keep learners engaged, connected, and informed, anytime and anywhere! In another word, learning is always accessible! Watch this video to grasp more insight into m-learning.

   

 

In this video, it says that mobile learning is not a single thing, it is a whole collection of lots of little BITS, it is the collection of BITS of different technology, different modes of learning, different ways to use technology to learn. We can use it for giving advises, reminder, contact with tutors, it also gives educators different approaches towards learning. It also enables us to blend different ways of teaching, for instance, we can use mp3 players together with camera to deliver our lesson. Mobile phones, ipod, mp3 players, PDA will surely come in handy when we talk about learning. They have multiple functions and they can really do wonders. They add variety and fun to learning too. So, learning is no longer a boring process.

"When a child waits, they lose interest in learning or forget what they wanted to know. You have to

get the secret right there, and with a handheld device, you can have that power." (Shuler, C. 2009)

I found that most learners, even us, tend to forget what we learn in school especially when we are at home, or when we engage in other activities. Therefore, we need to find a way that helps to break the barrier between home, school and after school. The answer to this is ‘mobile devices’. It helps learners to connect school learning and home learning. For instance, learners can use mobile phones to capture and record teaching process in class and listen to it in their spare time. It enables them to refresh what they have learnt anywhere and anytime. I found that ebook mobile is another potential learning resources that could be used in or outside the classroom.

  

With e-book mobile, learners can start reading anytime and anywhere. Indirectly, it helps to cultivate reading habit and it promotes one of the 3 M skills in the curriculum, which is ‘membaca’ as well.

These are my little thoughts and reflections regarding m-learning.

I’ve found an online reflective journal on mobile learning practice which could deepen our knowledge regarding m-learning. It offers some latest mobile learning practices and devices which have been used by some educational institutions. Here is the journal.

Last but not least, I learnt that in order to engage my pupils in mobile learning, I need to first equip myself with m-learning skills and ways to use it in the classroom. Hopefully, it can help me to deliver my lesson and engage learners in learning more effectively.