Today we continued to use mobile devices in the classroom and how it can be implemented into a literacy or a maths lesson. We began to explore the many different features of the Nintendo DSi and how the apps on the console can be used to effectively contribute towards an overall lesson. For example Pictochat can be used to discuss questions with other members in a classroom and can even be used to answer questions as part of a game. It can also be sued as a way of making sure that children have understood what they are being taught and it also allows them to be able to explore software and use what they learn to present solutions to problems they come across, as well as being able to organise and manage informaiton that they gather to apply them to different scenarios they are presented with (TCH-0-03a/1-03a). It also can provide a more effective and fun way to allow for them to develop their communication skills as well as other areas of their knowledge, as they can work together in group chats to discuss the answers. They can also be reused from class to class as they can be applied to many different subjects and many different age groups. For example, apps such as pictochat can be used to get a group of pupils to answer questions in a chatroom and discuss their answers and why they think there one is correct, and then reveal the answer. The only problem with this is that the teacher may have to potentially monitor the activity to make sure that they don’t go off from the set task and become distracted by something else.
