In today’s input we were exploring the use of mobile devices in education such as the use of a Nintendo DSi. Having has one of these as a child I felt my immaturity and excitement coming back out as I was so excited and engaged in the facilities the nintendo has to offer (even as an adult now)! At the beginning we were given the chance to explore the Nintendo and look at the various games available that we could use when it comes to teaching within the classroom. Namely the creation of an animation using Flipnote and introducing sound to this by using the Nintendo sound icon. Using this feature a possible lesson that could be played in the classroom is ‘Guess the nursery rhyme’ where learners could create a short animated cartoon about a scene from nursery rhyme. This proves that Flipnote could be used in various subjects for different lessons and can engage the children by using the sound icon to capture their own voice and add humour into their work. I can now see how this could be an advantage to the learners in the classroom.

A second feature is Pictorchat, this is a way of communicating with the people around you in Nintendo DSi’s. We had a lot of fun in this feature during the input as we were able to chat to each other and remind us of the excitement we use to have over this as a child. A game we played that as a future primary teacher I could use in my classroom is a chase like game. This is when the teacher will call out the question and the pupils will have to answer as quick as they can therefore the person who answers first gets a point. This is a fun way of testing learners understanding and knowledge of certain subjects while adding a competitive edge for example using the multiplication tables. This a a safe and good way of allowing young people to use a ‘chat like’ technology without the worry that other people will be able to get into the chat group. I feel this is a very interesting and engaging way of learning that young people can use to develop for example story writing. They can write a story with the old fashioned ways of pen and paper, learners will be able to contribute to the story and write parts each and finally present to the class.

A final feature is the use of the camera on the Nintendo DSi. Learners could use this as a way of making characters by taking pictures(selfies) of themselves using various props and resources it offers. This could be used in a literacy lesson again using a story board by using a series of different pictures playing different characters and come up with a wonderful creation using pictures of themselves. This feature could also be used in a mathematics lesson when teaching the topics of symmetry and shape, for example using the mirror option to allow learners to see certain shapes has a line of symmetry. Overall, I feel that these features allows learners to prove their knowledge and understanding in various forms by being engaged using the sound icon and camera as well as communicating with their friends in the classroom.

An article published by the teaching times head lining ‘Games consoles benefit children;s education’ shows that research by the British Educational Suppliers Association(BESA) suggests that games consoles and the use of mobile phone devices in classrooms are playing an important role. With 406 primary schools taking part in the research, 64% of the schools admitted to providing teaching-directed homework that requires access to technology as home. This shows the the potential of mobile devices in education is not only being used in classrooms but being used at home for the parents and learners to complete homework and provide a better understanding. In addition to this, a document released by the Children’s Parliament proves that young people use at least 30 different types of technology. This statement proves that learners now a days are living in a generation surrounded by technology and must use this as an advantage to their education and engage with these in the classroom.

I personally believe the the use of mobile technologies can extremely benefit today’s learners in classrooms if teachers know exactly how to use the technology in an effective and correct way and use it in a way that pupils will gain a better understanding of the learning. Digital technology allows learners to appreciate their learning and introduce technology to them as they go on to use it in the future. As Drew Buddie, senior vice chair at Naace, the association for the UK’s education technology community said:

“Using technology in an educational environment not only better reflects children’s life outside the classroom, but also allows them to hone their digital skills in a way that will continue to be valuable throughout their adult life.”