I truly cannot put into words how much I learned this semester in just a few short weeks. I still remember looking over the syllabus the first week of class and thinking “there’s no way I’m going to be able to pull off half of this – maybe I should register for a different elective – I don’t even have a Twitter account!” Yet, somehow, after the first class meeting I became enthralled in the subject of mobile learning. As someone who works on the policy side of education, and has no experience teaching, I thought it would be more difficult for me to understand how mobile learning tools could work in the classroom. However, being surrounded with such a diverse group of experienced educators in class each week, it became much easier for me to understand the multiple uses of mobile tools in the classroom (both for teachers and students). Reading other classmates’ blogs and browsing through their case studies, listening to their mobile app design presentations, and reviewing their advocacy documents for mobile education, all enriched my knowledge and perspective on mobile learning.
I also learned to frame issues of mobile learning not only as classroom-specific, but as something that I could use in the policy-realm to help promote programs and initiatives that build upon creating mobile education frameworks . In my own workplace, the Miami-Dade County public school district in Florida, I have seen first-hand some of the challenges of implementing mobile learning in already cash-strapped school districts. But I have also seen the countless opportunities it presents for students and the promise of a better public education. By putting theory and practice together through the various course assignments, I realized that the goal of expanding (and in some cases introducing) mobile learning into traditional educational models (in and outside the classroom) is indeed an attainable goal. But I learned it takes thinking outside the box, creativity, fearless optimism, and an innovative spirit. Interestingly enough, just last week, I saw such an innovative spirit in action in my own school district, where the Superintendent announced that ours would be “the boldest new product launch for any school district in the country.” [For details, click here]. Yet, not surprisingly, a few weeks ago, while I was meeting with our Asst. Superintendent for Schools of Choice, I noticed our course textbook, Disrupting Class, on her desk. It was great to see that we were on the same page, literally.
I would be remiss if I did not thank Dr. Pianfetti for an EXCELLENT course, great insight, and true dedication to making this class the best it could possibly be on its first run. I also have to thank all my classmates for their contributions to class each week and for helping to elevate the discourse on the subject with each blog post, tweet, and shared content through Facebook and Diigo. Couldn't have asked for a better group!
