Mlearning Article #9 iPad

“In World of Education Apps, Tech Owes Teachers Some Media Literacy”

This article was written by an education editor for the Huffington Post who attended a Digital Media and Learning Conference. One question that came up was, “How does a teacher make sense of which education apps are best suited for the classroom when everything just looks like Angry Birds?” Many educational apps are designed to appeal to students, but app creators need to show educators the most effective ways to use them. Then teachers will be able to talk intelligently to kids, administrators, and parents about their use in the classroom. A lot of software is created, but then there are no helps for teachers to find out how to use them well. It was suggested that educational app developers should consult with a panel of teachers who understand content standards and the subject matter. Most teachers understand that there must be quality content in an app, not just novelty and fun. Many are ingeniously creating all kinds of lessons using things like “Myth Busters” and rap songs. However, new technology takes time to learn and set up, and has the potential for technical failure. It would make it easier for teachers if there were some sort of media literacy provided.

I really appreciated this article. I feel like many of the educational apps I have looked at are either confusing (“How does this cover standards? How would I use this?”), or just not worth the class time it would take to use them. It would be great if educational app developers simply listed the standards that their app covered, and ways to use them in a classroom. Being required to consult with teachers before releasing the app would also be a great idea, and it would cut out a lot of the “gimmicky” products out there. I am somewhat confused about the use of games/apps in the classroom. Yes, letting the kids play Oregon Trail will teach them about westward expansion and the dangers settlers faced. Still, are you really going to let them play the game for hours in class when that material could be easily covered in one class period with a video, a collaborative project, and a few reflective sentences? Does it really engage their critical thinking skills? If app developers could address some of these concerns I think it would be very helpful.