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| http://ajjuliani.com/can-honest-conversation-phones-classroom/ |
As we all know, mobile devices are ubiquitous in western nations, and their prevalence in developing nations is increasing. In an article for The Guardian, Alison Flood cited a 2014 Unesco study on the "mobile reading revolution" happening in developing nations as demonstrating that "mobile reading represents a promising, if still under-utilized, pathway to text." The impact of mobile reading devices on improving literacy in developing nations cannot be understated; the Unesco study author Mark West maintains that phones "can help people develop, sustain and enhance literacy skills." Mobile devices are essential to encouraging literacy skills in developing world populations because it is so much more cost effective and more readily available than print resources; the Unesco study points out that this information technology is so important because "they are plentiful in places where books are scarce."
While mobile phone technology has the potential to be a "library in one's pocket," and many people in developing nations do have cell phones, many of these cell phones are not smartphones but so-called "dumb phones." Deanne Gittens' 2016 blogpost "Basic Cell Phones Still Rule in Developing Countries" points out that the best-selling mobile phone in the world is the Nokia 1100, which is a basic phone rather than a smart phone. There are many reasons that people in developing nations may not choose to purchase a smartphone, including the cost and the fact that data is an expensive commodity that becomes "non-essential in rural areas where some families live on a daily budget of what amounts to the cost of a Starbucks coffee." Still, Gittens notes that this is changing with companies such as Huawei beginning to market inexpensive smartphones in Africa that are directed at the growing middle class.
Importantly, non-profit organizations such One Laptop Per Child are looking to provide children in developing nations with access to rugged, low-cost, low-power connected laptops. The initiative provides children with laptops to improve literacy and numeracy skills so that they may "break the cycle of poverty and empower children to create a better future for themselves and their families."
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| one.laptop.org |
The mission to find ways to improve literacy and education in developing nations is also the focus of BRCK which provides a laptop kit to impoverished areas of Nairobi. Steven Livingston in his article on "Classroom technologies narrow education gap in developing nations" describes the BRCK Kio kit as 40 Kio tablets that come with a BRCK- "a durably built, brick-sized connectivity device intended for use where electricity and internet connections are unreliable." Both One Laptop Per Child and BRCK seek to make local, culturally relevant educational content available to children in even remote and poverty-stricken areas.
Though the focus of many non-profits is on developing nations, there is an argument that some remote First Nations communities in Canada could benefit from better access to technology to improve education. Many socio-economically disadvantaged First Nations communities lack access to education that is equal to that provided by the province, and many students in small and remote communities are faced with the choice of leaving their reserves to pursue education in urban centres, far away from their families. Brian Beaton's article "Digital Technology Innovations in Eduction in Remote First Nations" highlights the work being done by First Nations leaders and educators across the North who are using digital tools and networks to support education and training programs that best meet the needs of the community. Not only are these students engaging in 21st century learning, they don't need to leave the safety of their community to do so. Making access to technology a possibility for First Nations children on Canadian reserves is just as life-transforming as making smart devices available to children living in developing nations.
Smart devices have the potential to transform learning in both developed and developing nations. In western nations, technology can enhance learning and encourage the development of 21st literacy skills, while in developing nations, smart devices in the hands of children has the potential to provide an education where there was previously little chance for one.
References
Beaton, Brian. "Digital Technology Innovations in Education in Remote First Nations." In Education. Vol.22, No.1, 2016. https://ineducation.ca/ineducation/article/view/266/847
Flood, Alison. "Mobile reading revolution takes off in developing world." The Guardian. Wed. 23 April 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/23/mobile-reading-revolution-unesco-study-phones-africa-subcontinent
Gittens, Deanne. "Basic cell phones still rule in developing countries." Hyla blog. Nov 29, 2016. http://blog.hylamobile.com/basic-cell-phones-still-rule-in-developing-countries
Livingston, Steven. "Classroom technologies narrow education gap in developing nations." Blogpost. Tuesday August 23, 2016. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2016/08/23/classroom-technologies-narrow-education-gap-in-developing-countries/
One Laptop Per Child. http://one.laptop.org
Unicef Innovation. Blogpost. "How Mobile Phones are Changing the Developing World." 5 August 2015. https://blogs.unicef.org/innovation/how-mobile-phones-are-changing-the-developing-world/
Great post! So much information. I have also struggled with students using their phones in the classroom. You said you are encouraging it more, what methods are you using to make sure the time using the phone is productive? I love technology and have encouraged it but found sometimes it depended on the class itself whether it was productive or not. I am always looking for new ways to make it better.
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