I have my doubts about phone use for learning in the FE college classroom. The technology is there, but given students’ current attitudes and behaviours, I don’t think mobiles are about to hasten the fourth industrial revolution any time soon (or is it fifth? I can never keep track).
Until someone finds a way to overcome human nature, we will have to wait until such time that tech can be used to unravel the mysteries of a vocation in the classroom. Especially when there’s online pool to be played, YouTubers to watch and Pornhub to browse (and no, don’t talk to me about filters and blocks; if some of my students put the same time and effort into their studies as they do in getting past college online restrictions, I’d be teacher of the year).
Having said that, smartphones and other gear can be used in great ways to improve the college experience. Helping with accessibility for students with special educational needs and disabilities, for instance, or tools to push the more pastoral side of things. When it comes to these areas, I’m basically in love with what technology can do. Because phones, laptops tablets and the like don’t just offer explicit learning tools, they offer a multitude of apps and functions that ensure learners can make the most of their opportunities.
Background: Need to know: What is the fourth industrial revolution?
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Useful tools
The better-known organisational and listing apps can be used for revision (such as Any.do and Trello linked to Google Calendar), and to ensure that a student knows what they’re doing and where they’re going. But with a little effort, you can find tools such as Habitica.com, which uses a role-playing game interface to instil habits and routines (great if you’re lacking in motivation, and the perfect fit for a game-design student of mine on the autism spectrum who was struggling with transition to the new routine at college).
Do your lot have trouble waking up to get to their first lesson? Do YOU have trouble waking up to get to your first lesson? You could get them to download I Can’t Wake Up! Alarm Clock (on Android) where, instead of sleeping through the alarm or hitting the snooze button half-a-dozen times, you have to actually complete a task (my personal favourite being scanning the barcode of a box of cornflakes in the kitchen. Clever, right?)
Do the digging
Technology presents a wealth of opportunity to help students achieve their potential during their time at college and we, as staff, can help them to do this. That means we have to do a little digging ourselves, but we’re in the perfect position to do this, as we know the students and we can easily pinpoint some of the challenges they face. So, have a think about Claire in health and beauty who’s struggling with the online learning app due to her visual impairment: could she use a magnifier extension on Chrome? What about Scott who’s struggling to remember and regulate his ADD medication: could he use a pill-reminder app?
There are a lot of tools out there to help someone make their time at college better. You could also find a way to get out of bed to catch the bus that gets you there on time. I see you.
Tom Starkey teaches English at a college in the north of England
