Exploring the use of iPads and mobile devices in education.

Sam Gliksman's Blog – April 2011 Archive (4)

Do iPads Have the Capacity to Change Education?

You hear it repeatedly. You can't throw technology into schools without training and support for teachers. If you purchased a truckload of iPads for your school then you better have a plan for developing teachers that are skilled in using them ... but what does it really mean to be "skilled"? If I know all about technical specifications, how to download and synchronize apps, how to configure my iPad - does that make me skilled? What constitutes effective professional development? How do we…

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Added by Sam Gliksman on April 21, 2011 at 5:00pm — 14 Comments

Is Mobile Technology Having a Negative Impact on Social Skills?

There was a recent tongue-in-cheek article in the New York Times about the annoying habit many people have of texting when you talk to them. We're all familiar with the scene of family members or friends sitting next to each other at a table or sofa - each one interacting intensively on their own device while seemingly impervious to the fact that they are sitting right next to another person.

It has been shown that the development of social and interpersonal skills is one of the… Continue

Added by Sam Gliksman on April 19, 2011 at 9:00am — 15 Comments

One Year Later: Assessing the Impact of iPads on Education

The following post is a copy of an article written for a UNESCO sponsored site on education in developing nations.

Mobile digital devices rocketed to popularity around 10 years ago with the release of the iPod. Mobile computing went mainstream with the release of the iPhone in 2007. With the release of the iPad just one year ago,…

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Added by Sam Gliksman on April 8, 2011 at 8:00am — 10 Comments

The Two Faces of Social Networking

I've written in the past about the fact that one of the most underrated educational benefits of the iPad lies in it's ability to connect people. Whether through Facebook, Twitter, Facetime or others, mobile devices allow us to develop "learning communities" beyond the boundaries of any physical location. In giving workshops to educators and parents, I often highlight the concept of learning community as one of the most important advances of a 21st century education.

There are…

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Added by Sam Gliksman on April 1, 2011 at 2:00pm — 5 Comments