The obligatory iPhone in education post
So… the iPhone was unleashed in the UK yesterday (Friday 9 November) to an over-hyped audience. It has a revolutionary interface and is the must-have gadget this Christmas. I, however, will not be getting one being quite happy with my Nokia N95 and the excellent 5 megapixel photos it produces, ability to record MPEG-4 video, and built-in GPS.
The release of the iPhone does throw open the debate on the use of mobile phones in schools. Most schools in the UK (to my knowledge) have a fairly strict policy of mobile phone usage: certainly turned off in lessons if they are allowed in school at all. The iPhone, which comes with unlimited (‘fair use’) data transfer changes the way in which students can access online information. Coupled with instant messaging, a camera and a fully-fledged operating system (once Jailbreak has been applied), this is a very powerful device.
I’m looking forward to the upcoming storm when pupils, through the increased focus on ‘pupil voice’, start demanding to use the technology they already use every day for learning. If you’re part of a forward-thinking school and want to know how you can anticipate this, please get in touch! š
I’m writing this on my new iPhone and I have to say I’m incredibly impressed, I haven’t thought about the educational uses yet but the web browsing capabilities are the obvious place to start. Even on the infamous edge they are more than adequate to be used all the time. I guess the overall cost is going to limit the number we see in classrooms for a while yet.