Yes
Somewhat
No
Students could potentially focus more on building their webpages than
on traditional classroom distractions. Yet they could get distracted on the
web as well. Allowing students to capture data (via their mobile devices) on
their own time removes the concern of distraction during classroom time.
Students can self-pace through the activity.
Using a templated, design-heavy webpage tool should excite the students,
and allowing students to use their own mobile devices will ensure
familiarity with the tool.
Developing their own webpages requires students to become active
learners, which is possible only when using the technology tool. In
addition, students become active in their everyday communities by
capturing data to send to the website.
Students are taking what they would traditionally write in a paper and
putting it on the web. In scenario #2 and #3 they are integrating elements
of interaction (to elicit dialogue around the information in the website). This
is something they could not do on paper as easily.
Students will be polling and asking website viewers to participate in the
debate, which should help develop a deeper understanding of the issue
and potentially more evidence for both the pro and the con side of the
issue.
The interactive features require students to defend their arguments to the
website visitors through forums or commenting prompts.
By allowing students to use their mobile devices to post and record
evidence, students stretch their learning beyond the classroom.
Being able to use mobile devices to collect data and evidence allows
them to use their personal tools in the classroom and blend their everyday
experiences with their classroom learning. Students are also able to
capture data from their everyday world.
Students are learning to collect data, capture evidence, and form
arguments with an everyday device. This is something they could replicate
as they continue to grow as learners both inside and outside of school.
