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The Guardian US recently mentioned “the growth in online learning is likely to push universities towards greater emphasis on one-to-one tuition and other interaction with students.”  In my mind meaning, a personalization of learning and what better way to personalize and connect with your online students than by using mobile devices.

Which really isn’t much different than working one-to-one with students, except now we have great tools to interact with our students and primary amongst them are mobile devices.

So, how are you using mobile technology in your classroom?  Whether you meet online or in person, there are techniques you can implement.

1.  Push Messages:

Use automated text messages [or voice messages] to connect with your students.  Call Loop is a free [or nearly free] service that is easy to use and integrates with services you might already be using.

  • Use it to remind students: of assignments that are due, dates and times of tests or just to check-in.  Personalize the learning experience for your students and you’ll find deeper learning.

2.  QR [Quick Response] Codes:

Think of these as the ‘wild child’ of the Bar Code. QR codes hold so much more information.  Scanning apps can be downloaded to mobile devices and used to scan any QR code you pre-load.

  • Post your homework, outside your classroom and train students to scan the code-everytime they come to class.
  • Use QR Codes to link to more intense reading, video or online experiences.

3.  Cameras & Apps:

Challenge yourself and your students to use the cameras and apps on your mobile device to create:

  • videos
  • podcasts
  • even virtual meetings

The bottom line is to just get started using mobile devices within your online course.  Make a list of 3 more things you could do to integrate mobile devices within your online learning.  Start small and get going.  Let me know if I can assist you in any way. 

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Click to play demo

Quickly and easily digitize student work and build the resource for authentic assessment in your classroom. Using smartphones, laptops and desktop interfaces, Three Ring is billed as a tool that easily allow teacher to digitize the work being done by their students.  Check it out, it’s FREE. 

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PayPal has entered the mobile world with their triangular-shaped mobile credit card-swiping gadget aimed directed at Square.

The gadget works similarly to Square, offering a simple attachment and merchant app that allows iPhones and Android smartphones to do the work of a cash register, swiping credit and debit cards, and tracking receipts. In addition, the app allows merchants to take pictures of checks and credit cards, to process payments even without the attachment. The app can also issue invoices.

But PayPal differs somewhat in market strategy: The company is hoping to become a full-on electronic wallet. PayPal Here is for merchants, but their consumer app is expanding as well. As of today, that app now includes a “local” button, which lets you pay at merchants who accept PayPal. The launch partner is Home Depot, which announced that you’ll be able to use PayPal in its 2,000 stores. L

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At PodCamp Western Mass #4 I presented a session on Mobile Marketing.  Download a copy of my presentation at SlideShare here.  Or scan any of these QR codes in your smartphone or tablet device. Please share any comments or thoughts you might have.

qrcode

And, if all this isn’t enough, check out this interesting application for QR codes. Thinking beyond the computer screen and how the QR code can be an instructional design tool.

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I just finished getting my website into a mobile format, so it is can be easily read with smartphones and/or tablet devices. Now, information about my design work is easy to find while on the go.

I have created: easy tap buttons for calling or navigating, accordion menus that expand to reveal more in depth information, videos are available, and I have my free gift ready for folks to download.

If you need your website to be mobile, look me up [on your phone] and give me a call.  I can design and create a mobile website for you and your business.

The mobile phone market is growing and you should be growing your business along with that expanding market.  According to the 60 Second Marketer, there are 6.8 billion people on the planet, 4 billions of whom own a mobile phone.  Do you know how many people own toothbrushes?  3.5 billion.  That’s right, more people own a mobile phone than own toothbrushes.

People are using their mobile devices to: locate, learn, communicate, shop, and they respond. It is predicted that by 2013 the primary way people will access the Internet will be via their mobile browsers.