Thoughts on mobile technology

This week we learned about podcasting, vodcasting, and mobile technology. I think this has a lot of potential in the classroom, but it would require a cultural shift in how we view the purposes of these technological devices. For example, people tend to think of iPods as devices for listening to music or downloading their favorite television shows. In other words, it's used mainly for entertainment. Using this as an educational device seems a bit too much to ask for now.

I'm not sure teenagers or college students could do it or would want to do it. Asking them to transform an iPod from a video library to a smaller version of a language lab tape player seems a bit too optimistic.

Having said that, podcasting allows for maximum flexibility in that people can download and listen to podcasts on their own schedule. But I think that users would be more likely to listen to these podcasts at their regular PCs, rather than on some mobile device.

I also think podcasting/vodcasting has to compete with the digital camera. Digital cameras are easier to use and are more familiar. Their accessibility gives them credence. Podcasting is new to a lot of people, including people who are familiar with technology, such as myself. You'd have to do a lot of training of teachers in addition to training the students before you could really implement this in the classroom.

And finally, I could comfortably assert that podcasting and mobile technology seems a bit more practical than Second Life!