From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning

PBS Kids go Mobile!

2009-11-06T10:46:00.002-05:00

A few years ago PBS did a study where they gave parents of preschoolers a cell phone loaded with applications to help the children learn to read. The study was successful. Now PBS has posted free mobile applications for parents to download on their iPods and cell phones. All of the favorite PBS characters can be loaded on the phone--Mister Rogers, Curious George and more! While most preschoolers do not have their own cell phone, they can use their parent's phones to learn literacy!

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show Oct 21st: MS Principal Dr. Kipp Rogers--Using Cell Phones in His School

2009-10-22T14:52:00.002-04:00

Chat Transcript:
*** (19:19:47):Welcome to the Liz Kolb Chat Room.
Liz Kolb says (19:30:13):
Hi Jym
JymBrittain says to (19:30:24):
Hi Liz!
JymBrittain says to (19:30:50):
I shared your tweet to my fb account. I'm hoping a bunch of my friends show
Liz Kolb says (19:31:50):
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:ezwrtytAamEJ:sbo.nn.k12.va.us/news/archive/2009/2009-04-06dp_cellphones_in_class.pdf+Kipp+Rogers+AND+Cell+Phones&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AFQjCNHRLwyjibLfaQto7n3HpJDc2aGroA
Liz Kolb says (19:32:37):
Thank you Jym!
Liz Kolb says (19:32:43):
Hi Peggy!!
Peggy_G says to (19:33:28):
HI-I was having problems finding the chat box!
Liz Kolb says (19:33:39):
Oh No!
Peggy_G says to (19:34:49):
I got a chance to drop the link for your book and sing your praises today on a webinar re mobile learning with Training Magazine Network. :-)
Liz Kolb says (19:35:34):
YAY! Peggy you rock! Thank you
Peggy_G says to (19:35:57):
This is such a great story!!
Liz Kolb says (19:36:04):
Love him
Peggy_G says to (19:36:44):
WE just need to listen to the kids :-)
JymBrittain says to (19:36:58):
I'm presenting to a doc level class on monday on mobile tools for teaching and learning. doing a 3 hour workshop on the topic in march
Peggy_G says to (19:37:41):
I'll bet the kids are begging to get into his classes!
Peggy_G says to (19:39:02):
I'd love to hear more about how he is collecting his data :-)
Liz Kolb says (19:39:48):
I love how he encourages his teachers to use them!
Peggy_G says to (19:40:16):
definitely!
JymBrittain says to (19:40:21):
quite a change from most administrators
Liz Kolb says (19:40:37):
@Jym Oh yes!
JymBrittain says to (19:40:58):
there's some good work coming out of ontario too
Peggy_G says to (19:41:05):
often it isn't the school administrators that are creating the school policy about cell phones--it's often the district administrators
Peggy_G says to (19:41:58):
great idea!
Liz Kolb says (19:43:42):
3rd year!!!!
Liz Kolb says (19:44:18):
Talking with Dr Kipp Rogers MS Principal Using Cell Phones in LEarning http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:ezwrtytAamEJ:sbo.nn.k12.va.us/news/archive/2009/2009-04-06dp_cellphones_in_class.pdf+Kipp+Rogers+AND+Cell+Phones&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AFQjCNHRLwyjibL
Peggy_G says to (19:44:46):
that's such a brilliant way to start!! That's what Tim Tyson did when he introduced blogging to his teachers :-) Then the second year they were all expected to blog!
Peggy_G says to (19:47:00):
good idea--important for kids to know if they have unlimited texting!
Peggy_G says to (19:48:37):
digital footprints!! :-)
JymBrittain says to (19:49:02):
I'm not getting any audio. I'll catch the podcast later.
Peggy_G says to (19:50:20):
so sorry JymBrittain!
Liz Kolb says (19:50:44):
({)
Peggy_G says to (19:51:37):
isn't that amazing!! they almost all have cell phones!
Peggy_G says to (19:52:11):
@Jim-do your students resist using their cell phones for learning?
Peggy_G says to (19:52:28):
what an enlightened principal!!!
Liz Kolb says (19:52:39):
Yes!!!
Liz Kolb says (19:53:29):
Peggy--will ask
Peggy_G says to (19:53:46):
I definitely plan to share this recording with some of my principal friends!! It is so inspiring!
Peggy_G says to (19:55:08):
such a great point about using a variety of ways to communicate with parents! I'm sure they appreciate it!
Peggy_G says to (19:55:26):
:-)
Peggy_G says to (19:56:43):
I love that they can't say they lost their homework because they always have their cell phone with them.
Liz Kolb says (19:57:06):
@Peggy I agree!!
Peggy_G says to (19:58:23):
Jim needs to take his story on the road!! Districts would love to hear these first-hand experiences from a principal!
Liz Kolb says (19:58:34):
I'll tell him!!!!
Peggy_G says to (19:59:14):
Tell the teachers/principals to get started the same way he did! That is such an effective strategy!
Peggy_G says to (20:00:35):
How about NECC/ISTE 2010?
Liz Kolb says (20:00:45):
Anytime Anywhere Mobile Learning Using Cell Phones Activities for the Classroom. Technology & Education
Peggy_G says to (20:00:47):
need a link for his book :-)
Peggy_G says to (20:01:50):
sounds wonderful!
Peggy_G says to (20:02:16):
Thanks for another great show Liz!
Liz Kolb says (20:02:18):
Let me get the link!
Peggy_G says to (20:02:23):
ok
Liz Kolb says (20:03:58):
I can't find it but will post on my blog!
Liz Kolb says (20:04:09):
Peggy Thanks for joining us! Isn't Kipp wonderful!
Peggy_G says to (20:04:15):
ok-I'll look there or google it :-)
Peggy_G says to (20:04:22):
Absolutely!!
Liz Kolb says (20:05:22):
Link to Kpp's Book: http://www.teamvistech.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=482&zenid=e7b2be070b6b30e2b17b58b1ec8587c4

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show Oct 7th: 2 Teachers Getting Started with Cell Phones in Learning

2009-10-10T23:55:00.003-04:00

Students Can Use SMS to Check & Post to Their Google Calendar

2009-10-06T13:36:00.003-04:00

While the lucky ones who have smartphones can use their quick mobile Internet connections to check up on their Google Calendar or other web-based organizers, the rest of us (yes I am in this group!) cannot! However, if you use Google Calendar, you can use text messaging to post and read your calendar events. Here is a link to the all the information on how to do this with Google. It is very simple:

To text a new event
Send a new Text Message to:
48368

In Message:
Homework for social studies is to read chapter 3 and write essay on the American frontier due tomorrow at 2:00pm

Google Calendar will put all the information in the correct date and time!!

To read your events via text
Send a new Text Message to:
48368

In Message:

'next': request your next scheduled event
'day: request all of your scheduled events for the present day
'nday': request your events scheduled for the following day

**Right now you can only do this within a 24 hr window.

This would be a nice way to help students' organize by either having them create their own calender (at the secondary school level) or a class calendar (at the elementary level) where they can take turns sending and receiving assignments (and parents could join in too!).

Simpsons: Goes Mobile!

2009-10-05T14:10:00.004-04:00

The first paperless-texting teacher shows up on The Simpsons!

Old School?

New School?

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show is BACK!! Conversation with Nabeel Ahmad from Columbia University: Mobile Learning Course

2009-09-24T21:49:00.002-04:00

The show has returned for the Fall! Jeff and I have a great line up of guests this Fall. Please check them out at:
http://blogtalkradio.com/elikeren

The Future of Mobile...

2009-09-13T20:27:00.001-04:00

Visualizing the future of Mobile Phones from the MOCOM 2020 project.

Teachers Use Cell Phones to Tweet at Movies!

2009-08-30T22:46:00.003-04:00

In order to help students improve their writing skills (and thinking around writing & literacy), principle Kipp Rogers at Passages Middle School in Virginia decided to have his teachers do an activity with their cell phones at the movie theater! Yes! They were asked to turn on their cell phones and text message to twitter during the movie Julie & Julia.

Your DailyBooth: PhotoTweeting for Classroom Learning

2009-08-20T22:26:00.005-04:00

I have a few favorite sites that couple with my cell phone camera for posting images to the web. Three of my favorites are Pixelpipe, Photobucket and Flickr. I now have a fourth. It is called DailyBooth. DailyBooth is a "twitter" environment for photos. It is incredibly easy to set up and use. Once you create an account, you get a mobile email address where you can send pictures from any cell phone! The pictures appear just like twitter posts. The pictures appear instantly and with optional text. There are also some nice privacy settings on DailyBooth. I really like that you only need to set up one account and can use it with all of the student cell phones (thus no need for student accounts and the teacher can have control over editing).

Classroom Integration
Homework
The very first thing I thought of when I was playing with DailyBooth was image-based homework assignments! Students could easily capture images of everyday culture that reflects classroom learning. For example, students in a biology class could take pictures of different types of species they encounter everyday and send it to the class Dailybooth feed. They could comment on each others images to have an academic discussion on the images.

Image-Based Storytelling
Students could post mobile images to create a storybook. Especially if each student had their own DailyBooth account, they could have their own storybook (and it would be created in the moment--in real time).

Storyboarding
What a fun way to create a storyboard for a video project by texting in images and text describing the different scenes.

School Current Events/News Feed
With parents permission, the school could create a DailyBooth Image feed of school activities and events. Parents could follow and stay up to date as well as comment.

Research Report
Yes! I did say research report---twitter style! Students could put together their own inquiry-based image project to research a topic, provide evidence and a conclusion. For example they could use images to describe what they believe to be the greatest cause of the current economic crisis in the U.S.. Or evidence of whether or not global warming is a real phenomena. Images can be a powerful way to present a well-thought out research study.

Homework Quizes Via Phonevite

2009-08-08T22:09:00.003-04:00

Wow! I'm really enjoying the ease of a resource called Phonevite. Phonevite allows you to record a message, send it to 25 people at one time on a scheduled time! You can also request an "RSVP" or "Message-Back". Therefore after recipiants hear the message on their phone, they are asked to immediately reply. The message can go back to the teachers' Phonevite private account where all the messages are compiled. The "RSVP" messages are multiple choice options (think quick multiple choice reviews--on the fly!), while the "Message-Back" messages are open-ended replies (this speaking quizzes, exams, reviews, discussions, summaries, elaborations, and speeches). In addition your original recordings are all saved in Phonevite so that you could send out the same recording message to different groups of students every school year (no need to reinvent the wheel!).

Accessibility for those without cell phones because Phonevite works with a landline, cell phone, or computer microphone to record. Phonevite also calls you! Rather than having to worry about dialing a long distance number, Phonevite will do the calling. In addition if students do not have access to a phone at all, they can receive the Phonevite messages via email (it appears as an MP3 file).

Limitations for Free Account: With the Free Account you can program a broadcast to up to 25 contacts (up to twice every 30 days).

Classroom Applications!
Quizzes and Exams
This is a wonderful tool for any type of speaking quiz or oral exam. You could tell students when to expect the quiz (since you can schedule a time) or you can do some "quizzes on the fly" by sending them out randomly. Because students need to respond immediately, they need to be prepared for the quiz that might come their way!

Homework Reviews
Instead of asking students to respond to the questions in the back of the book, we could do some homework questions or summaries orally via Phonevite.

Mymiamia The ChaCha for Many Countries!

2009-07-22T20:22:00.009-04:00

I often gloat about how fantastic ChaCha is for gathering information. ChaCha allows you to dial a toll-free number or send a text message and receive information regarding just about anything! Sadly ChaCha can only be used in the United States. However, I often forget to mention that there is an alternative for countries outside of the U.S.. It is called Mymiamia. Mymiamia works in the same way as ChaCha. You can call or text in a question, then receive an answer within a few minutes. These countries include Austrialia, Norway, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, South Africa, and many more! I pasted in the chart of voice and SMS numbers below. Try it!

Classroom Connections:
1) Field Trips/Outside of Classroom Learning
While many teachers may have concerns with using cell phones inside of classroom to gather knowledge and data (although I think this speaks to the need to adjust assessment to more inquiry-based higher order thinking skills), teachers could encourage students to take advantage of Mymiamia on a field trip for gathering knowledge. For example, if students are at a historical village or science museum, and they learn about a famous person, they can gather more knowledge about that person via Mymiamia---in the moment. Thus they learn how to use their cell phones as an immediate knowledge gathering tool!

2) Beginning Inquiry Research
English, Science, and Social Studies courses often encourage inquiry-based learning. While Mymiamia is not going to write an inquiry paper or do inquiry research, it can help students get started on their knowledge gathering process. For example, students could ask, "What are some reasons why the stock market crashed in 1929?" Mymiamia will give a variety of reasons or just one reason. Then it is up to the students to find evidence to corraborate the findings from Mymiamia. They could continue to use Mymiamia IF they know which type of questions to ask. Such as "were there any regulations on the stock market trading in the 1920's?". Once again this is not a paper, rather a knowledge gathering process.

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show Wed July 15th: Math Teacher Jimbo Lamb Talks Cell Phones & Learning

2009-07-18T14:13:00.002-04:00

Chat Transcript:
Liz Kolb says (19:13:19):
We are talking today with Jimbo Lamb. A Math educator from Pennsylvania, who uses cell phones in his teaching and learning. http://misterlamb.blogspot.com/
Liz Kolb says (19:14:07):
About Chalkbot http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/livestrong/en_US/chalk_messages
Liz Kolb says (19:15:10):
We are talking today with Jimbo Lamb, a secondary Math educator from Pennsylvania who uses cell phones in his teaching. http://misterlamb.blogspot.com/
Liz Kolb says (19:20:11):
We will get started in about 10 minutes!
Liz Kolb says (19:29:46):
Hi Paul Thanks for joining us
Paul R Wood says to (19:30:15):
My pleasure. I am still trying to figure out how we missed each other at NECC. Too funny.
misterlamb says to (19:31:30):
Lance is racing this year
misterlamb says to (19:31:41):
Currently in 3rd place
Liz Kolb says (19:32:14):
Text 'LIVESTRONG' followed by your chalk message to 36453, and we'll let you know when it's written.
Paul R Wood says to (19:32:15):
8 seconds behind
Liz Kolb says (19:32:55):
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/livestrong/en_US/chalk_messages
Liz Kolb says (19:33:50):
http://twitter.com/chalkbot
Liz Kolb says (19:34:59):
http://misterlamb.blogspot.com/
Paul R Wood says to (19:35:09):
From Chalkbot on Twitter: Hey Twitterverse, we are sending out some of our printed messages today via DM. If you are not already following us, please do! Please RT.
Paul R Wood says to (19:37:52):
Always fun to watch the students reaction when first used.
Liz Kolb says (19:38:03):
@Paul---YES!
Paul R Wood says to (19:38:22):
Student smore than willing to work within the framework when shown ways to use it and why
Paul R Wood says to (19:40:01):
So many different ways that we need to bring others to the water and show them the reasons to drink
Liz Kolb says (19:40:35):
Hi Kim!
Paul R Wood says to (19:41:19):
@kimcaise how are you?
kcaise says to (19:41:23):
hi all!
kcaise says to (19:41:32):
how was the damage at home paul
Paul R Wood says to (19:41:46):
It is ugly to saythe least.
kcaise says to (19:41:51):
oh no, ss to hear that
Paul R Wood says to (19:42:36):
Yep all for the protection of the power lines. Trees were no where near them
Liz Kolb says (19:43:03):
Link to Jimbo's Yodio project http://mrlambmath.wikispaces.com/quadratics
Paul R Wood says to (19:44:49):
Ah the power of twitter keeps on shining
Paul R Wood says to (19:45:28):
Great that yodio was so very willing to work with you.
Paul R Wood says to (19:47:28):
When I went thru school we were using slide rules. We have come so wonderfully far.
Liz Kolb says (19:47:49):
Hi Rich, thanks for joining us
Paul R Wood says to (19:49:00):
Good point on the ettiquette
Rich Mackrell says to (19:49:00):
How much time have you taken to teach the students how to use their cell phones for your classroom needs?
Paul R Wood says to (19:49:25):
I see that as empowering the students and they are all for that
Rich Mackrell says to (19:50:49):
Did you need permission forms since texting has a cost?
Liz Kolb says (19:51:15):
@Rich --- good question I will ask
Liz Kolb says (19:52:31):
I like the responsibility...students should know their plans
Paul R Wood says to (19:52:47):
Agreed @Liz
Rich Mackrell says to (19:53:14):
Awesome ideas.
Paul R Wood says to (19:53:41):
Like the idea about bringing in a bill to look at with the students
Liz Kolb says (19:54:07):
@Paul me too!!!! I'm going to do that
Paul R Wood says to (19:54:37):
If you explain it to the parents they ARE very appreciative.
Paul R Wood says to (19:55:15):
Me niether
Paul R Wood says to (19:55:48):
Most parents want their children to use things properly
Liz Kolb says (19:56:16):
http://textmarks.com
Paul R Wood says to (19:57:31):
Someone disgruntled about video on youtube is what it sounds like
Liz Kolb says (19:59:20):
Start Small!!
Paul R Wood says to (19:59:48):
Great job LIZ and thank you @misterlamb.
kcaise says to (19:59:52):
good suggestion
Rich Mackrell says to (19:59:58):
Awesome job Jimbo, you've definitely givem some ideas to walk away with...
Paul R Wood says to (20:00:17):
Also let an administrator use your polleverywhere account and let them play and the understand better
misterlamb says to (20:00:39):
Use it in a faculty meeting to show the power of the tool
kcaise says to (20:01:05):
thanks liz and jimbo
kcaise says to (20:01:08):
nite all
Liz Kolb says (20:01:12):
Thanks for joining us tonight everyone! You really need to check out Jimbo's wiki and blog
Liz Kolb says (20:01:49):
I know a superintendent (62 years) who used Polleverywhere at the 1st day of school meeting! Loved that
misterlamb says to (20:02:09):
I am getting excited about this coming school year, as I will be working with integrating cell phones with lower-level students
Liz Kolb says (20:03:00):
Cannot wait to hear about it!

Text Message To Tour De France To Fight Cancer!

2009-07-11T21:18:00.002-04:00

Wow! This is really cool! Too bad most students are not in class right now, but it could still be a great activity for summer break!

Chalkbot, is a robot project from the Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation for cancer awareness. Anyone can send the robot a text message which will be printed out in chalk on the road during the Tour de France!

Text 'LIVESTRONG' followed by your chalk message to 36453, and they will let you know when it's written! Cool!

It's Good Business! Mobile Web2.0 Tools Should be Free For Educators

2009-07-05T17:23:00.010-04:00

Over the last five years of researching web2.0 tools that couple with cell phones, I have found many tools that I LOVE, but they cost money to use. As an educator and former technology coordinator, I know that for many schools it is unrealistic to expect them to be able to pay (consistently--year after year) for access to the web2.0 tool. At the same time I understand that most of these companies that create the tools are in business to make money. Especially sites that do not advertise (which schools like), need some way to stay afloat. Therefore, here is my proposal to these companies.

1) Allow educators K-16 to use these resources for free. Allow them to use the FULL version for free if there is an upgrade option (there are many resources that are starting to go in this direction)

2) In return when these students enter the "real world" there is a good chance they will be hooked on these resources. Thus, they will be willing to pay to use them in the business world.

In my opinion, this is a win-win. The schools get access to the latest and best resources for mobile phones, and the companies get lots of marketing and future business.

I thought of this idea when I was talking with a friend in Canada who said that in his province all students under the age of 18 get free unlimited texting by a few of the cell phone companies. I realized that this is an excellent marketing scheme by the cell phone companies. Here is why---the companies get the students hooked on all the bells and whistles of text messaging (not hard to do!) so that the companies have guaranteed business when the students reach the age of 18! Smart marketing in my opinion. Why can't some of my favorite mobile web2.0 companies do the same??? The resources below were often-used by educators BEFORE the sites started charging.
http://Gabcast.com
http://www.voiceonthego.com
http://jott.com
http://gcast.com
http://drop.io
http://evoca.com

I have been contacting many of these sites with my proposal.

What do you think? Do you have any sites to add to the list?

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show Wed July 1st: Preservice Teachers Talk about Cell Phone Use in Student Teaching

2009-07-02T14:03:00.001-04:00

Chat Transcript
Hi Everyone! Tonight we are talking with 2 new teachers who both used cell phones during their student teaching for project-based learning activities.
afeikema says to (00:28:37):
Hi LIz--saw this on your twitter and thought it was worth a listen
Liz Kolb says (00:29:04):
Hi Allison! Good to see you!
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:29:21):
Liz, I'm having trouble getting through on the phone
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:29:35):
Hi, Allison!
Liz Kolb says (00:29:38):
Oh No!!!
afeikema says to (00:29:47):
hello :)!
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:29:54):
Have Sean and Allison gotten through?
Liz Kolb says (00:30:04):
This number right (347) 324-3938
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:33:32):
Langwitches:
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:33:35):
http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/04/14/what-is-in-a-fieldtrip/
Liz Kolb says (00:34:09):
http://www.everythingformymobile.com/
Liz Kolb says (00:41:08):
http://wiffiti.com
Liz Kolb says (00:54:28):
http://drop.io (Sean & Allison both used this for audio recording from cell)
Liz Kolb says (00:55:06):
I love that!!! You can "text it to me" Great idea!
Liz Kolb says (01:00:17):
Thank you All for joining us!
Jeff Stanzler says to (01:00:30):
Thanks, everyone!!

New Learning in India & Africa: Student Cell Phones

2009-06-30T22:40:00.010-04:00

A recent report on ABC news highlighted how students in rural areas of India were using their cell phones to learn languages. One of the benefits of using student cell phones for learning in India is that they can learn away from school (since many are forced to skip school so they can work).

In Africa a project called MobilED has been working on different ways to integrate the students' cell phones into learning. Below is one example of how the students are using cell phones to voice record and create oral stories. Beyond this video, they are also using audio encyclopedias that couple with cell phones for student projects.

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show: Wed June 17th: Conversation with Developer of Yodio.com

2009-06-17T23:11:00.001-04:00

CHAT TRANSCRIPT
Liz Kolb says (00:32:22):
Welcome everyone!
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:35:12):
Elizabeth Hartnell_Young's work at University of Mottingham in England:
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:35:17):
Links:
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:35:20):
http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/ehy/index.htmhttp://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/ehy/learning_with_mobile_technologie.htm
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:35:38):
Sorry...
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:35:40):
http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/ehy/learning_with_mobile_technologie.htm
Liz Kolb says (00:37:11):
https://www.obopay.com/consumer/GetHelp.do?target=HelpHowWorks
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:37:40):
Other Hattnell-Young link: http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/ehy/index.htm
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:42:29):
YES!
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:42:43):
Can you turn it up a bit, Liz?
Liz Kolb says (00:43:07):
That is all I can do
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:43:10):
Better.
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:43:50):
Yodio: http://www.yodio.com/
Liz Kolb says (00:46:51):
Hi Cheri - Can You Hear?
CheriToledo says to (00:46:55):
Yes
CheriToledo says to (00:47:06):
I was in before but wanted to be able to comment, so i logged in
Liz Kolb says (00:47:16):
Great!
CheriToledo says to (00:47:19):
thanks to you, i'm using yodio
Liz Kolb says (00:47:38):
Whohoo..thank Jimbo Lamb! He showed me
CheriToledo says to (00:48:19):
It's working great and several of my grad students will use it with their K-12 students
CheriToledo says to (00:48:38):
this is a recording, right?
Liz Kolb says (00:48:40):
Clay is going to talk about future of Yodio ap..great things are coming our way
Liz Kolb says (00:48:49):
@cheri YES!
CheriToledo says to (00:49:21):
Do you post the archive of the show?
Liz Kolb says (00:49:51):
Yes, on my blog (within 24 hrs)
CheriToledo says to (00:50:09):
great, thanks! I'll direct my students there
CheriToledo says to (00:54:01):
What did you use to create the recording? Yodio?
Liz Kolb says (00:54:20):
http://FreeConferencePro.com
Liz Kolb says (00:54:56):
It's Free and can record up to 200 people on one conf call at a time
Liz Kolb says (01:00:28):
Thank You for joining Us!
Jeff Stanzler says to (01:00:36):
Thanks!!
CheriToledo says to (01:00:42):
thanks!!
Liz Kolb says (01:00:49):
Thank you Cheri!
CheriToledo says to (01:01:15):
wow - it cut you off at the end didn't it

Time to Teach Students How to Bank via Cell Phone

2009-06-09T21:15:00.017-04:00

R U Ready???
Well, ready or not mobile banking is here! It is available for anyone willing to give a try! Sites such as Obopay allow anyone to sign up and create a mobile banking account. The mobile banking allows anyone to send or accept money by sending a text message on a cell phone. No need for wallet, credit cards, change...etc. You send a text message to Obopay and the phone number of the recipient of the funds (the recipient does not need to be registered at Obopay!). Obopay does charge .25 cents to send funds (although it does not matter how much you send) and it does not cost the recipient any money. You can add money to your obopay account online with a credit card, bank account transfer, or even PayPal. People can also send you money via cell phone without an Obopay account!

Now that mobile banking is no longer a "futuristic" idea, shouldn't businesses and economic classes be teaching students how to deal with their finances in the mobile world? This is not the only mobile banking option, and it just touches the surface of the mobile banking possibilities!

Classroom Integration
Business/Economics Course
Teachers could set up a mobile account and students could responsibly spend and collect money from the account for a business related project. Obopay pay tracks who is sending money and where it is going.

Fund Raising
It might be an easy way to raise funds (since people do not have to have an Obopay account to send money). Since Obopay keeps track of all funds, senders, and recipents, it might be an easy way to keep track of finances.

A few other sites for mobile banking
Paymo
BilltoMobile

Thoughts????

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show Wed June 3rd: Preservice Teachers Talk about Cell Phone Use in Student Teaching

2009-06-03T23:18:00.001-04:00

Chat Transcript:
Liz Kolb says (00:24:59):
Welcome to the show! Tonight we are talking with four student teachers (recently graduated) who used cell phones in learning during their student teaching.@anlingua @galvinse @kglupker @refranco
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:32:07):
ok
Liz Kolb says (00:33:22):
Rena Franco World History teacher used cell phones during Imperialism unit
Liz Kolb says (00:33:28):
Hi Peggy
Peggy_G says to (00:34:00):
Hi Liz and Jeff
troutner says to (00:34:39):
Joanne Troutner from Indiana here thanks to tweet from Liz
Liz Kolb says (00:34:54):
Hi Joanne Thanks for joining
Peggy_G says to (00:35:37):
sorry I missed the beginning--curious if the student teachers had any issues getting permission to use cell phones in their classrooms?
Liz Kolb says (00:35:44):
Katie---9th grade English--Romeo and Juliet
Liz Kolb says (00:35:53):
Used http://drop.io
Liz Kolb says (00:36:07):
@Peggy good question will ask...
Peggy_G says to (00:36:10):
excellent idea!!
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:36:19):
Hi, Joanne
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:36:26):
Hi, Peggy!
Peggy_G says to (00:36:41):
what percent of the students chose to call in their assignment?
Peggy_G says to (00:38:19):
that makes sense--homework so no issues with permission :-)
Peggy_G says to (00:39:18):
what a high compliment from your mentor teacher!! :-)
Peggy_G says to (00:40:04):
that is so exciting that you had that kind of impact on the other teachers in the school!
Liz Kolb says (00:40:26):
@Peggy I agree...a great way for student teachers to teach the vets!
Peggy_G says to (00:40:45):
absolutely!! definitely helps when applying for a job!
Liz Kolb says (00:42:28):
Example of a blog post from a student teacher about their wiffiti cell phone project http://anlingua.blogspot.com/2009/03/wiffiti-bringing-cell-phones-in.html
Peggy_G says to (00:45:32):
did you grade those assignments differently whether they used cell phones or not?
Peggy_G says to (00:46:18):
I think 50% was a great response for something so new and different for them!
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:46:25):
I agree, peggy.
Peggy_G says to (00:47:34):
a long distance charge would definitely be a problem
Peggy_G says to (00:48:10):
I had a lot of university students who tried to use that same excuse--blame it on the technology if the assignment was missing :-)
Paul R Wood says to (00:49:23):
Just got home from work.
Liz Kolb says (00:49:23):
Time to teach how to make sure the technology saved...make students responsible for their own back-up!
Liz Kolb says (00:49:26):
Hi Paul
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:49:33):
Welcome, Paul!
Paul R Wood says to (00:49:42):
Hi Liz Hi Jeff
Peggy_G says to (00:49:47):
interesting thought about the retention of information--seems to me the cell phone experience would definitely help with the retention--just like we remember the field trips from our school days!
Paul R Wood says to (00:50:26):
I always think when you are working in the student's world the memory will be better.
Peggy_G says to (00:51:09):
it seems like the more you use the tool the more comfortable the students become and the focus can be more on the content than the tool
Liz Kolb says (00:51:19):
@peggy good point about comfort
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:51:23):
@peggy...YES!
Peggy_G says to (00:52:49):
lots of times (for teachers and kids alike) you need a chance to "Play" with the tool before you do something for "real"--maybe they could have tried that??
Paul R Wood says to (00:53:22):
The play part could come from trying different ways to use the tool.
Peggy_G says to (00:53:36):
that is fantastic analysis of the learning experience! you already sound like an awesome teacher!!
Paul R Wood says to (00:53:43):
We always have to model appropriate uses.
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:53:57):
Katie IS a special one...you're so right, Peggy.
Liz Kolb says (00:54:01):
Interesting how we as teachers also present and think of cell phones as toys even when we are using them as tools. Good lesson on how to model the way we want students to use the devices.
Paul R Wood says to (00:55:19):
@Liz I don't know I see a netbook as a toy but my real tool for so many things is my phone.
troutner says to (00:56:02):
Any teaching about how to make quick notes to help with the oral piece?
Liz Kolb says (00:56:55):
@Paul good point!! I need an iPhone!
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:57:01):
Joanne, I'm not sure that I grasp your question...could you reframe it for me?
Peggy_G says to (00:57:27):
many people don't like to hear their own voices on microphones/recordings regardless of whether it's a cell phone or not
Peggy_G says to (00:58:24):
voicethread might provide a good beginning experiece for recording their voices as responses to something
Peggy_G says to (00:58:58):
those are great ideas!!
Paul R Wood says to (00:59:09):
Most phones have mp3 capability now so should work well
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:59:10):
That's a good suggestion (VT), Peggy
Peggy_G says to (00:59:19):
so wise!! start small!!
Paul R Wood says to (00:59:35):
Good points
Peggy_G says to (00:59:59):
what excellent information!! As a former principal I would love to hire both of you!!!!
troutner says to (01:00:11):
I'm thinking having students jot some quick note before doing the cell phone call would be good.
Liz Kolb says (01:00:12):
Thank you all for joining us!
Paul R Wood says to (01:00:26):
Good luck and thanks all
Peggy_G says to (01:00:26):
blogtalkradio is definitely not tolerant of any spare minutes!!
Liz Kolb says (01:00:38):
Katie and Rena are on twitter at @refranco and @kglupker
Peggy_G says to (01:01:16):
Good luck to Katie and Rena!! Thanks for their twitter names! I'll follow them :-)
Liz Kolb says (01:01:24):
@Peggy Thank you! They will love that!
Peggy_G says to (01:02:18):
Thanks for another great conversation Liz and Jeff!

Search Engine for Mobile Applications!

2009-05-27T14:30:00.008-04:00

Searching through the thousands of applications, videos, songs, photos, and ring tones for cell phones just became a little easier for me with Everythingformymobile. This site searches on any topic for media or applications that will work on mobile devices. For example if I was looking for videos on how to use FOIL in mathematics, I could click on the video tab, and type in "Math and FOIL". After a few seconds of searching, videos would appear that I could easily upload to my own or my students' mobile devices.

Classroom Integration
I envision Everythingformymobile as an awesome resource for teachers who would like their students to take their learning "to go".

Video Reviews
Students who need extra review could upload some videos on the subject to their cell phones and always have a mobile tutor.

Mobile Projects
Teachers could search for mobile applications that perform functions that they are interesting in using for classroom projects. For example an English teacher who would like her students to write a text message novel. The English teacher could click on the Applications tab and then search for "Novel and Text Message."

Photo Reviews
Students could create photo collages to send to their cell phones by typing in a concept such as "vectors" or "8th amendment" in the Photo search tab. Then they could upload the images that best remind them of the concept and it's definition.

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show: Wed May 20th: Interview with California Educator Joe Wood

2009-05-21T13:59:00.005-04:00

Chat Transcript:
Liz Kolb says (00:31:47):
Welcome everyone! We are talking with Joe Wood today!
Liz Kolb says (00:34:31):
Is anyone having a hard time hearing Jeff?
Peggy_G says to (00:34:45):
Hi-was just about to ask about the audio-very hard to hear
Peggy_G says to (00:35:15):
your audio is excellent, Liz
Liz Kolb says (00:35:47):
http://task.fm
Peggy_G says to (00:36:23):
yes hyperlinks :-) great
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:37:09):
http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/ehy/learning_with_mobile_technologie.htm
Peggy_G says to (00:37:47):
how does it compare with some of the other reminders like Remember the Milk ?
Peggy_G says to (00:38:46):
that's a great tip about asking for educator accounts (free)
Peggy_G says to (00:39:07):
remember the milk has reminders on Google calendars which I can get on my iphone
Peggy_G says to (00:39:36):
Paul Wood??
Paul R Wood says to (00:39:50):
Joe Wood. I am Paul Wood
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:39:56):
Joe Wood is our guest
Peggy_G says to (00:40:06):
Wow! 2 famous Woods :-)
Liz Kolb says (00:40:07):
http://joewoodonline.com
Paul R Wood says to (00:40:20):
I was about to say I like his last name.
Liz Kolb says (00:40:20):
Hi Paul!
Paul R Wood says to (00:40:26):
Hey Liz.
Paul R Wood says to (00:40:33):
Hey Jeff
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:40:55):
Hi, Paul
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:41:00):
http://www.joewoodonline.com/cell-phones-qipit/
Peggy_G says to (00:41:26):
always exciting to hear from teachers who are using cell phones in their classrooms :-)
Peggy_G says to (00:42:10):
can we follow Joe on Twitter?
Liz Kolb says (00:42:27):
Yes @ucdjoe on twitter
Peggy_G says to (00:42:44):
thanks
Liz Kolb says (00:42:47):
Hi Richard! Thanks for joining
Richard@MobileEd.org says to (00:42:59):
Liz!
Liz Kolb says (00:45:11):
http://wiffiti.com
Peggy_G says to (00:45:28):
that is always amazing to me! when we opened the wireless on a Friday night for a conference event, within 10 minutes there were at least 50 students on it :-) Resourceful!!
Paul R Wood says to (00:46:04):
The kids will always find the hot spots.
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:46:14):
@peggy: Wow! That's remarkable...
Peggy_G says to (00:46:40):
those are all such great suggestions!
Richard@MobileEd.org says to (00:48:04):
I haven't tried this yet, but Nokia's PointAndFind might be highly relevant to the image/science lessons here.
Richard@MobileEd.org says to (00:48:13):
http://pointandfind.nokia.com/?home
Liz Kolb says (00:49:20):
Jeff we are having a hard time hearing you again
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:49:33):
is it better now?
Peggy_G says to (00:50:03):
not really
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:50:17):
ok...I better call back in, Thanks, Peggy.
Peggy_G says to (00:51:35):
those are such important conversations to have about ethical behaviors and such an important reason for allowing cell phones in school
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:52:07):
YES! As a wise person I know says...I do opportunties, not problems ;-)
kchichester says to (00:52:09):
Joe also has his own podcast. http://edtechclassroom.com . He has lots to share. He tweets but not that often. He is more active on facebook.
Paul R Wood says to (00:52:10):
We have to model for our students the best ways to use these tools.
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:52:41):
@kchichester: Thanks for the info.
Peggy_G says to (00:53:07):
great link for Joe's podcasts! thanks!
kchichester says to (00:53:48):
I'm a big fan of Joe.
Liz Kolb says (00:54:11):
Joe ROCKS
Peggy_G says to (00:54:25):
I love the studycasts for downloading to ipods to help with studying for tests, learning vocabulary, etc.
Liz Kolb says (00:54:43):
Peggy can you link us to that site?
Peggy_G says to (00:55:25):
http://www.mrcoley.com/studycast/index.htm
Peggy_G says to (00:55:32):
Brent Coley's site
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:55:37):
Terrific...thanks,Peggy
kchichester says to (00:55:47):
@ Liz Kolb I was a guest on his show. When he found out I was from metro Detroit, the first thing he wanted to know is if I knew you.
Paul R Wood says to (00:56:31):
Parents are more than happy to have someone show the students what is going on and how to get more out of the tool
Peggy_G says to (00:56:56):
what's your favorite SMS/cell phone polling/survey system?
Peggy_G says to (00:57:31):
that is true- No overtime for BlogTalkRadio :-)
Richard@MobileEd.org says to (00:59:17):
Thanks, Joe.
Paul R Wood says to (00:59:22):
Thanks Joe. Thanks Liz & Jeff.
Peggy_G says to (00:59:25):
free or paid version?
Paul R Wood says to (00:59:32):
Polleverywhere is a great one to use.
Peggy_G says to (00:59:37):
thank you all! great show!
Jeff Stanzler says to (00:59:40):
Thanks, Joe!!
Liz Kolb says (01:00:06):
Thank you everyone for joining us! Isn't Joe fantastic!!!
Peggy_G says to (01:00:11):
thanks :-)
Paul R Wood says to (01:00:14):
I actually use the smallest paid version of polleverywhere.
Liz Kolb says (01:00:30):
@paul for more responses?
Peggy_G says to (01:00:33):
limit is 30 people, right?
Paul R Wood says to (01:00:52):
I even allow students to put together polls as they teach review sessions on our subjects
Paul R Wood says to (01:01:04):
I think it is 50 responses
Jeff Stanzler says to (01:01:09):
What a cool idea, Paul.
Peggy_G says to (01:01:21):
fantastic suggestions Paul!
Peggy_G says to (01:01:35):
they learn so much more (and remember it) when they are creating the reviews
Liz Kolb says (01:01:38):
@paul I love the idea of students creating the polls and coming up with new ways to use cells in learning! Let them focus on the educative value of the phone
Paul R Wood says to (01:01:40):
Had a student pur together 10 questions on the book Friday Night Lights and asked short answer questions
Liz Kolb says (01:02:02):
I bet she loved that assignment!
Liz Kolb says (01:02:10):
And probably remembers a lot from the book
Paul R Wood says to (01:02:19):
Plus my accountant makes it worthwhile with those unreimbursed expenses for school
Jeff Stanzler says to (01:02:22):
@Paul: Giving the kids owndership...terrific
Peggy_G says to (01:02:27):
Quizlet is also great for students to create questions online but I don't think you can do it with cell phones-just internet based
Jeff Stanzler says to (01:02:50):
@peggy: I'll have to check that one out.
Liz Kolb says (01:03:00):
@peggy there is a mobile quiz (that is SMS) I cannot remember the name though
Paul R Wood says to (01:03:35):
Liz are you in Detroit?
Peggy_G says to (01:03:58):
Quizlet was created by a 15-year old and it has millions of users!! :-) amazing tool!
Liz Kolb says (01:04:08):
here it is http://www.surveygizmo.com
Peggy_G says to (01:04:17):
thanks Liz
Paul R Wood says to (01:04:29):
Will need to look those over
Liz Kolb says (01:04:36):
Right outside of Detroit in Ann Arbor...so is Jeff
Paul R Wood says to (01:04:53):
Your Tigers are killing my Rangers in baseball.
Jeff Stanzler says to (01:04:58):
Thanks, everyone...sorry to drop out on you, Liz!
Liz Kolb says (01:05:09):
Ha! Was just at a game over the weekend
Peggy_G says to (01:05:28):
Great show! Thanks!
Liz Kolb says (01:05:27):
@Jeff hey, that is technology!
Paul R Wood says to (01:05:38):
Thanks for all you and Jeff do for us. Enjoyed the show.

Task.fm: Text and voice reminders for students and teachers---EASY! EASY! EASY!

2009-05-15T22:34:00.011-04:00

There are many different cell phone reminder services available online. Many of which I have written about. A few examples include Sendible, Abbyme, Remember the Milk, Google Cal, ReQall, and Alerts. Recently I have been using Task.fm. Task.fm is a reminder service that uses uses semantic technology to translate human speak into an email, text and/or voice reminder. This means that you only have to type in your reminder on Task.fm, such as "assignment due at 4:00pm on May 26th". Task.fm will automatically understand the date and time of the reminder (no need to select dates and times from a menu or schedule). The only negative that I found with this site is that you get 10 SMS or voice reminders for free and then you need to pay for them. If you like this site, I recommend you emailing Task.fm and asking for a free educator version!! It does not hurt to ask.

Facebook Classroom Management & Projects with Student Cell Phones

2009-05-12T20:56:00.026-04:00

If you are a high school teacher you know that most of your students have a Facebook account. You know that they are more likely to be on Facebook than email! You know that you would rather not know what exactly they are posting on their personal Facebook accounts. You also know there is a lot of controversy over whether teachers should have Facebook accounts (and if they should "friend" their students). However, future employers and professionals may find ways to access students' 5+ year old Facebook accounts. As a result, educators could take advantage of students interest in Facebook by integrating the tool into learning and teaching studnets how to set up an appropriate profile and post on Facebook without harming their professional futures. For example Larry Liu is a high school English teacher who has been using Facebook to communicate with his students. He set up his own classroom teacher Facebook page and posts assignments, homework help, and reminders. In addition Larry allows students to post projects to the Facebook page. For example he asks his students to find examples of everyday psychology in their lives outside of school. His students can use their cell phones to take pictures or videos and send them to his Facebook page. He also talked with his students about "cleaning up" their profiles, pictures, and posts so they were appropriate for adults to view.

Why I am talking about a social networking site on a cell phones in learning blog? Because Facebook has SMS texting and photo/video posting functions that could easily be used to collect and share data in classroom assignments. For example, every Facebook page has a "subscribe via SMS" button underneath the profile picture. Therefore, if the classroom teacher creates a facebook page for the classroom, every student can subscribe to the posts, images, and videos via cell phone.

Teachers can use the Facebook page to communicate about classroom information, at the same time they can also use the page as a place for students to post and share research that they collect. This can easily be done by having the studnets tag (with their teacher's account Facebook name) their photos or videos so they directly post in the teacher's account. Thus sharing the research with all the studnets in the class, at the same time giving the teacher utlimate control of the account (since it is their own).

In addition, by using Facebook as a learning tool, it gives teachers an opportunity to talk with their students about how to create an appropriate profile and how to "clean up" their profiles so they are appropriate for the teacher or their parents' to view. Students need to understand digital safety on Facebook and other social networking sites. Using Facebook for an educative purpose may be a smart way to start social networking education at the high school level.

Cell Phones in Learning Radio Show: Wed May 6th: Dr. Dick Ng'ambi from South Africa

2009-05-06T23:04:00.001-04:00

Chat Transcript:
Liz Kolb:Welcome! We are speaking with Dr. Dick Ng'ambi tonight. HEre is the link to his information http://www.cet.uct.ac.za/DickNgambi
Liz Kolb:Dr. Ng'ambi is giving us background on how students in SA were afraid to speak up in class b/c of history of segregation in SA....thus wanted to create a space where learners could share annoymously
Liz Kolb:90% have cell phones
Liz Kolb:HI Peggy! Thanks for joining us
Jeff Stanzler:Hi, Peggy
Peggy_G:Hi Jeff and Liz
Liz Kolb:Sounds similiar to students' apprehensions in the US
Peggy_G:is he talking about university students or K-12 students?
Jeff Stanzler:university students, Peggy
Peggy_G:thanks
Peggy_G:that is an interesting way to get those notices--pulling vs pushing! makes so much sense
Jeff Stanzler:I agree...apt and vividly descriptive language
Liz Kolb:Love how the teachers are learning from the students via cell phones
Peggy_G:constructivism at its best :-)
Peggy_G:I've never heard anonymity stressed so much--very interesting perspective!
Jeff Stanzler:Peggy, I don't know how clear it was, but part of the issue was these students growing up in apartheid SA, came to lack confidence in their ability to participate, and to feel self-conscious.
Liz Kolb:HI John !
Peggy_G:thanks for that clarification
joevans:I'm late to the party. Hi Everyone!
Peggy_G:Hi Joe-great to see you
Liz Kolb:Dick is talking about how his students use text messaging to get over their political concerns of speaking up in class
Jeff Stanzler:It may be that these ideas have some applicability here, do you think?
Liz Kolb:Better late than never
Peggy_G:maybe??
joevans:You too Peggy. Very interesting presenter
Jeff Stanzler:Or that they speak to some concerns that might manifest themselves differently here, but would still be resonant.
Jeff Stanzler:Welcome, Joe
Peggy_G:typo--John! :-)
Jeff Stanzler:Sorry!!
joevans:Hi Jeff. It's John Evans - hn = joevans
Liz Kolb:Link to research paper of Dick's about his text messaging project http://74.125.93.104/search?q=cache:YmTV69ZfkWkJ:www.mlearn.org.za/CD/papers/Ngambi.pdf+%22Dick+Ng%27ambi%22+AND+%22FAQ%22+AND+%22phon
Jeff Stanzler:Sorry, John...thanks for the correction.
Peggy_G:I think teachers in the US are afraid of anonymity--control issues
Liz Kolb:Dick is also on Facebook
Liz Kolb:@Peggy I agree...we love our filters
Jeff Stanzler:Good point, Peggy.
joevans:Teachers everywhere I think fear anonymity as it may bring negative consequences
Peggy_G:knowledge respositories--interesting concept
Liz Kolb:We forget there could be some excellent benefits
Jeff Stanzler:I'm with you, John. Yet I do think that some of our students lack a sense of their ability to contribute. Maybe anonymity might be a bridge to some of these students...
Peggy_G:do students in South Africa take more responsibility for their own learning than those I've experienced in my university classes?
Liz Kolb:Good question Peggy we will have to get the answer later from Dick
Jeff Stanzler:Dick.Ngambi@uct.ac.za
Liz Kolb:Thanks everyone!
joevans:I agree Jeff.
Peggy_G:very informative conversation! Thanks!
joevans:Man that timer waits for no man!
Jeff Stanzler:Glad you liked it, Peggy. Thanks for listening everyone!
Jeff Stanzler::-)
Peggy_G:isn't that the truth?? :-)
Liz Kolb:I know, maybe we should extend to 45 min
joevans:How long does the chat stay open?
Liz Kolb:About 10 minutes after show
Jeff Stanzler:I don't know when they close it, John. I'll stick around.
Peggy_G:See you next time-thanks for a wonderful guest!
Jeff Stanzler:Sounds great, Peggy...thanks!

Current Events: Anytime, Anywhere Via Cell (No Mobile Internet Required)

2009-05-04T20:24:00.010-04:00

There are some great FREE resources online that couple with cell phones to allow people to keep up with current events and happenings. While the lucky ones who have purchased mobile Internet can use their mobile browsers to connect with web-based resources, many cannot afford that luxury. As a result there are some great alternatives. Below I highlight a few of them:

Rocketron
Phone Call
Just call 1-408-907-2323 (no online sign up necessary) and you can hear news feeds from many different sources.

Udefn
SMS Text Message
Udefn is a text messaging service where you can sign up for different bots. One of which is an RSS feed for the webpage(s) of your choice. You can text a keyword (that you create) to get information from the RSS feed(s).

Dial2do
Phone Call
Dial2do has many great features. One of them (Make Your Own Command) allows anyone to call in to their number (you need to sign up for an account first) and you can listen to any RSS news feed.

Lexy
Phone Call
Lexy is on-demand radio. You can call in to Lexy (no sign up required) 415-692-4933 and select which radio show you would like to listen to. You can also sign up and create a play list that you can hear when you call in to Lexy. Some of the news resources include NPR, NOVA (PBS), Local News, Foreign Language Programs, Front Page from the New York Times, and 60 Second Science.

Alerts.com
SMS Text Message
Anyone can create an account at Alerts.com and set up news alerts to be sent to their mobile phone. You will automatically receive alerts as news occurs.

These are all a few of the wonderful resources for students to use anytime, anywhere, anyplace to keep up with current events in all the content areas. Depending on their mobile plans they can select to use text messaging or calling minutes to stay up to date on the latest content-specific current events. Students no longer need to read a newspaper, or watch the evening news to know what is happening in the world.