Mobile Technology in Education | Mobile Portland August 23, 2010

Mobile phones in our schools are already controversial. Many fear distracted teenagers texting their friends instead of paying attention to their teachers.

Others educators are looking at mobile devices differently. George Fox University has offered incoming students the option of a traditional laptop or an iPad. Canby School district is currently implementing a 1:1 iPod touch mobility program for all Canby 3rd Grade students.

At Mobile Portland this month we're pleased to have a prestigious panel of educators who are on the cutting edge of using mobile technology in the classroom. The panelists will cover topics like:

* What role do mobile devices have in the classroom?
* When are mobile phones useful and when are they distracting?
* Do mobile devices need to be issued by the school or are there ways to take advantage of devices that students own?
* What are the challenges to effectively using mobile devices in education?

Join us for a spirited and engaging conversation on how mobile technology is changing curriculum and classrooms.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Russ DeVore, George Fox University

Russ works as the Director of Academic Computing at George Fox University. He leads a team of seven full-time employees and around 35 part-time student employees in the I.T. Department. Russ has lead several programs promoting technology use in higher education. One very successful program is Computers Across the Curriculum . This program's goal is to place a laptop computer into the hands of every new undergraduate student coming to George Fox University.
George Fox University was the first university to offer incoming students the choice of an iPad instead of a more traditional laptop for this coming school year.

Trina Marmarelli, Reed College

Trina Marmarelli is an instructional technologist at Reed College. She worked closely with students and faculty to evaluate the academic potential of the Kindle DX last fall and is currently gearing up for an iPad pilot. Trina's background is in literary studies, so she spends a lot of time thinking about how mobile devices--and electronic texts in general--affect our interactions with and expectations of the printed word. She also enjoys running, tiling, and bringing her dog to work.

Joe Morelock, Canby School District

Joe Morelock is the Director of Technology and Innovation for the Canby School District, serving approximately 5,000 K-12 students. He is a former high school Spanish teacher, Librarian and assessment coordinator. Joe currently leads the district’s innovative technology projects.

Joe is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and has developed and delivered mobile content and training on the use of the iPod for Argentina’s Ministry of Education. He regularly consults with state departments of education, as well as local school districts in the U.S. and Canada, and has presented to and worked with educators at conferences and events on three continents. He also co-authored reading and language acquisition, iPod touch, and podcasting professional development courses for Apple, Inc. Joe is currently implementing a 1:1 iPod touch mobility program for all Canby 3rd Grade students.

Corey Pressmen, Exprima Media

Corey taught Anthropology for 12 years before deciding to enter the software universe. As a professional educator, Corey was always interested in, yet disappointed with, the educational technology that textbook publisher sales reps were peddling. Convinced that more could be done to create effective computer-based educational experiences, Corey started Exprima Media, a software company dedicated to creating robust and engaging educational experiences for the web and native mobile platforms. Exprima is currently working with Pearson Education, W.W. Norton, John Wiley & Sons, and McGraw Hill to build the future of educational media.

Thor Prichard, Clarity Innovations — Panel Moderator

Thor Prichard is President & CEO of Clarity Innovations, a professional services firm that specializes in helping corporations and learning organizations improve the practice and process of teaching and learning with technology. Recent clients include Intel Education, Math Learning Center, Bellingham Schools, ScholarCentric, and Learning.com.

Thor’s focus is on finding promising technologies that match the needs of the education industry 3-5 years from now. Over the last two decades, he’s worn many hats on both sides of the equation, including as executive director of a regional consortium in charge of software licensing for schools. Thor holds a BA in cognitive psychology from Reed College in Oregon.

Photo Credit
Photo of iPad in classroom graciously provided by Motion Blur Studios. Used under Creative Commons license.

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