Educational Origami

I read Wesley Fryers Blog entry this morning and took the time to watch the video to. Other than the storyboard reading like an advertisement for Apples iPhone, its fascinating. I must echo Wesley’s comments on it being exciting and impressive.

Essentially ACU  - Abilene Christian University - has issues students with iPhones as a standard part of their University stationary (the details and costs are not mentioned, neither are the security arrangements). They then use their iPhones for:

• RSS feeds - personal (facebook) and academic - podcasts and classmaterials linking to iTunes
• course calendar
• address books
• Campus events
• online payments
• voice recorders
• txt alerts and messages from teachers & the school
• timetables and schedules - including changing classes

They have built in some very cool functionality, like a 3D campus map with GPS tracking to show you where you are an how to get to class (I presume its GPS or perhaps triangulation from cell towers). Auto “in class” busy on the phone when you are scheduled into class, linking to VLE etc.

Watch or download the movie here -

This is for most of us a dream, we don’t have the relationship and support of a major player like apple or the finances to implement this scale of concept - particularly given the cost of iPhones and connection.

However, on a achievable scale, we do have almost ubiquitous access to cellphones. Most of my students have atleast 2 cellphones. They have optimised their calling plans and have one on each provider. While many of the features that we see in the iPhone are not available, many of the simple features are, particularly in WAP enabled phones -

• text alerts and messaging,
• calendar synching and updates,
• pod and vodcast,
• voice recording,
• Cameras and video camera
• internet access
• easy communication with teachers, mentors, administration, coaches, peers etc
• reminders even RSS feeds to tell students they have updates, new posts etc.

The potential of these tools is huge. Are they a disruption? I have not found them to be. My students know that if their phone rings in class, with out a legitimate reason, there are consequences for interrupting and interfering with the learning of the other students. Do I ban them - No, its not worth the effort. Do they self manage - Yes.

Watch the video - wish you had the ability to do what they have done - its neat and a vision of the future.  Read the vision they have.

• Convergence and the 21st-Century Classroom:
• Envisioning the 21st-Century Campus:
• Solutions for the 21st-Century University: