Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

How Teachers Make Cell Phones Work in the Classroom

In our final post in a series on mobile learning, MindShift’s Tina Barseghian visits classrooms in San Francisco to find out what it looks like when mobile devices enter the classroom—when it works, whether it’s worthwhile, and how some educators are leveraging the technology to teach students what it means to be learners and citizens in a digital world.

PLAYBACK: Digital Divides and Bridges: Badges, Apps for the Wage Gap and Teaching Poetry Online

Pew Internet looks at differences in internet access and usage; high school provides cell phones for texting; flattening school walls in Oregon; massive online classes move from teaching code to inspiring poetry—and more in this week’s Playback.

The Magic of Going Mobile: Augmented Reality, Design Thinking and the Power of Place

How a new augmented reality platform for the iPhone is helping educators explore the possibilities of mobile for learning, and the value of putting students in the driver’s seat.

Welcoming Mobile: More Districts Are Rewriting Acceptable Use Policies, Embracing Smartphones and Social Media in Schools

No longer afraid of giving kids access to the internet and using mobile technologies for learning, a growing number of school districts across the country are developing digital media policies that emphasize responsibility over fear.

Circle of 6 Anti-Violence App Builds Upon Friendship and Texting

The Circle of 6 iPhone App, one of the winners of the White House Apps Against Abuse technology challenge, uses text messaging to try to prevent violence and promote healthy relationships, especially among teenagers and college students.

Amidst a Mobile Revolution in Schools, Will Old Teaching Tactics Work?

Are traditional teaching practices changing to adapt and fully take advantage of what mobile devices have to offer? What lasting effect will these technologies have on the “formal” learning equation? We take a closer look at the promise and practice of mobile learning in the classroom today.

Surveys on Teens Texting and Consequences for Sexting

Pew releases a new survey on the number of texts teens send per day, and a separate study shows that most adults support education instead of legal consequences for teens involved in sexting.

College Students Now Prefer Reading Digital Books to Print, Survey Finds

Tablet ownership among college students and college-bound high school students has more than tripled since last year, according to poll results released last week.

Conversations with Education Visionaries, Technologists, and Students at the 2012 Digital Media and Learning Conference

Researchers mingled with makers, hive learners and digital artists at the 2012 Digital Media and Learning Conference in San Francisco last week.

Who’s Curating Digital Content for Kids?

Almost every digital tool, app or online game claims to be educational these days. Here’s a look at what that means, and who’s helping educators and parents sort through claims about digital tools for learning.

New Report Finds Rapid Growth in Children’s App Market

The number of apps for toddlers and preschoolers grew by 23 percent in the last two years, according to a new report by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Plus, the importance of meaningful co-viewing between children and adults.

The New Digital Divide: Expanding High-Speed Access - And Digital Literacies

A recent op-ed describes the new digital divide separating high-speed wired internet access and second-class wireless access, plus related stories on smartphones, digital literacies and community technology initiatives.