Dial M for Mobile

Thanks to Kristen Beattie for pointing me to Dial M for Mobile, a very nice article about the potential for mobile phone use in schools, while also explaining some of the concerns. The PDF article is available online here from BizEd January/February 2009 issue.

Several quotes from both Liz Kolb of Madonna University and Quasy Mahmoud at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, caught my eye:

• "It's important to start looking at the cell phone as the Swiss Army knife of learning, rather than as the most annoying thing in the classroom." (Kolb)
  
• "The average cell phone today has more computing power than many of the computers of a few years ago, and many are equipped with video recorders, cameras, and other features. All of these could be used to improve the learning experience." (Mahmoud)
• "I think in a few years, faculty will have no choice but to use cell phone technology, so why not be leaders and start now?" (Mahmoud)

I also loved the Getty Images photo of the Swiss Army knife phone.