Tech Crunch reports that analytics' firm Flurry released a new report this week on the use of mobiles in the US.
"Flurry says that daily time spent in mobile apps has now surpassed web consumption. The average user now spends 9% more time using mobile apps than the Internet. In June users spent an average of 81 minutes daily on mobile apps, compared to 74 minutes on the web."
Looking further into the data shows that users are now using their smart phones for more than just surfing the web and reading emails, they are spending more time on their mobile devices in social networking sites and on web apps such as games.
Educators can glean some useful information from this report. Since we know our students come to school with their cell phones 'in hand' and leave with them 'to their ear' why not find ways to incorporate learning with these, now, almost ubiquitous devices. One suggestion is to find free apps that help support learning in subject areas, such as Kaplan’s SAT Flashcubes for vocabulary learning, Macmillan’s Sounds for English Language Learning, or Project Noah for extending your science lesson outside the classroom.
Another way of making learning fun would be to encourage students to play one another using free game apps such as Scrabble Free, Words with Friends, or Hanging with Friends to develop their English vocabulary skills.
And if you’re using Facebook with your students for extended learning they can access this app as well on their mobile devices. Since Facebook is where students are currently spending a lot of time online why not meet them where they are?
Thinking about mobile apps for extending learning will take a mind shift in our teaching and learning pedagogy, but its worth the effort to extend classroom learning and will help make learning fun.
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