First meeting of Peer Support for Mobile Technology Group

Last Friday a group of Kimberley Training Institute lecturers and a guest from ABC Kimberley met via video conference to compare notes on how they are using, or could use, mobile technology to support their delivery of training.

David Broun described some projects he has completed with the Kimberley Ranger trainees using his smart phone and iPads for Language, Literacy and Numeracy training.  His "Smackdown" events enabled trainees to record stories using these devices, assisted by the ABC Open's Open Producer, Alex Smee, who is involved in a program which records local stories by ordinary people and publishes them to the ABC Open website.  David explains how he uses an app called Cam Scanner to capture whiteboards and other important written materials created in student activities, and convert to pdf documents, and discusses the Smackdown event and how the use of the iPads to create video clips helped the students gain skills in report writing and presentations.  

David Broun discusses using iPads and phones for LLN work

Alex Smee, Open Producer from ABC Open, Kimberley has contributed to the Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) programs in the Kimberley by assisting Aboriginal people to tell their stories in video and still images, and uploading them to ABC Open website.  Alex talked about what she does and how this assists the skills of particpants.  The video footage is not approved for sharing yet but if it is approved the link to this footage will appear below

Here are some links to some of the work the students did with Alex and David:

Smackdown Video Postcard Peter Thomas

Alphonse and the Lombardina Sprinklers

Nyul Nyul Rangers 'Water is....'

Jane Appleton teaches Language, Literacy and Numeracy, and ESL, and tried an iPad in her classroom for the first time last week.  Here she shares her experiences:

Jane Appleton discusses her first experience using iPad in an LLN class

Gary Lienert shared with the group how he has used his iPhone and iPad to do administrative and assessment tasks using an app called Sign and Send, and how he assesses his Kimberley Ranger trainees by having them record on the iPad the tasks they are doing on country.    Gary also gave an overview of how he used the app iBooks to create an e-learning guide for his learners for a particular unit in the Conservation and Land Management course.  The iBook that he created can be accessed on the iPads that have been supplied to the Kimberley ranger trainees by the Kimberley Land Council.  Gary may like to enlarge on his experience using mobile phone and iPads further in the comments.

Karen Dockrill explained how she might use mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets in her hospitality and events management training.  Karen may like to outline some of her ideas further in the comments as I was unable to record her in Kununurra from Broome.

SUMMARY OF WHAT THE GROUP FOUND OUT

Mobile phones and tablets are being used by participants in the following ways:

• For administration and communication when on the road and in remote communites (accessing work emails, using pdf sign and send apps to forward enrolment and apprenticeship documentation to base, capturing documents using scanner apps)
• For teaching and learning in remote locations (students using maps and other apps on the iPads to complete learning and assessment tasks, documenting assessments through video and photos, accessing learning materials as needed on the job and on the road)
• For teaching and learning in classrooms, particularly with Language, Literacy and Numeracy students, making use of numerous LLN apps available for iPads (lecturers are intending to explore non-Apple tablet technology in coming months), using tablets loaded with appropriate apps and materials as teaching assistants in the classroom.
• Specific LLN uses such as students conducting their own video productions, with all the skills in writing, speaking, presenting and reporting that this requires.

WATCH THIS SPACE for further developments as we continue to have these informative sessions, hopefully with the occasional guest speaker.