Smartphones overtake PC and notebooks

A remarkably detailed presentation Internet Trends by Morgan Stanley, just published, has some very striking things to say about the mobile world taking over the internet. They predict that sales of smartphones will overtake combined computer sales by 2011 (in Nth. On the graph, smartphones is the green bar. Also notice that desktops have leveled off and notebooks have been ahead since 2009. A bit sad to note that some secondary schools are still purchasing large numbers of desktops.

It seems that they have not included iPad type devices in the graph, which are neither a phone nor a notebook. I think they classify more as a mobile device than not, and their amazing take-up will make the changes all the more dramatic.

The move to mobile devices has a message for schools, surely, though the well practiced habit of education in holding itself at least 5 to 10 years behind societal trends will continue, no doubt. But when students can pull out of their pocked or their bag, a small device that is more effective in accessing the internet than what the school has to offer, guess which one they will use?

iPad for schools?

It is early days to decide whether the iPad has a significant role in schools and education in general, but I think it will. It is quite a different type of computer and many will just focus on what the iPad cannot do, not giving due attention to the thing it does better.

I have only been bonding with my iPad for a little over a week and I think its huge advantage is immediacy. It is quite different from a laptop because it is immediately available to use. In schools this is very valuable. In two minutes a student can switch on her iPad, open email, read a message and jump off to a web site. This is pretty important in engaging the attention of 30 students. There is virtually no delay, and the size of the ipad and the touch interface all make it significantly more personal interaction. Even the size on a desk is important. There is room on a desk for the iPad and books. The touch screen is a much better collaborative interface than mouse control.

The most significant limitation of the iPad that I can see is the reliance on the on-screen keyboard. This is fine for web browsing and short text input, for me, but then I am a touch typist. I suspect that two finger typers will find it quite satisfactory. However, for longer input sessions a bluetooth keyboard is an option. A class may well manage with a group of these for students who prefer them.

One thing we can be sure of is that the range of apps available for similar tablet computers will expand very quickly, making an assessment of the value of these computers a continuing feast.

Fun and games with grassroots video

I have been experimenting with so called grassroots video, as in YouTube, heralded as the current big thing. Here is one of my efforts on my YouTube collection on the potential of smart phones in education - via the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Quick, precise and to the point

The experience of making a number of these little instrucitional videos has taught me that in using this medium, simplicity and brevity is vital. It is all done on a digital still camera, with a 15 cm tripod. A very affordable technology and the quality of the output is adequate. It is the story that matters. And the voice in particular.

I found that getting my little speeches ready without hesitation or loss of fluency was really difficult, and tried some writing and filming as I went.