Stephanie YoshifujiITEC299

SYNTHESIS QUEST:MOBILE LEARNING

Stephanie Yoshifuji

At the very beginning of this course, we took a learning styles quiz to see where our strengths and weaknesses were. I

scored a one on the refl ective scale, fi ve on the sensing scale, nine on the visual scale, and seven on the sequential scale.

These results came as no surprise, particularly my high scores in visual versus verbal learning styles. After being presented

with numerous opportunities over the semester to explore learning styles that were both my strong suit and my weak

suit, I feel that I was able to eff ectively use my strengths and develop my weaknesses. In the beginning, I thought that I

would not be able to use my knowledge of learning styles to my advantage, but learned that they could be extremely

helpful. I now see learning preferences overall in a new light. I had taken many self-assessment tests in the past and never paid much attention to my styles. Now, knowing about my

learning preferences, I can apply them to other ventures and types of learning.

LEARNING PREFERENCES

Stephanie Yoshifuji

When we started this semester, I had no idea what I wanted to do once graduation hit. It was fast approaching and I did not know what direction I wanted my life to go in. As a result, I chose the pathway

of Learning Warrior. From this course, I was able to better understand the use of mobile technology both in a professional and

academic setting, as well as in my personal l ife and for personal use. As the semester went on, I found myself wanting less of a

deeper understanding of specifi c technologies, and a more general knowledge so that I can introduce them to others. In a way, I

changed from wanting to follow the Learning Warrior pathway to following both Learning Sage and Learning Guide pathways. I think

that this change came about as I was starting to discover what I wanted to do with my life. I have decided to become an elementary

school teacher and following a Learning Sage and Learning Guide pathway seemed more appropriate and helpful for me. I changed

from wanting to learn for my own personal use and growth to wanting to learn so that I could incorporate my knowledge in an academic setting that could benefi t people other than myself.

LEARNING PATHWAY

Stephanie Yoshifuji

With al l of the act ivit ies for each quest, I found that there was much opportunity to grow and put our knowledge of the technology to use. The act ivit ies that helped me gain a more broad understanding were using the

l inks to review content, interact, and assess learning. While these l inks did not provide materia l that specifi cal ly pertained to me, they st i l l put me in a posit ion where I could be act ively learning. Although these act ivit ies were mainly based on our learning preferences and how those helped us, I think

that these act ivit ies were extremely useful in gaining a general understanding of how mobile technology can be used. The level three

act ivit ies in which we appl ied the concepts we learned in mobi le learning to other courses helped give me a deeper understanding of the technology. By mapping out a specifi c plan and how and when I was going to implement i t

proved to be benefi cial . Not only was I applying my knowledge, but I a lso had to know how I was going to do it . I would not have been able to eff ect ively

make a plan i f I d id not completely understand the materia l . Final ly, the forum posts on iLearn were tremendously useful in understanding mobi le technology. I would read the forums and fi nd a quest ion that I was also

wondering the answer to, but i t just did not occur to me to ask it . I may have asked my own quest ion, but completely forgot about another aspect of i t . The

iLearn forums were a very col laborat ive learning experience that brought together vast perspectives and made learning about mobi le technology more

engaging.

CONTRIBUTIONS TOLEARNING PATHWAYS

Stephanie Yoshifuji

Blogs and microblogs were one form of mobile technology we had the opportunity to explore. From the activities we did to review content, interact, and assess learning, I found that microblogs could be used

as an academic tool. In an assignment for another class, I had to examine an individual with a certain disorder. Because I do not know anyone with this disorder, I turned to blogs and microblogs to help me see the point of view from the diagnosed. I was able to look at

personal experiences and encounters to gain a unique perspective. I think that blogs and microblogs were able to accommodate my

refl ective, and also active, learning style. I placed fairly low on the refl ective learning style scale, so it does not surprise me when I fi nd

myself sometimes util izing my active learning style. When I am reading a blog or microblog, I fi nd it useful to really participate in the blog if it is pertaining to a certain topic of interest. When that

happens, my active learning style must take center stage in order for me to get the most out of the material. Without participating and

really taking in to consideration others’ points of view, I fi nd that I wil l not retain as much information or feel as involved.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES

Stephanie Yoshifuji

iPads and tablets are not new concepts for our society. In learning, though, it is becoming a fair ly new tool. The activit ies we did for this

course introduced me to some new ways to use this technology to help me academical ly. I had never heard of the Flashcard application before this course, so when we used it for an activity, I was thri l led. This was such an amazing tool to help me study and retain information, and the best part was that it saved me tons of t ime. Instead of spending time

handwriting each fl ash card, I could do it in twice the time. With these digital fl ashcards, I was able to uti l ize my visual and sequential learning styles. Whenever it came to studying, I always wished I had the time to make fl ashcards so I could be more effi cient and confi dent. I never used fl ashcards, even though I knew how helpful they would be, because they were impractical. With the fl ashcards on a tablet, I could clearly see the words and easi ly recal l them when test t ime came. I could also organize the terms and concept in a way that would make sense to me. That way,

when the time to take the test came, I could retrace al l my cards, because they would be in order, and remember the action of seeing the card and fl ipping it over for the defi nition or explanation on the back.

Rather than a random assortment or cards, the order of them would help me mental ly review each and every fl ashcard.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES

Stephanie Yoshifuji

iPods and mp3 players were the fi rst of “cool” technology that I can recal l . S ince then, there have been major advancements. So i t was much to my surprise when I learned that they could be reinvented in a way to help in

the academic realm. In the act iv it ies done in this course I found that major col leges record lectures and make them avai lable for students to l isten in at their convenience. I would have loved to been able to use this technology in col lege, but I d id not fi nd anything that San Francisco State University was

off ering. I f I had been presented with the opportunity, I imagine that my refl ective and sequential learning styles would have been put to use. I t

goes without saying that an in-class lecture can sometimes be overwhelming. I f I were able to l isten again to a lecture that was loaded

with tons of important information, my refl ective learning style would have al lowed me to break down the material and real ly absorb it and refl ect. While trying to frantical ly take notes and l isten to what the professor is saying, sometimes we completely miss the crit ical thinking part or even

whole sentences altogether. I would be able to l isten the lecture at my own pace in a quiet space where I could pause or rewind at my convenience. When reviewing notes to prepare for an exam, my annotations would be jumbled. I f I had the opportunity to l isten to a lecture on my own t ime, I

could reorganize my thoughts and break them down in to l inear steps that would create order and lessen the confusion in my head.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES

Stephanie Yoshifuji

The mobile technology that interested me most was iPads and tablets. I am extremely fascinated at their potential to be a

scaff olding tool to help young learners. The younger generations is learning more quickly how to use an iPad and similar technology

that it is only a matter of time before print books are obsolete. I was most surprised by the abil ity for blogs and microblogs to be a

learning tool. I always looked at blogs as a social connection between people, but necessarily something that could be used

academically. I have learned that it is an amazing tool to be used between teachers and their peers and between teachers and their

students. I do not think that iPods and mp3 players are as eff ective as other forms of mobile technologies. I feel that they may become obsolete as technology becomes more advanced.

There is nothing that an mp3 player can do that a tablet cannot. I would love to learn more about iPads and tablets and what they

can do in education. As I want to be an elementary school teacher, I want to be able to util ize a tool that my students wil l

love and be familiar with.

SYNTHESIZING THE EXPERIENCE

Stephanie Yoshifuji

The mobile technology that worked best for my learning preference was the iPad. Not only are iPads

and tablets visually appealing, but they also have the ability to appeal to all palates. They can be multi-

functional and every person can find a way to make it work for their learning style. iPads can change from all

text to all photos, or from black and white to color. I liked the idea of the using iPads in education because

it can foster my sequential learning style. I can use the iPad in a way that caters to me. I have the ability to control how I want to organize my material, in a way

that I can understand.

SYNTHESIZING THE EXPERIENCE (CONT’D)

Stephanie Yoshifuji

I will continue using my visual and sequential learning strategies outside of this class, specifically with iPads

and tablets. I need to keep up with technology if I want to be an eff ective education in my work. Elementary school-aged children are extremely visual, so I will need to be, also. The iPad will provide me with the

tools to visually explore my lesson plans and organize my ideas in a thoughtful space. By the time I become a teacher with my own class, I expect more students to have access to an iPad or tablet than students who do not. As a result, I need to cater to their needs. They will be able to teach me about new things they learn

with a tablet, and I can teach them.

OUTSIDE OF ITEC299

Stephanie Yoshifuji

I expect to use iPads and tablets after this class for learning. Teaching is a job that involved constant

learning on both the education and student ends. I am going to need to keep up with the social and academic trends and the iPad will help me do that. I think that I

will continue to use blogs and microblogs for non-learning. I imagine they were originally created more

as a social tool. I see them as beneficial in academics, but I will personally not use them in that area. I will

avoid using mp3 players and iPods. I feel that I can do without them and that there is nothing they off er that I

cannot get elsewhere.

OUTSIDE OF ITEC299(CONT’D)