A couple of years into my teaching career, I worked at a school that wanted to incorporate computer games into their math instruction. While one group of students played the games, the others would receive instruction from me in small groups. Although I frequently incorporated games into my instruction in the past, I was […]

The way technology moves forward often leaves little room for those who prefer to wait. The idea that the fastest adopters take greater risks may hold some truth, but it’s also true that the people who are left in the trough behind the wave usually suffer the most. Advances in technology create great new opportunities, […]

A big part of the Mobility Labs retreat involves reviewing our processes. We took a look at almost every aspect of the business to better understand how we do what we do for clients, for projects, and for ourselves. We subscribe to the belief that often the best way to understand something is to explore […]

We have already talked about how teachers are using digital games in classrooms, but we didn’t touch on how prevalent this new trend has become. A new report from the Games and Learning Publishing Counsel takes a look at how kindergarten through eight-grade teachers are actually using games in classrooms. Disclosure, the study was based […]

Recently, three members of the Mobility Labs team went to the CTA (center of science and technology of Antioquia) to meet with the director and find out more about the major programs administered by the CTA. Our team was especially interested in the educational activities of CTA, including the ALIANZA program. We met with Mr. […]

One of the organizations we met at the Education Summit in Colombia is Antioquia Digital, the organization that is working to provide digital tools to teachers and students throughout the large region of Colombia known as Antioquia. The organization has three main projects: Social use of information technology and communications Development of digital educational content […]

Special needs education is proving to be an area that is a natural fit for technology. One reason is that many special needs students are already using digital technology to help them manage communications, maintain focus, and provide engagement. Assistive technology describes the use of these devices to “increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of […]

This is part three of our discussion of the interaction of videogames, gaming, and education. Today we look at gamification. Previously, we discussed educational videogames and using videogame design to engage students. Though many writers confuse the concepts, gamification is explicitly defined as using game elements in a NON game context. The word was introduced […]

Ed Tech Friday is a continuing discussion of the issues and concerns surrounding the implementation of technology in schools and classrooms.  While some writers have lumped the incursion of videogames into classrooms into one category, sometimes mis-labelling the whole thing “gamification,” we are taking a look at three separate ways in which the world of […]

Ed Tech Friday is a continuing discussion of the issues and concerns surrounding the implementation of technology in schools and classrooms.  Gaming, Game Design, and Gamification in the classroom are three different things, we’ll talk about each. This week, gaming. There are three distinct trends happening in education that have “game” in the name, somewhere. […]

Ed Tech Friday is a continuing discussion of the issues and concerns surrounding the implementation of technology in schools and classrooms. For most of August we have been talking about the invasion of digital devices into the classroom. First, we discussed why the biggest stories are about the failures—the so-called train wrecks. Since that article, […]

Data privacy is frequently discussed at the intersection of internet companies, websites, app-builders, and the consumer. Visiting a website or using an application produces data. Data gives us insights into how the world works. But not all consumers are comfortable with companies, institutions, or other individuals collecting and using that data. Even with all the […]

Ed Tech Friday is a weekly look at the issues, trends, and conversations that are important in the world of education technology. This week we are doing a broad overview of the field in order to introduce this new series. The advent of digital devices—tablets, laptops, and smartphones—in our K-12 classrooms is being embraced by […]

Ed Tech Friday is a weekly look at the issues, trends, and conversations that are important in the world of education technology. This week we are doing a broad overview of the field in order to introduce this new series. Part 1: Train Wrecks Make Better Stories Most stories about placing digital devices into a […]

Ed Tech Friday is a weekly look at the issues, trends, and conversations that are important in the world of education technology. This week we are doing a broad overview of the field in order to introduce this new series. Wikipedia defines Education Technology this way: “the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and […]