Technology in particular the use of the internet, pdas and mobile (cell) phones is an area that I have a particular interest in.
Providing PDA's to student in low socio-economic areas, may indeed assist students with seeking jobs and allowing teachers to undertake regular contact with the students. I found the below article particularly interesting and I look forward to reading further developments in this area.
'The PDA has helped me apply for more jobs' - Ellie Levenson and Kate Hilpern
Mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and other technology are often a pain in the neck for teachers in the classroom, whose lessons are disturbed by a seemingly never-ending series of rings and bleeps. But for Pembrokeshire College in rural Wales (pictured above), they are proving an excellent tool for motivating and supporting disengaged young adults who are not in education, employment or training, enabling tutors and students to stay in touch through text, voicemail, e-mail and the internet.
"The PDA that the college has provided me with has allowed me to phone a lot more employers than I could have afforded on my own budget. I have also had unlimited access to helpful internet sites like driving theory practice questions, job search sites, and many more that have helped me in my career choice," says one student. "With help from my tutor I have gained the confidence and many skills to contact employers and go to interviews. I have had lots of help updating my CV and writing cover letters which have helped me apply for better jobs."
The "mlearning" project (m stands for mobile), which supplies a PDA as well as a bluetooth keyboard to everyone who becomes an mlearner, states its aim as giving young people the opportunities to break through their barriers to learning and fulfil their potential through a flexible, innovative and high quality learning programme.
"The mlearning project has been a real positive hook for our young people," says Sue Edwards of the Over 15s Service. "They want to engage with the learning because the offer of a loan of a PDA is a real incentive. It motivates them to learning through a new medium. They are keen to use the technology and find it empowering to be responsible for expensive kit."
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