De Bono's hats and mobile phones

I decided to put some of my ideas (not references or edited) about the mobiles and deBono hats here and choose a few pertinent points to enter into the wiki.

De Bono's Hats

Negative Hat  (judgment: What is wrong, why won't it work, Is this safe. can this be done?)

Cost involved (may require sponsorship) I am really only talking about its use in developing countries

Limited use of phone technology itself

Lack of student access to phones

Potential for misuse, distraction

Students may know more than teacher (maybe threatening for some)

Safe although loss of technology; lack of satellite connections etc may be an issue

Yes given enough resources

Mobile phones are generally accepted by parents except in circumstances where kids run up huge bills; use it to take `risky’ photos and use in bullying and harassment. So safe guards and protocols and maybe the ethics of use is also part of the usage. The phones techs might be used for students to explore these issues.

Addicted to phones? Addicted to technology.

Lack of experience `hands on'

Process Hat (Where are we now? What is next? Where have we been?, What sort of thinking is needed?)

Creative Hat ( What new ideas are possible with this? What is my suggestion for success? Can I create something new?)

Students to be participants in creating their own learning experiences guided by the teacher

Students in all/any country to have access to learning sites in any and all countries

May help to raise the standard of living in third world countries as documented when women are educated they have less children and this contributes to better standard of living of the ones they have. Also they are more likely to (be able to) engage in paid work again raising the standard of living. KIVA org being indicative of the later

Applied in our classrooms it adds to the enjoyment of learning; which increases the likelihood of learning. Enhances what teachers are already doing. Potential to engage students who are not inclined to learn in traditional ways.

I am not sure I personally can but I think collaboratively many new things can be created like I guess networking via the phones with students in others countries – maybe for culture and geography. Imagine the perspective a student might get if `sitting in’ a class in Arnhem land if studying indigenous cultures.

I feel nervous and excited. It is challenging but worthwhile. I also think it is inevitable and either `get on board or get left behind’.

I like that it has the potential to give access to education to young people who have no or limited access now.

I like that it challenges the way we think; I like that it pushes some of us into 21^st century learning which may keep us young in mind!

I like that big companies are doing `some good’ with some of their profits but I guess it will benefit them in the long run when these students can’t live without their phone!

I guess there isn’t much I don’t like; the potential for harm in adopting shoddy practices but that already occurs within all societies anyway.

Positive Hat (What are the good points? Why can this be successful? Why is this a good thing?)

Access to education by students who previously have limited or no access

Collaborative process between gov/ed bodies and companies

Because people love to learn

Young people will learn – it is a matter of what they learn and if educators can engage them in class rooms and broaden their outlook we may eventually truly have `many nations – one world’ (bit idealistic I know) But David Attenborough once said educating the women of the world was the only way he could see that we might be able to save our planet!

People love to help

Success is catching

Students are engaging with the technology and achieving results and achievement build self confidence and moves us on to achieve again or more

White Hat Objective (What information do I have? What are the facts? What information do I need?

What do I want to KNOW?)

Limited! Anecdotal from reading

Studies by (fill in the blank)

The facts are still small in their infancy

Need more info about projects that have worked successfully. Report in Courier mail (January I think) about some QLD high schools using mobile phones for some of their subjects

Personally I need to know more about using a mobile phone for more than telling time and as a telephone!

 Intuitive Hat (How di I feel about this? What so I like about the idea? What don't I like about the idea?)

At the beginning, emergent phase

Developing the technologies to their full potential

Developing the teachers to their full potential as well; an ongoing process for both

In denial, mostly banning phone use in school; considering we think of them primarily as a telephone rather than a multi purpose Devise

Broader; raising to the challenge; shift in focus to blurring the traditional boundary between learner and teacher

Collaborative; innovative; familiarisation of staff with technology as a teaching tool but need access to resources