THREE STUDENTS REVIEW THE LATEST MOBILE RESOURCES THEY’VE BEEN USING IN THE CLASSROOM, AND BEYOND…
No teacher can fail to be aware of the increasingly important role technology is playing in the education of today’s young people. Software and content providers regularly tell us that on the back of the increased uptake amongst schools, they continue to invest in new, improved products to capitalise on the apabilities of constantly evolving mobile devices and handsets; but what do the students themselves think? We asked learners from three schools to tell us about the resources they’ve found especially useful:
NAME: ADELE COLLINS
AGE: 16
STUDENT AT: PILTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
REVIEWING: SAM LEARNING
NAME: DAN WOOKEY
AGE: 16
STUDENT AT: CHIPPING CAMDEN SCHOOL
REVIEWING: GCSEPOD
NAME: JUDE BARGE
AGE: 14 YEARS
STUDENT AT: BURTON BOROUGH SCHOOL
REVIEWING: SHOW
WHAT IS SAM LEARNING?
SAM Learning (Self Assessement Method) is an online learning resource, which is set out in the style of a race – students gain points, which accumulate to virtual trophies and certificates. Users have to spend various hours revising and completing homework tasks set by teachers, in order to move further in the ‘race’ against other students.
WHAT DID YOU USE SAM FOR?
We were introduced to SAM Learning in year 8, when it was originally used to set homework tasks in a more interesting way. But it was in years 9-11 that I found SAM Learning most useful
WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
I liked SAM Learning because all subjects, from English to dance, are available and divided into easy to access categories. I found this very useful when revising for exams, and the competitive race element was an added extra; it’s human nature to try and better other people and I did manage to achieve first place in my year group on SAM Learning for two consecutive years! The explanations are easy to understand, and the revision activities and practice test questions are all self-assessed, which lets you understand where you made your mistakes and how to correct them.
ARE THERE ANY AREAS WHERE YOU
THINK IT COULD BE IMPROVED?
Not really, the only thing I would probably suggest is that new activities could be added a little more regularly as you do reach a point where you run out of tasks to do.
WHAT IS GCSEPOD?
GCSEPod is a series of audio visual revision and learning podcasts for GCSE students that can be used on phones, iPads and pcs. They provide bite sized chunks of information that are easy to learn, digest and remember.
WHAT DID YOU USE GCSEPOD FOR?
I mainly used GCSEPod for revision. It had audio visual files for the majority of the subjects which I was studying – they were all categorised, so it was very easy to navigate through the menus to find what I needed. Each video that I used to enhance my revision was very useful, full of content, and matched what the subject syllabus required us to know. I found that the best thing about GCSEPod was that you could put the audio files on to your phone or iPod. This enabled me to revise whenever I wanted, whether it was on the school bus, before I would go to bed, or just in any free moment I could get out my iPod and listen.
ARE THERE ANY AREAS WHERE YOU
THINK IT COULD BE IMPROVED?
GCSEPod could be extended, for example by including test questions at the end of the podcast, so you are challenged to remember what you listened to. Without making the files too big, the visual display could be improved by choosing a greater variety of images. Finally, GCSEPod would work well at A level, so it should be extended here too.
WHAT IS SHOW MY HOMEWORK?
Show My Homework is a site where you are able to access the homework activities that your teachers have set for you.
WHAT DO YOU USE IT FOR?
I use it to check to see if there are any tasks that I haven’t yet done that I need to finish, and to check on deadlines.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
This tool has really enabled me to be more organised with completing my homework on time and it ensures I don’t forget to do certain pieces. It also helps you to plan out when you will need to complete certain pieces of work.
ARE THERE ANY AREAS WHERE YOU
THINK IT COULD BE IMPROVED?
Sometimes I think the explanations of what needs to be done could be clarified a little more and the teachers need to remember to put all the homework tasks on it so that it can act as one central point of reference.
