Nicole Davidson grew up in Woolgoolga. She went overseas after year twelve and then went to college in Armidale. In 2004 she moved to Brisabne to start her degree in Journalism/Law which she is currently studying.
Clyde, L A. (2004) “Some Current Infotech Trends,�? Teacher Librarian vol.31, no.5, pp. 45-46.
In this article Laurel A Clyde discusses the current Infotech developments and trends. Clyde examines the consequences that texting, instant messaging, hand held computing, Weblogs, Rich Site Summary (RSS) and Content Management Systems (CMS) have on schools today and how this affects the development and teaching of children.
Clyde evaluates the positives and negatives of how trends of instant technology influence children. Two disadvantages considered were children texting inappropriate messages and cheating on exams. On the other hand Clyde gave examples of how the texting phenomenon can enhance children’s learning through delivering breaking news and delivering information.
Clyde comments that a number of information applications are currently available and under development to take advantage of text messaging.
The article also examined the prediction of the death of text messaging has been predicted a number of times through the introduction of more new forms of instant messaging. Clyde states that we should expect to see more sophisticated information service and educational application in the future.
Bugeja, M. (2004) “Cellphones and Real-World Communication,�? The Education Digest vol.70, no.3, pp. 36-39.
Bugeja discusses the social disadvantages that are overtaking society and children’s learning centres through the excessive use and dependence on mobile phones and digital technology.
Bugeja is head of the Journalism school at Iowa Sate University and is also on the board of the Universities Institute of Science and Society. He writes this article after a poignant experience visiting Harvard University for a conference. Bugeja passionately expresses his thoughts about the search for a community amongst the technological age.
Bugeja emphasises the effects that mobile phone usage is having on children through it being passed on from parent to child. He believes that children are growing up in a society where they experience technology as companionship, and he questions whether this is a distortion of social values.
The article examines how college students view technology as entertainment and often do not distinguish between entertainment and communication. Bugeja believes that this is due to children being brought up with interactive technological toys.
Budjera explores the affects that this is having on children today and this is explored through recounting events that occurred at Ohio University during parties and other social events. On many occasions these parties turned into riots because students armed with mobile phones texted more people to attend, sparking confrontation and eventually involving the police to defuse the riots.
Bugeja’s article is a reminder of how technology is affecting society and how it is unquestioningly introduced into schools and colleges without looking at the ramifications it is having on children today.
Rudavsky, S. (2002) “Cell exodus hurts school students have no hang-up about the wireless world,�? Boston Globe pp. B.10.
In this article Rudavsky discusses the cell phone trends that are apparent in University Colleges in America and the affects this is having on the Colleges.
Due to the increase in usage of cell phones amongst the younger generations, colleges have found that there is a decrease in land line usage. This land line system was once a huge profit maker for the college economy. Rudavsky looks at the ways in which the colleges keep up with the new cell phone trends and revive their once hefty revenue maker.
Rudavsky reports that Boston University is exploring a system that links cellular and room phone voicemail. American University in Washington is also battling the cell phone situation with the introduction of a wireless system incorporating a dedicated cell phone system that should guarantee clear reception throughout its campus.
Rudavsky explains the reason why students in particular are leaning towards using one cell phone rather than a land line as well. Money is the driving force behind the decrease in land line usage. Students can’t afford to use both services.
Rudavsky uses quotes from students and statistics from Universities to explain why students are changing cell phone trends.
Kramer, L. (2004) “Technically speaking, it’s back to school,�? Crain’s New York Business vol. 20, no.32, pp.4.
The meaning of “back to school�? has evolved. Louise Kramer discusses in this article the changes that have taken place with the “back to school�? must have item. A new piece of clothing was once the much needed item, however it is technology items that are taking over.
Kramer looks at what affects the new technology craze is having on both parents and clothing businesses. She says many parents can’t afford these often expensive technology items and clothing businesses now have competition in a market that they once survived from.
Kramer says the must have items are ipod’s, cell phones and digital camera’s. She says there are two reasons why technology items are more popular than clothing. These are that; parents don’t want their children to slip back in a technological era, and children want to indulge their fashion senses by having the latest items.
Kramer explores some reasons why there is an increase of cell phone usage at school and says that parents are concerned about their children’s safety and want to know there wherabouts. Kramer says that children also say they ‘need’ their phones in order to say in touch with their friends.
Kramer’s examines also how cell phones can be an expression of children’s personalities and style. Cell phones come in a range of colours and ring tones that communicate something personal about the user.
Further, the article looks at how children like to express themselves through their possessions and objects and this shift in ‘need’ has become a trend that is going to compete with the clothing market.
Wireless Week Staff. (2003) “Kids and Cell Phones,�? Wireless Week vol.9, no.18, pp.34.
The staff at wireless week looks at the question that is on a lot of parents mind. Does their child need a mobile phone? This article looks at research that has been undertaken in the United Kingdom concerning mobile phone trends and usage with children.
London based consulting firm mobilYouth found in 2003 that 400,000 children in the UK under the age of 10 regularly use mobile phones compared with 80,000 in 2000. The research firm doesn’t support the marketing and sale of mobile phones to children, however they state that the main reason for the rise in mobile phone sales amongst children is due to parents concern for their child’s safety. mobileYouth studies have also found that the usage of mobile phones amongst children is not isolated to the UK but is also present in Japan and Scandinavia and is currently on the rise. UK companies are following government guidelines not to market mobile phones to children, however they seem to rely upon the marketing tactic of ‘pester power’. The children do all the work for the company in pestering their parents until they get what they want. Some things just seem to transcend boundaries.
Clyde, L A. (2004) “m-Learning,�? Teacher Librarian vol.32, no.1, pp. 45-46.
Clyde looks at what the concept of m-learning is and how it has developed to assist children in learning at school. m-learning is one step up from e-learning (via internet). It is a way of learning through hand help computers or mobile phones. It is learning described as “on the go�?, “anywhere anytime learning.�? m-Learning is not just reading text on a screen from a mobile hone. There are several ways to communicate through hand held devices. Clyde looks at interactivity and communication that happens through the use of mobile phones and how these services can be captured to assist in m-learning. Some of these services are delivering audio material, automated multiple choice quizzes, discussion in real time, e-mail interactions, delivery of text and file, as well as displaying text and still and moving pictures.
In this article Clyde looks at how mobile phones can be used positively to help children that are unemployed and usually not in the education system. A European Research and Development Program called “m-learning�? is targeted at young adults aged 16-24 who are at risk of social exclusion. The one thing in common with these people is that they all have a mobile phone, which enables them to m-learn. The projects main aim is to engage young people in learning and to see if they can change their attitudes towards learning.
Clyde examines the potential for m-learning in society and believes that people are wanting to learn whilst on the move. The main challenge with m-learning is identifying the forms of education and training, and who are the potential students that most need it and who will benefit from it the most.
Vittachi, N. (2004) “I’m not c%l w/ Dis @ All,�? Far Eastern Economic Review vol.167, no.21, pp. 56.
Nury Vittachi examines the trends and usage of mobile phones amongst children in schools in Asia. Vittachi says kindergartens and schools from Japan to Java are constantly being interrupted by children knee-high receiving calls and text messages from other children.
Vittachi said the driving force behind mobile phone increase amongst children is from peer pressure. Children want what there friends have, and immediately.
The article gave a description of the affects that mobile phones are having on society. In Hong Kong, organisers of a children’s poetry competition received hundreds of entries beamed in on mobile phones. The judges however had to translate the text talk in to written pieces. In schools kids are handing in essays using phrases like “r u c%l w/ th@�? (are you cool with that?)
Vittachi goes further on to say that in Korea children now need a mobile phone to eat. They just point their phones at a vending machine, press a few buttons and the food comes out. (Of course it automatically gets charged to dad).
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