TECHN

NOLOGY In this series,

Nicky Hockly explains
explains aspects of
Five things you always wanted to know about technology which some people
may be embarrassed to
managing mobile confess that they don’t really
understand. In this article, she

devices in the classroom describes how to use mobile

devices with learners in
(but were too afraid to ask) the classroom.

ia
ed
1Why is it important to know how to manage learners need to find and
could link your list of things
d photogra
photograph around the school. You
ings to vo
voca
vocabulary or structures recently

M
mobile devices in the classroom? covered in class. For or example
example, asask them to find and photograph
Mobile devices can change a traditional classroom into a more ours (eg Find
objects with colours Fin something
s blue, Find something
dynamic working space. When used effectively, they can increase yellow, etc). Orr you could m make it more complex by combining

nd
and maintain your learners’ interest during class. And if you get colours and clothes
othes (eg FindFi a blue shirt, Find some black
your learners to move around with their devices, either in the trousers). Or give yoyour lelearners a list of tasks to carry out in
classroom itself or around the school, the learning space itself is English, and d tell th
them to audio record their questions and
transformed, stretching out beyond the classroom walls. Knowing
how to manage these changed dynamics and spaces effectively a ers on the dev
answers
thday
ay is, A
birthday
devices (eg Ask the receptionist when her
t director of studies what her three favourite
Ask the
ing
is an important teacher skill, and one for which we may not obbies
bies are).
hobbies are). You’ll
Y find a detailed description of a treasure hunt
necessarily have received any training. activity that includes a variety of task types for learners on my

2
ww
blog at www.emoderationskills.com/qr-codes-a-treasure-hunt/.

5
sh

How can I stop my learners sitting alone in class

ss
and staring at their mobile device screens? W
What management issues do I need to keep in
Learners sitting alone in class hunched over their individual
uall mi with this kind of activity?
mind
bli

devices is arguably not very conducive to language learning!

rning!
ning! For treasure hunt activities, make sure that you get permission
The solution is three words: effective task design. We need
eed to in advance for your learners to move around the school from
your school director. Ask the learners to work in pairs with
Pu

encourage interaction between the learners, in situations

ations where
uations wh
they need to use English to communicate. To ensuresure that
th you slightly different treasure hunts, so that they are directed to
have interaction and communication while your ur learners
ers are different places in the school and don’t move around in large
using their mobile devices, encourage pair- and groupwork.
d groupwo
grou noisy groups. Ensure that you give a clear time limit for the

3 But what if not all my learners

ion

activity (eg ten minutes). Ask the learners to set the alarm or
ers
s have dev
devices? timer on their devices to ten minutes when they start the activity.
When the alarm or timer rings, they need to come back to class.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. It can be effeeffecti
effective to have one
vil

device (phone or tablet) per pair of learners,

arners, sso tthat they work
together on activities and tasks. With well-designed tasks,
h well-d
well-des   
groupwork can also encourage e the
e learners
lear to interact with each
Pa

other. For example, an activityity groups of three learners,

ty in which gr
You can avoid your learners getting distracted by their devices by
with one tablet per group, create video tour of their school
ate a vide
giving clear time limits for activities, and by designing engaging
would require interaction n with each oother. Remember that the
activities that involve a certain amount of challenge. A well-
small screen size of mobile phones is more suited to pairwork,
obile ph
©

designed treasure hunt can fit the bill nicely! Q

especially in tasks where learners need to see one phone
re both le
screen clearly. On the otherr hahand, three learners sitting close
Nicky Hockly has been involved in EFL
together can probably all see a single tablet screen. If the groups teaching and teacher training since 1987. She
are bigger (four to five learners), then ideally they should have at is Director of Pedagogy of The Consultants-E,
least two phones or two tablets per group. an online teacher training and development

4
consultancy, and she is the prize-winning
author of several books about language
Can you give me an example of a task that teaching and technology. The Consultants-E
involves movement? (www.theconsultants-e.com) offers online
A treasure hunt activity that gets the learners out of the classroom educational technology training courses for
English language teachers, including a new
with their mobile devices, looking for or collecting information, is two-week ‘Going mobile’ course.
a good example. Here’s a very simple activity that can be carried
nickyhockly@theconsultants-e.com
out with low-level learners: Create a list of objects that your

58 Issue 116 • May 2018 www.etprofessional.com