The introduction of the website for Moe’s Notes states:
Moe’s Notes is a multimedia note recorder, editor and organizer for creative and/or busy people. You can save audio, an image or video, text, tags, and GPS coordinates in each note. You can edit, sort and search for notes in various ways, then email them or upload them to Facebook.
The Iphone is simply the most compact all in one multi-media communication tool there is on the market at this point. No other device allows you to create media in both an audio and/or visual manner and share it with others as quickly as an Iphone with approporiate applications. What has been lacking is the coordination of that media into a complete package where text, audio and visual could be combined into a complete message for communication and/or note taking. Moe’s Notes answers that need with a simple interface and an astonishing depth of editing power for an app that is .99 cents.
I agree that for busy people, this application can create a tool for notes and reference that is top shelf for the ability to document ideas and then sort and share them with others. I do think that the publisher is missing a large market with tool, mainly because hardware has not been developed for the educational market to allow this tool enterence into the modren classroom.
I have written a series of articles entitled the 21st Cent. Tool Kit and discussed the use of social media and hand held devices in the classroom. (http://markquinn.net/blog5/2009/06/18/considerations-for-developing-the-21st-century-tool-kit-in-the-classroom/) The discussion of the mobile device and it’s growing use in society has to begin to show in the educational classroom.
At the time I wrote that post, I was not aware of anyone using mobiles in the classroom. Recently, I have learned of several schools have begun to experiement with cellphones in the classroom where the students have a present amount of time and texts to allow communication with learning groups and teachers on demand. They also have access to websites that have flash animations that will demonstrate a problem like the one they are dealing with on demand. Early results show that students are improving scores on their standardized tests upwards of 30% in Math.
The main factor in rolling out this on a larger scale appears to be just money; The cost per handset and the fact that many sources of funding directly prohibit giving the student personal possession of the device at all times. The simple fact is that this ideas is still in early development and as always early adopters pay a cost to play in that area; but Moe’s Notes is an application that should be on a short list of applications to be included when this technology becomes more common.
I personally believe that may come soon than expected. I believe the second generation Ipad will develop a camera and then this will allow the hardware changes to invite this application into the classroom.
Much of the discussion about adoption of technology centers around thinking that is 20th centuary in its focus. Our students have evolved in the 21st centuary and are adopting these tools as a seemless part of their lifestyle. As discussions continue on how to reach our students, perhaps we should consider HOW they prefer to interface, interact and process information and meet them on the field they are already using.
