It's the ideas that excite me not the mobile tech

I’m suspect I’m getting reputation among my health promotion/public health colleagues as being a bit of tech head. I think they like the idea of having someone around who seems to be into the new stuff just in case they ever need to find out about.

While I have always get on well with computers and ITC, I no guru. I find the thought  of being seen as a one as quite amusing.

Here is the truth. I am not a tech head-mobile guru.

In reality, I struggle to access mobile tools. My workplace has not been an early adopter and my personal budget constraints limiting my purchase of mobile devices.

At this stage, I mostly just dreaming about what is fast becoming possible because of

really fast Internet, a skilled public and mobile devices that are rapidly becoming cheaper to buy and connect.

Personally, I expect to purchase a high-end android mobile phone soon. Because it will need to offer great regional coverage. (In Australia this means it works with the phone company with best regional coverage and has a Blue Tick.) This points towards the Motorola Defy as being the optimal device for my needs. Also give my history of killing a succession phones in water, it water proofing feature is highly valued.

The good regional coverage that comes with phone is a critical selection criteria given where I live and work in regional Australia. It is also an important we plan latter this year to run our lives for four months via phones and other mobile devices as we do a camping tour of rural and remote Australia. On this trip I want to use mobile blogging as way of keeping touch with my seven year old class and their families and wider friends by a travel blog. This will help learn about good places to visit on our trip and help my daughter learn about mobile tools.

So far because of my access to technology, my mlearning has been limited.

Surprising on reflection, I find the two mobile learning devices important to me has been a cheap MP3 player and CDRom burner.

I use the MP3 device listen to podcasts while doing my 40 minutes walk to and form work. The CDRom burner has been important as I can listen to audio of lectures ect while on work related long drives around my region. I prefer this to driving for hours with earplugs in. Listening while driving is one advantage rural and remote workers have in terms of access to learning. In both cases, MP3 files coverts otherwise wasted time has become valuable learning time. Personally I enjoy listening to audio talks and I have very good recall. I suspect it is preferred learning style.

All am is a person who is a whole lot excited and little bit scared about the potential of the changes in the internet with truly fast internet and with mobile access.

A small part of me fears that these technologies my do to health promotion what the Personal Computer  did to the typing pool. But mostly I feel excited the new ideas more so that the tech. What excites me the poteitnal reach of the new tools and how they can be scaled up.

What excites me is idea like personal learning networks (PLNs) and connectivism not computer chips and new screen interfaces. Electronic CoPs not new release operating systems.