Mobile Learning

If you are at ISTE 2010, make sure to stop by this ISTE Unplugged event on Tuesday, Jun 29 at 10:30 am.

Title: Individualized Instruction and Learning Using the iPod Touch

Description:
Comal ISD and Grey Culbreth Middle have implemented iPod Touch-based mobile learning programs. Middle schoolers who participate in these programs are each given an iPod Touch that includes restricted Internet access, apps, music, documents, presentations and instructional videos that allow the students to learn on their own time outside of school hours. The panelists will discuss how the programs evolved from concept to reality, cover acceptable use policy, security and deployment management, and anecdotal evidence of the benefits derived by students participating in the program.

• Comal ISD in New Braunfels, TX, has implemented a 1:1 learning program using the Apple iPod Touch for its special education English language learners.
• Grey Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill, NC has implemented a similar program for the entire 8th grade class.
• Travis Allen from the iSchool Initiative will also participate in the session and bring a refreshing student perspective.
• The session is hosted by Suren Ramasubbu (HuffPost blogger and CEO of Mobicip.com)

Panelists:

Suren Ramasubbu http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suren-ramasubbu

Sandra Shelton http://www.comalisd.org/mobile_learning/index.html

Travis Allen http://www.ischoolinitiative.com

Susan Wells http://www.youtube.com/greyculbreth

Click here to join the Elluminate room

Comal Independent School District in New Braunfels, Texas had identified a subset of the student population as English Language Learners (ELL). The district launched an ELL program for these students, as part of which each student was provided an iPod Touch. Given that the iPod Touch is an internet-enabled powerful computing device, the school had to overcome several challenges before they could deploy the solution.

Comal ISD decided to deploy Mobicip’s Safe Browser app as the window to the Internet on the iPod Touch. The Safe Browser app offers a safe, secure and educational Internet environment for school-age children.

“Mobicip fills a critical need for us. Students still have access to the Internet on any WiFi network and teachers and parents can feel confident that they are not accessing inappropriate sites.”, says Jennifer Wivagg, technology coordinator at Comal ISD.

Comal ISD has found Mobicipʼs solution to be effective, affordable and instrumental in enforcing CIPA compliance and implementing a managed one to one learning program using the iPod Touch, while allowing teachers to find innovative educational uses for safe and secure Internet access.

Click here to download the full case study.

Our May newsletter (copied below) was sent over the weekend, generating an overwhelming response in referrals, phone calls and emails. Thank you parents for your wonderful feedback!

Schools Choose Mobicip for Safe iPod Touch Use.  Mobicip is most popular among parents as an Internet filtering and parental control service for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. However, the original intent behind Mobicip was to create a safe Internet for K-12 schools for mobile learning. This vision has been borne out by the increasing adoption of the iPod Touch as a mobile learning device by hundreds of schools across the US. In the last few months, we had the unique opportunity to work with pioneering schools, administrators and teachers who are implementing 1:1 learning programs based on the iPod Touch. A 1:1 learning program is where the school provides a learning device with instructional activities and curriculum-aligned content to each student for use in the classroom and at home. That Mobicip has been adopted by these pioneering schools is a testament to how critical filtering is for schools, and to the effectiveness of Mobicip's dynamic filtering engine and Internet activity monitoring. Does your child's school use mobile devices for education?  Let us know so Mobicip can make sure your kids have access to a safe, secure and educational Internet. Email Reports Now Available For Premium Users Premium Mobicip.com subscribers can now opt to receive reports of Internet activity via email. Simply login at www.mobicip.com and navigate to Settings > Email Reports to enable the option. To upgrade to Premium, login at Mobicip.com and click Upgrade Now. Safe Browser Update 2.5.1 - iPad Support! The latest update of Mobicip's Safe Browser is now available for download from the iPhone App Store. The update features Support for the iPad Blazing performance next only to Safari Reorderable bookmarks Bug fixes making the Safe Browser one of the most reliable and fully functional Safari Mobile-alternatives available on the App Store. Yes, the update is absolutely FREE! We have listened to your requests and the next update we are working on includes full-screen browsing, bookmarks syncing, visual bookmarks or weblinks, and the ability to exclude local IP Addresses. If there are other features you want to highlight to us, please send a quick note to support@mobicip.com. Sincerely Mobicip.com Crew become a fan on Facebook follow us on Twitter

Hear'em Say It "Even with the free account, Mobicip offers more than enough protection that parents can rest easy. For a mere $5, you can keep your kids from accidentally (or intentionally) wandering into the Web's red-light districts. I'm sold." Rick Broida - CNET "Mobicip allows us to unleash the web on these (iPod Touch) devices, address parental control wishes and let our students learn in and out of school, both on their terms and parent/educator’s terms." Dr. Brant Myers, Superintendent, Jim Ned Indep. School District "I haven’t the faintest idea how all the technical voodoo works to block/allow websites so I’m grateful they’ve kept the parental account features simple. A fabulous product." The iPhone Mom.com   Mobicip Protects iPods at Comal ISD Mobicip for iPad Useful Links Watch Demo Frequently Asked Questions Need Help / Report Problem User Community Forum   Top Blog Posts How To Setup Parental Controls on iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad Five Must-Have iPhone Apps Mobicip Ensures Safe Student iPod Use in Schools

Dynamic Internet Filtering Service Enables a Pioneering School District in Texas to Roll Out iPod Touch Devices to Every High School Student in the District, Putting Parents and Educators at Ease

Mobicip.com, the leading internet safety and parental control service for mobile devices like the iPhone and iPod Touch, partnered with Jim Ned Consolidated Independent School District in Tuscola, TX so they could safely send iPod Touch devices home with every high school student in the district.

Jim Ned CISD launched a 1:1 program where every High School student was given a school-provisioned iPod Touch. The unique program not only allows the students to use the iPod Touch in school, but allows the device to be taken home so that the students can learn anytime anywhere. The school district allows students to explore and experience the Internet, App Store, music, videos and podcasts, with safe school-generated and approved content so teens can learn and use technology they relate to.

Most schools do not allow iPods out of the schools due to fear of teens surfing the web without supervision. Mobicip’s internet safety and parental control service allows educators to embrace new technology while letting teens embrace new-rules learning, on safe, secure terms. "Children today are growing up in an era where they are exposed to technology and content that can transform their learning experience, and it is our responsibility to allow them to do so safely," says Dr. Brant Myers, Superintendent of Jim Ned CISD. “You wouldn’t give a hammer to someone and tell her that you can use it for anything except drive a nail in the wall. We feel the same way about the iPods and learning. Mobicip allows us to unleash the web on these devices, address parental control wishes and let our students learn in and out of school, both on their terms and parent/educator’s terms.”

After a careful review of all available online security options, the school board and administration selected Mobicip's Safe Browser app and web-based monitoring service due to the high quality of the app and Internet filter. Mobicip’s service ensures CIPA-compliance, supports the school’s acceptable use policy, and makes the program eligible for eRate funding.

"Mobicip.com is proud to be a part of pioneering educational programs using the iPod Touch and netbooks around the country. Personalized learning and mobility fundamentally transform how children learn and we are proud to play a significant role in the process," says Suren Ramasubbu, Founder and CEO of Mobicip.com. "Mobicip's service is being used by thousands of parents around the world, and the fact that it is being adopted by schools is a testament to its capabilities."

The Safe Browser app is available on the iPhone App Store, and the service is available at www.mobicip.com. The full press release is available at www.mobicip.com/press.

About Mobicip Web Filtering and Dynamic Parental Control Software

Mobicip is the most powerful internet filtering and parental control software designed specifically to work with mobile devices. Parents and Educators use Mobicip’s custom web filtering so kids and teens can use the Internet safely, securely and specific to their age, interests and parent/educator requirements. The Safe Browser iPhone app is the most popular parental control app on the iPhone App store. Learn more about Mobicip at www.mobicip.com.

Mobicip.com
Lorrie Thomas, 805-380-5687
pr@mobicip.com