Earlier last month, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, marked the launch of the new iPad by declaring that we live in a ‘post-PC world’. Regardless of whether you agree with Cook’s statement, it would be difficult to deny that ICT in schools has moved far beyond desktop computers.

Tablet PCs, MP3 players and even handheld gaming devices are being used increasingly in UK schools to deliver learning in engaging, inspiring and flexible ways. Although using mobile devices in the classroom can benefit both pupils and teachers, just like traditional teaching methods, mobile learning needs to be properly planned and managed.

Here are my five tips for managing mobile learning in the post-PC world:

The use of mobile technologies in the classroom certainly divides opinion amongst teaching professionals. Having worked with schools across the UK, there are clearly two distinct camps when it comes to the use of consumer-technology in the classroom: those who use it and those who don’t.

For those who use technology, the benefits seem endless, but for those who don’t, the arguments they present are numerous too.

I am hoping to share insight from schools from across the UK, both private and state, in affluent and disadvantaged areas, where consumer-technology has found a valuable place within the classroom and the wider learning environment.

Recent statistics from a survey of secondary students in a Basingstoke school showed that a staggering 50% of their students owned an iPod Touch and 35% owned an iPod Nano. Whilst I recognise that these are not national statistics, they do reflect what we are finding from school to school.

We are continually seeing new trends in education technology. In 2011, we saw the prominence of social media, QR codes, and the use of iPads™ in the classroom. So when twelve months roll around and a fresh year begins, we can’t help but wonder what developments will arise in the near future. This is an important thing to ponder considering our desire to keep our classrooms competitive! With this said, we would like to reference five ways to have a digital classroom in 2012.

Bring your own device (BYOD): While this trend has been around for a short while, it will continue to gain popularity in 2012. Allowing students to bring their own device to school for learning opportunities is an effective and inexpensive way to incorporate digital elements into lesson plans. In particular, mobile learning will become increasingly abundant as more and more students will become connected through mobile phone usage. Some other BYOD include tablets, e-readers, laptops, and iPod touches™.

Privacy and security: With the ever-present use of social media in education these last couple years, much attention has been turned towards the issue of student privacy and security. Expect to see more awareness and ways to keep student secure online. In fact, use 2012 as another opportunity to teach about digital citizenship and cyber-bullying in the classroom!

Have you ever wondered what happens to the thousands of old computers that we get rid of everyday?

These days you can’t just throw IT equipment out and leave it for the dustmen. The WEEE Directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), which was made law in 2007, means all of us have to dispose of our old computers carefully and safely.

This is because all computers are full of toxic materials. Circuit boards contain heavy metals including mercury, while monitors contain up to 4kgs of hazardous lead. We can safely sit just inches from these hazardous chemicals when they are locked away in our computer, but if they are poorly disposed of they can harm the environment.

mOway is a complete solution for learning: a controllable robot packed with sensors. Discover creative programming and electronic control through the simple and intuitive mOway software allowing you to control the robot's input and output devices so students can develop their own programs. The mOway moves forwards, backwards, rotates, follow lines and avoids obstacles.

Connect mOway to the PC via the supplied USB cable, program and go! The mOway kits provide everything you need to get the mOway up and running. Students create the control program in the graphical software and then download the instructions into the mOway at the click of button.

The many sensors and controllable features of the robot give plenty of opportunity for the new and experienced programmer. The simple flow chart and object based programming software will let students control the robot within minutes of unpacking the mOway. The programs are written and developed on a PC using mOwayGUI, a software tool based on flow charts and objects. Multiple sub routines are available for the more advanced programmer as is the ability to use programming languages such as C or Assembler.

Currently there is a gap between what students at the secondary and post-secondary levels are learning about human rights violations, and what is being done to stop them. Many humanities’ classes and curricula have genocide and human rights as a unit, but assess their students using traditional assessments.

In 2008-2009 a group of students in Mr. Juliani’s 10th Grade English class asked the question, “Why do we learn about all of this stuff (genocide and human rights violations), but never do anything about it?” This question sparked an idea and Project: Global Inform (PGI) was created. The students picked their own groups and researched current human rights violations. Each group picked a violation they felt particularly passionate about and began to develop an action plan. Their action plans allowed the students to judge how effective each method of media was at spreading information and creating awareness. At the end of Project: Global Inform’s first run, hundreds of people had been met face-to-face with information they did not know, while thousands of other teens and young adults saw videos, visited websites, and became Twitter and Facebook fans of media meant to create awareness.