1. http:// www.mlearning-conf.org/cfp.asp e A case study in a public school in the state of Sao Paulo / Brazil High School Students THE USE OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY AS AN AID IN THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS This work was presented at the Conference entitled This article is part of the master’s degree dissertation of the course of Art and Cultural History at Mackenzie Presbyterian University Sponsor: Mackenzie Research Fund ADRIANE SILVA HIGUCHI Fugleman : Dr. Jane de Oliveira

2. Song’s lyrics … Something happens in my heart Only when it crosses Ipiranga and São João Avenue (two streets in the city) When I first got here I could understand nothing about … The concrete poetry of its street corners The discreet inelegance of its girls I didn't even know who Rita Lee was (a famous country singer) And her most thorough interpretation Something happens in my heart Only when it crosses Ipiranga and São João Avenue

3. Song:Sampa by Caetano Veloso - Composer: Caetano Veloso When we were face to face I didn't recognized myself I called what I saw bad taste, bad taste, bad taste Because Narcissus thinks it is ugly what is not a mirror And what is not yet old scares the mind Nothing of what it was before when we are not mutants (Mutants was the name of Rita Lee's band) And it was a difficult beginning I get away from what I don't know And those who sell a different dream of a happy city Soon learn to call it all reality Because it is the other side of the other side of the other side of the other side … Available at : Images : http://www.google.com.br/imgres and My cell phone – Adriane

4. Brazil In 2011, there is a number of 104.7 cell phones for every group of 100 inhabitants, which means more than one cell per capita 1 ; The great majority (82%) have contracted the prepaid system service 2 ; The country is considered to be the 5 th largest world market 2 . Some studies have placed Brazil among the countries with the highest prices of cell phone service in the world. 3 1 Teleco – Inteligência em Telecomunicações. Relatórios 2010. http://www.teleco.com.br/estatis.asp 2 Dados da Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações – Anatel / 2009 3 Bernstein Research . Jan/ 2010. http://blogs.forumpcs.com.br/noticias/2010/01/29/telefonia-movel-no-brasil-e-a-2o-mais-cara-do-mundo/ 4 Available at: http://citybrazil.uol.com.br/index.php Brazil has 4 : 183 million inhabitants; 89 million of men and 94 million of women; 153 million live in urban areas and 30 million live in rural area.

5. Issue How can mobile digital technologies, mainly the cell phone, assist the teaching-learning process in formal education?

7. FOCUS Through a case study, think about how formal education has used mobile technologies in the teaching-learning process. I have chosen this case study because it breaks a huge paradigm existing within schools in Brazil, where the student generally plays a passive role in the educational process. In this case, the teacher prepared the activity and allowed the students to interact with her teaching and, the cell phone was an important resource in this interaction.

16. ABSTRACT The use of mobile technology has caused changes in all segments of society. Taking part in people’s daily life, the digital mobile devices have caused a revolution in the way people communicate, interact, work, purchase, have fun and learn among themselves. In search for greater flexibility, convenience and mobility, society increasingly makes use of the digital language, thus printing new features to the transceiver-receiver, consumer-supplier, employee-employer, media-reader, and even in citizen-state relationships. Within this context, education is not immune to the effects of technology as well. The so-called digital generation is born, grows, learns and lives connected and immersed into a virtual/digital reality. Unlike the past generations, today’s one shows skills that are compatible to the speed of information. It is able to browse and move through the pieces of information within multiple channels and vehicles - all while moving around. How does the absorption of these pieces of information occur? How does the traditional education system perceive and cope with this new reality? This survey starts up a speculation in the search for answers to these questions. With focus on the mobile phone device, we herein seek to consider whether and how the school environment incorporates the mobile technology into the education process. The following article presents a case study accomplished in a public school in the city of Mogi das Cruzes, located in the metropolitan area in the state of Sao Paolo, with high-school level students, who make use of the mobile device as an aid in teaching activities developed by the history teacher. The method used for gathering data was the use of questionnaires and interviews.

17. Introduction This research aims to study the way youngsters take control of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), mainly the mobile technology, in the process of learning. Unlike past-generation individuals, who often face difficulty to concentrate on reading in noise-polluted environment, the digital generation has developed an ability to deal information from multiple channels and numerous communication medium, all at the same time and while moving around. In the information speed age, the new digital generation – also called “ thumb generation ” (Rheingold apud MOURA, 2009), – is able to write a text while listening to music, download a video, follow what is on TV and, at the same time, communicate with many people, who can be side-by-side with him/her, in another state or even across the planet. According to Don Tapscott’s evaluation (1999), the new generation, born and raised within the digital environment, is revolutionizing the reality around us and imposing us a new culture, thus reshaping the way society and individuals interact. With increasing and rapid development of mobile devices like smart phones and tablets, combined with expansion of wireless networks, youngsters have available at their hands - at the moment and time they need - resources that were previously only possible throughout desktop computers (LEMOS, 2005, 2007; SCANLON et.al , 2005; SACCOL; REINHARD, 2004). Due to their lightweight and portable layout, the mobile devices that can easily be transported in the palm of the hand, pocket or purse of the user, have favored and broadened access and information exchange. (LIVINGSTON, 2004 apud ANDERSON; BLACKWOOD, 2004; SACCOL; REINHARD, 2004) By taking control of the mobile technologies - mainly cell phones - the digital generation develops a warm, customized and close relationship with technology - as pointed out by Lasen (2002, 2004 apud SACCOL; REINHARD, 2004) - a close relationship of affection and customization. According to Lasen, this occurs because of the close connection between technology and human communication, and because these devices have now practically become an extension of their own bodies. When researching the psychological impact caused by the use of cell phones among young Brazilians in the state of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, Costa (2004) notes that it is already possible to identify some psychological changes, such as the increase in the sense of privacy, freedom and security. The author points out that, youngsters are used to always place their cell phone devices around and on 24 hours because they want to be always available, and that gives them the feeling of not being alone. So, if the cell phone is already considered an extension of their own bodies by the digital generation individuals, what impact would this discovery cause in the education field? How does traditional education deal with this new behavior pattern - its peculiarities, languages, the overload/exchange/speed of information? What are the methodological changes required? Jean Piaget (1896-1980) points to a path when he says that knowledge is a continuous, essentially active building, in which the man and the world are analyzed together. For Piaget ( apud MIZUKAMI, 1986), knowledge is the result of the product of the interaction between subject and object. "Talking about a right to education is, therefore, first, recognizing the indispensable role of social factors in shaping the individual.” (PIAGET, 2002, p. 29)

18. Introduction Some authors such as Graziola Junior (2009) also highlight the importance of the interactive and collaborative profile of mobile technology for allowing the student to access, exchange, make mixings, and finally work in an environment that encourages dialogue. For Sharples (2000 apud REINHARD et.al ., 2005), mobile technologies provide an individualized learning, in other words, it allows to focus the student's needs, expand their capabilities, respect the different forms of learning. This feature is also seen by Thomas (2005 apud SCHLEMMER et.al ., 2007), who emphasizes the student's opportunity to learn within the context in which he construed as meaningful and relevant. Lemos (2005) reinforces that mobile technology enables questions to be solved at the same time they arise, which prints more dynamism to the process of knowledge. Finally, Edwards (2005 apud REINHARD et.al ., 2005), points out that one of the advantages of mobile technology is to broaden opportunities for learning, in other words, through them, the information can be accessed at the exact moment and place where necessary. Given the irreversible impact that technology brings to all areas, including education, the challenge can no longer be ignored: How can the mobile digital technology aid the teaching-learning process in an effective and more comprehensive manner?

19. Research The survey was accomplished between June and October 2010 in a public school in the city of Mogi das Cruzes, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Data were collected through interviews (formal/informal and focused) and questionnaires (with open and closed questions), to identify if and how the use of the mobile device can motivate and support learning in teaching activities. The survey, which is now going through the phase of data analysis and interpretation, was done in a classroom with 15 students in the 2nd year of high school, aged between 16 and 19 years old, concerning 5 female and 10 male youngsters. The teenagers belong to low-income families. Only one student out of the group of 15 students surveyed did not have a cell phone and most of them use the pre-paid system. Almost the whole group reported to leave the phone on 24 hours and to take the device to all places (prohibited or not). The 50-year old teacher has taught History for 22 years and confesses her lack of skills to deal with computers or electronics. However, she states that, in order to attract the attention of the class to the topic of religious conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland - topic she had prepared for that day - had the idea of giving the room a clip of the song “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” by Irish rock band U2. As she was unable to download the video from the “Youtube” website, she decided to take only the lyrics and its translation into the classroom. During class, students expressed their curiosity to listen to the music. "At that moment, I decided to ask whether any of them could download music on a cell phone," recalls the teacher. "And the quality of the class was surprisingly better," she says. In the scenario, the most curious point for the educator was to realize that the student, who had had serious problems of indiscipline until then, was the very one who had the initiative to collaborate with the class by making his cell phone available, so that the class could listen to the song. The teacher reported that, right after they had listened to the song, the cell phone was turned off and all of them turned into a discussion regarding the influence of reality on artistic productions and the issues that led to that conflict.

20. Research Based on the positive result from this experience, the teacher states that she started to adopt the cell phone in other educational activities – pictures of students' everyday lives, video recordings for illustrating the pedagogical work and recordings of songs composed by students themselves. In order to make use of mobile device in the classroom, the teacher emphasizes that she needed to get the approval of the school board. There is a current law since October 2007 in the State of Sao Paolo which prohibits the use of cell phones during classes. While endorsed, the mere fact of inserting new technology into the classroom cannot assure to keep a student motivated for a long time. Bartolomé (2010) warns that we must place this technology within a context, with specific objectives and methodology, aimed to assist and promote the construction of knowledge. Perhaps this is the great new challenge for education. For the author, it is necessary that technology be used not only to foster easy access to information, but also for encouraging learning and developing mutual respect, exchanging information and points of view, as well as cooperation, collaborative work, dialogue and interaction.

21. Conclusion With the rapid development of mobile technology and its impact on different sectors of society, a range of possible applications, including in education, is opened. This study aimed to identify how the mobile device can be adopted in teaching practices within the school environment and in what way this appropriation takes place. Despite of being in the process of analysis and interpretation of data, this study has shed light on some possibilities of using the mobile phone in pedagogical practices. Far from replacing the teacher, mobile devices can become allies in the construction of knowledge to a generation born immersed in the 2.0 environment, which ends up taking the technological tools as an extension of their own body. The challenge is to get to know how we can develop these new methodologies. In the age of information speed there are no long distances anymore, but we must deepen the dialogue without fear or prejudice. And the teacher's role, once again, will be influential in this discovery.