A Practical Guide to the Benefits & Barriers to Mobile Technology Integration In Social Studies

Mobile technology continues to change and evolve the way people and society function in their everyday lives. Much like the phenomenon that was the Internet 20 years ago, educators now find themselves facing increasing pressure to adapt classroom instruction to accommodate for new and emerging technologies. This article offers practical considerations from our own classroom experiences surrounding the benefits and barriers of incorporating mobile technology in social studies instruction. We provide readers with a rationale for the use of mobile technology in social studies classrooms, as well as general lists of benefits and barriers to using this technology in the classroom to hopefully assist educators in overcoming common fears associated with the use of mobile technology in the classroom.