Classroom in your pocket

This is a report on the work-in-progress of a project aiming to contribute to building a science and environmentally literate citizenry, by supporting teaching and learning located in the local environment. Social constructivist theory and authentic pedagogical approaches provide project educators with frameworks for approaching learning and teaching that immerse and engage students in science in their middle years of schooling. Project research demonstrates that multi-age groups of students can conduct fieldwork that could make a meaningful contribution to community biodiversity monitoring. The LEP (Local Ecostudy Project) aims to develop more student-directed approaches that support students as they frame their own inquiries into their local environment. Our project incorporates the use of mobile devices and collaborative technologies to provide students with tools and the capabilities to use these to maximize the learning potential of their access to the local community and their environment. Mobile mentors, mobile monitors, mobile learners.