According to a PewResearch Center Report on Book Reading by Andrew Perrin, "About one-in-five Americans under the age of 50 have used a cellphone to read e-books" (2016). From a 2015 survey of student perceptions of online learning at Hostos, we know that our students are also accessing their online courses through mobile devices, particularly cellphones (full article available at- http://academicworks.cuny.edu/ho_pubs/33/)
From Technology Integration for the "New" 21st Century Learner by Nancye Blair:
"In the former mindset of teaching with technology, the teacher was the focal point of the classroom, creating (often time-consuming) interactive and multimedia presentations to add shock and awe to his or her lessons and capture the attention of the 21st century child. A new mindset of teaching through technology must emerge, which depends on a vital shift in teacher/ student roles.
In this configuration, the teacher acts as a learning catalyst, orchestrating and facilitating activities that spark defining moments for students. The most effective activities take two forms-discovery and creation-though they often symbiotically work together. The student then becomes the focal point of the classroom, acting as explorer (e.g., mathematician, scientist, sociologist) and designer (e.g., author, artist, composer).
This is a liberating shift. As teachers spend less time creating presentations and more time crafting powerful learning activities, they will find that material is covered with more depth and retention the first time around, saving them time and energy in the long run. Moreover, by allowing students to be explorers and designers, educators show that they believe in their students' abilities and validate each student's contribution to the class."
Blair, N. (2012). Technology Integration for the "New" 21st Century Learner. Principal, 91(3), 8-11.