10+Sites+about+iPods

10 Websites about iPods in Education [] This is an Apple website focused on using iPods in education. It talks about mobile learning and the convenience of the portability of iPods. One of the many benefits mentioned is the ability to play information back at anytime, anywhere. The specific benefits of an iPod touch are a result of its wireless capabilities; students can blog, access reference information, etc. This site offers 1, 2, 3 steps for providing educational content, and holds a video of student perspectives of this method of 1 to 1 learning. Finally, this website has sample applications, and information about how to purchase Apple products for your classroom.

[] This site has the handheld learning conference Podcast from 2007. It also has an article with a nice graphic that visually displays how Podcasting works. When I first opened the website I saw icons for lesson plans, references, etc that I thought would be really useful to me, but these are actually just pictures and not icons that would give further information, so I was a bit disappointed by that.

[] This article is about iPods being used by teachers in Zambia for training in math, science, and English. 12 iPods were given to sixth grade teachers to pilot this program. The article said that the iPods were filled with lessons along with educational audio and video materials. These iPods have finally helped with a struggle they’ve faced with finding a method to present information visually in the past. The teachers participating have previously worked with interactive radio instruction (IRI), and are finding further benefits with the iPods. [] This 21st Century Connections website walks through an interview with Robert Craven, the education technology coordinator for Orange County. He said that the minute he first saw an iPod he immediately began envisioning its possibilities in the classroom. He lists a few of them as the ability to help someone struggling with a concept by showing a video of it, setting the stage for a class using music, teaching ELL students to have flash cards on the iPod and hear the word out loud, etc. One way they use iPods is to have students read at their own pace, then record their voices as they retell the story. Regardless of how they’re used, teachers are noticing that students are now taking what they are learning back to their parents. I most appreciate the response his gave about student focus. His comments could perhaps make a skeptic of iPods in education rethink their opinion. [] This is a technology website focused on learning. The “IT Guy” answers someone’s question about whether or not iPods are appropriate for classrooms. The person asking the question assumes that iPods are just for music and don’t have a place in education. I appreciate that, in his response, the IT Guy uses the word “authentic” to explain the many ways an iPod can be used as an instructional tool. The website really doesn’t share much valuable information, but it’s nice support for what we’re doing.

[] At the risk of sounding redundant, this website also talks about the often overlooked benefits of using iPods in the classroom. I learned something new. According to this website, the first school to use iPods was Duke University. They gave every incoming freshman a 20-gigabyte iPod. The professors then uploaded class notes online to make them available for the students. This is a neat feature, but the teacher needs to be responsible for keeping clear notes that can be shared then. Lectures and presentations were also made available. The article did say that some students used the iPods to enhance learning, while some just used it as a distraction. The next year Duke was forced to reduce their iPod fund, and only freshman going into music and language majors received iPods. Though a few “bad apples,” as this website calls it, may have ruined this project for some, they still feel that iPods definitely have a place in classrooms.

[] This website talks about how iPods expand the curriculum and brings learning beyond the regular classroom hours. The site talks about podcasts, audiobooks, music, photos, and videos. The neat thing about this site is it has quotes from teachers who have success stories to share, along with links to sites that give more information about their projects.

[] This is about using an iPod Touch in a 4th grade classroom. The page shows students intently using these tools to help them learn. The pictures are neat to look at, but that is really all the site has on this topic. Aside from seeing how the students were using them in photos, there isn’t much information to be gained from this site.

[] This PDF covers a research project about using iPods in the classroom. The two research questions are: Can iPods be used effectively for instruction at the high school? And, what does the research say about using iPods for instruction? Through reading this I learned about “iTunes U,” a service provided by Apple to make lectures and other class materials available online. The information is lengthy, but offers good support for using iPods in the classroom along with additional resources.

[] This is a news report from November 2008 focusing on iPods “invading” a classroom in West Virginia. The students said they loved using something other than a computer for research. All of the 6th graders at a middle school were given iPods. The teachers of these students undergo training weekly to learn how to upload their own podcasts onto the iPods. This school supports moving forward with technology. My assumption is that this is a small school because one of the administrators involved in the project is also the school’s art teacher.