IPods as Educational Tools

IPods have become incredibly popular over the last several years and Apple is constantly issuing new editions, each with more impressive capabilities than the one before it. The ancient Ipods were only good for listening to music. Now you can download anything from audio files to videos to TV shows and more and it can all be compiled into one small device. This presents a very interesting opportunity for educators. Duke University led the charge in 2004 when they gave each incoming freshman an IPod which was utilized by professors in the classroom. They were able to provide lecture material, book material, video material, etc. relating to the class and students could download it all to their IPods. Duke continues to use the IPods as a valuable educational tool but they now only provide them to students who classes call for one, which is quite a few. It is a very convenient way for teachers to disseminate information as well as for students to obtain it. Other colleges have taken notice of Harvard's revolutionary idea and begun to use IPods in their own college classrooms. If it is growing on college campuses, will it soon be considered for high school classrooms?

I found an interesting article by a man who writes a blog about educational technology and he talks about how high schools are resistant to the ideas Harvard has adopted. The main concern for high school administrators and teachers seems to be the prospect of students cheating. With so much new technology, and younger generations adapting to it so quickly, cheating does become a consideration. However, I think in a controlled atmosphere using IPods in a high school setting could be very useful. I think students might be more prone to listen to recordings or podcasts related to what they are learning than sitting down and reading about it. Of course, some still wouldn't do it but I think it does provide another option that some students might really embrace. But there are problems with this approach as well. It would be nice to just give everyone a free IPod but there are monetary realities that must be acknowledged. Maybe eventually this will become a more viable option in more schools. I think it would give a whole new avenue to learning that students might appreciate and benefit from.

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2007/05/the_ipod_of_the_beholder_can_m.html