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If I was given a moderate amount of money to spend on technology in my classroom, I think I would quickly equip my class with a set of iPod Touch devices. These versatile gadgets have a lot of potential for education, and can be used by even the youngest students. They are tactile, interactive, and just plain fun to use. So, if your school is thinking about purchasing some too, you may be interested in one, or both, of the following articles. The Advantages of Using the iPod Touch in the Classroom will hopefully help allay any doubts you may have. If you are already using the iPod Touch, or know someone who already has them, then you may also appreciate The Top 10 Apple iPod Touch Apps for English or Language Arts Teachers. All the apps are free, and I would be happy to hear any suggestions you would have for this list.
 


Comments

ktenkely

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:54:25

The iPod Touch is an amazing learning tool for the classroom. I love the applications available, many for free, that enhance and excite our students as learners. I think the only thing that may make me re-think asking for an iPod touch lab, is the iPad. The larger surface area would be great for elementary students still learning fine motor skills and reading.

If your dream ever comes to fruition, I have created an ezine about using iPods in education here: http://issuu.com/ktenkely/docs/ilearn_2

 

Jonathan Wylie

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:01:08

I think that iPads would be great too, but you will obviously get more for your money with an iPod Touch in terms of ratio per child. The cheapest iPad is about three times that in price of the cheapest iPod Touch.

 

Kristen

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:20:18

I purchased myself an iPod Touch this morning in hopes of researching its usability in the classroom....thanks for the resources!!

 

Ann Carnevale

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:32:31

I'd love to have the funds to get one class set of iPod Touches, and one of iPads (when they come out), and provide them to two fourth or fifth classes at the same school, with the same apps, if possible. I'm really curious which will have a bigger impact on learning, and which will really be more bang for the buck. I'm learning towards iPad. I'm also wondering if that's the next stage of 1:1, rather than laptops.

 

Jonathan Wylie

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:25:24

@Kristen - Glad it was useful for you. I hope you enjoy your new toy!

@Ann - You might be right about the iPads, they look like they would be great for the classroom. A colleague and I discussed whether we would prefer teacher laptops or teacher iPads the other day, but the laptop won out for typing ability, and the built in DVD drive. The iPad offers a nice glimpse into the future, so it will be interesting to see how ti evolves.

 

Ryan

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:49:23

What's great about the iPod Touch (and other mobile devices) is that if the teacher is savvy enough, they can customize the learning experience of each student so it focuses on their specific strengths and ways of understanding concepts or ideas.

 

Chris Fritz

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:22:21

I was wondering what you think the advantage of having iPod Touches over netbooks is. Is it just the price? It seems to me, the only real advantage is the price.

I don't own an iPod Touch, but doesn't the battery only last a few hours with wifi on? Why not just get a netbook or laptop, since students will be tethered to the wall anyway? Then students would be able to view webpages more easily, watch videos with Flash, use a greater variety of applications, and generally just do the things they would do on the iPod Touch, but faster and more effectively.

iPod Touches are great on-the-go tools because they'll fit in your pocket, but personally, I'd much rather have a class full of netbooks or laptops. Then I can ditch the textbooks, save a lot of money on paper, and over time, the price difference more than pays for itself.

 

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