Using the iPod Touch

In the Classroom

April Anft EDSP 430 Fall 2011

How can the iPod Touch help students learn?

• Enhances student engagement• Hands-on learning• Interactive• Immediate information at your fingertips• Exciting for students to use

How can the iPod Touch help students learn?

• Offers different modes of learning for each student

• Can be used for almost any subject– Apps in many different categories

• Many different ways to show learned information– Podcasts, videos, online assessments

Applications (Apps)

• Calculators/Timers/Alarms• Educational games• School sponsored lessons– Virginia Department of Education on iTunes U• Lessons that support the Virginia Standards of Learning Geography Algebra

Applications (Apps)

• Apps for games to make learning fun– Fraction food game– Phonics/Alphabet game– Music games to learn notes

• Apps to learn foreign languages• Apps specific to grade levels and subjects

Reading

• Podcasts• Text notes• eBooks• Students can listen to a book as they read it• Apps with books– Dr. Seuss page by page books that read to you

Video• Record experiments• Record lectures• Record class discussions• Record video to make into news shows, DVDs• Watch videos from Discovery Education’s

United Streaming• Record foreign language/sign language

homework, email to teacher• Share information with long distance school

pen pals

Internet

• Research for assignments• Look up unfamiliar words and terms• Send information to peers• Turn in assignments to teachers• Share class projects with parents through a

classroom blog

Pros/Cons

• PRO: Only need one set per classroom, can share between classes

• CON: The threat of theft/breakage• PRO: Useful in many different ways

and classrooms• CON: Students may be distracted/off task with

different apps• PRO: Students can learn new technology• CON: Not all apps are free/appropriate for

school

Conclusion

• Many classroom lesson plans/ideas already exist on the internet as a starting off point for teachers.

• Proper use of iPod touches can engage students in the classroom in ways not previously possible.

• Students really enjoy using new technology like the iPod touch.

• The iPod touch can be very useful in the classroom if used correctly.

Sources

• http://teachnet.eu/smaher/the-project/• http://web.me.com/crrichardson/Title_IID_Grant/iPod_touch_in_Education.html• http://www.meridianschools.org/Teaching21stCenturySkills/itouchipadipod/

Pages/Using%20iTouch%20in%20English.aspx• http://ipodclassroom.wikispaces.com/• http://oedb.org/library/features/top_50_iphones_for_educators• http://www.iear.org/• http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask/teachingidea?

app=16037&grantId=65• http://learninginhand.com/ipod-lesson-plans/• http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=10669• http://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/3-countries-you-ought-to-know/id387896934• http://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/teaching-mathematics/id387896659• http://www.macworld.com/article/139969/2009/04/virginia.html