iPod's for Instruction? I like the idea!

Week 8


The Principal's Partnership A Program of Union Pacific Foundation has found that since the inception of the Apple iPod in 2001, it has become far more then just a portable MP3 player. It is tearing down the boundaries between entertainment and education. There was a group of universities in 2005 such as: Brown, Stanford,the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Missouri School of Journalism, which recently participated in a pilot program with Apple called iTunes U. Professors and students had discovered the power in using these devices in their ability to record lectures, field assignments, as well as download documentation and other digital media to enhance the experience of teaching and learning. They had also discovered that K-12 schools were using them in their learning environments especially in foreign language and music departments. There were also reports of students with ADD and ADHD using iPods in their lectures to help them filter out distractions and assist them in their concentration. There were also many other great uses out of the iPod for students and teachers who traveled frequently that did not want to be burdened with the bulk and weight of a laptop or tablet PC. They could simply listen to recorded lectures or any other learning material.

I am seriously considering the purchase of an iPod! There are so many instances where I wished I could play back a portion of a lecture and compare what was said against my notes and the texts to help nail down the concepts for me. I could play lectures that covered very difficult material over and over again. My husband said that people in the the Information Technology field have been doing this type of learning with the usage of many forms of media such as training DVD's, Online training seminars, etc. An iPod would be icing on the cake, because you can transfer most of that to an iPod.


Duke Sees Growth in Classroom iPod Use

This study was very similar in nature as the previous study I listed above....sigh...I will read this as well, but it looks like re-hashed information.