iPod Touch Schoolwide Implementation
There are a number of posts from individuals interested in using iPod Touches for teaching and Learning. At Culbreth Middle in Chapel Hill, NC we began a pilot this past August to place the iPod Touch in the hands of staff and students.
Our staff development for faculty to roll out the new technology centered on teacher coaches leading their groups in exploration through professional learning communities.
Our AVID students use the iPod Touch in the AVID classroom and in all other courses. They have piloted this program, using the iPod Touches daily for note taking, keeping individual agendas, translation for world languages, and accessing research through the Internet. In addition, our AVID students use many of the apps that teachers sync with these mobile devices. As student leaders, they’ve understood their responsibility to work and share this learning tool in collaborative groups.
This winter we were able to add iPod Touch labs for each of our seven interdisciplinary teams and two labs for our exploratory and resource teams. The interdisciplinary grade level iPod Touch labs are housed with each team and shared among the four content teachers (math, language arts, science, and social studies). These teachers plan together so that their students have access throughout each day. They access the internet as needed and use many apps as well.
Teacher current app favorites include: WordBook, Thesaurus, USA, Countries, Brain Tuner, Blanks, Whiteboard, CoinToss, Lose It!, Word Warp, FlipBook Lite. Of course they are using the included apps: Calendar, Calculator, Notes, Clock, YouTube throughout each day.
We held an iPod Touch Day last week with visitors from all over the state and from across the country. We even had a group from the UK come see our students and teachers in action with the iPod Touch. With almost 400 iPod Touches now in use at Culbreth, we’re happy to share what we’ve learned and what we’re learning.
Our staff development for faculty to roll out the new technology centered on teacher coaches leading their groups in exploration through professional learning communities.
Our AVID students use the iPod Touch in the AVID classroom and in all other courses. They have piloted this program, using the iPod Touches daily for note taking, keeping individual agendas, translation for world languages, and accessing research through the Internet. In addition, our AVID students use many of the apps that teachers sync with these mobile devices. As student leaders, they’ve understood their responsibility to work and share this learning tool in collaborative groups.
This winter we were able to add iPod Touch labs for each of our seven interdisciplinary teams and two labs for our exploratory and resource teams. The interdisciplinary grade level iPod Touch labs are housed with each team and shared among the four content teachers (math, language arts, science, and social studies). These teachers plan together so that their students have access throughout each day. They access the internet as needed and use many apps as well.
Teacher current app favorites include: WordBook, Thesaurus, USA, Countries, Brain Tuner, Blanks, Whiteboard, CoinToss, Lose It!, Word Warp, FlipBook Lite. Of course they are using the included apps: Calendar, Calculator, Notes, Clock, YouTube throughout each day.
We held an iPod Touch Day last week with visitors from all over the state and from across the country. We even had a group from the UK come see our students and teachers in action with the iPod Touch. With almost 400 iPod Touches now in use at Culbreth, we’re happy to share what we’ve learned and what we’re learning.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kathy Parker-Jones on
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Susan,
Could you give me more details about signing up for this event? I looked through Apple's ALI and main site, but didn't see details for signing up. I may have missed it.
Thanks,
Kathy
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Permalink Reply by Susan Wells on
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Kathy,
I cut and pasted the information below.
This should be the link for registration:
http://edseminars.apple.com/seminars/event.php?eventID=2042
found under Apple Education Seminars and Events.
iPod Touch in the K12 Classroom - Culbreth Middle School
Thu, Oct 8 2009 - 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM Eastern
Culbreth Middle School is engaged in a project to create middle school curriculum aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study that is being delivered via Apple's iPod Touch platform. This visit is an opportunity to see how this hyper mobile device is being used effectively by students, teachers and administrators.
Currently, iPod Touch devices are being used on a daily basis by Culbreth staff members for instructional delivery and planning and being used by students. Students either carry them every day or have access through their classroom teachers. The project began in August at the start of the 2008-2009 school year so the students and teachers have a year of experience. The day will begin with a summary of the project and a demonstration of the iPod Touch device for those who may be unfamiliar with it. Attendees will have access to students, teachers and administrators to watch them use the tool in classwork, for instruction and for administration.
Who Should Attend?
Superintendents, Board Members, Assistant Superintendents, Principals and Teachers
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Permalink Reply by H Nelson on
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Susan,
Your awesome-looking seminar is full! I just tried to register. Are there plans to archive this at Apple or on your school site so we could view at a later date? We would love to see it--our middle school just received a full classroom set of touches, but staff are struggling to find creative ways to use them. Your seminar looks like it would be perfect staff development! If there are no plans to archive, do you know of any other online places to look for this type of information? Thank you in advance for any help!
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We are taping and will post a series of vodcasts on our website from tomorrow's seminar. We'll have teacher presentations with all 10 content areas and our school team Q&A. I hope that might be helpful. We're looking at holding a second Apple education seminar in early February.
Best,
Susan -
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Permalink Reply by Louise Duncan on
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Thanks for this App suggestion Susan, it looks great. Creating directly on the iPod touch is a wonderful learning experience for students. I will let you know how we go with it.
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Permalink Reply by Portia Codjoe on
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This is really Spectacular for our Kids & Teachers. (Are Moving into the real World in which we live) I been wondering about Schools & Technology. As, A whole, They've spend millions of dollars each on systems for computers and don't allow our kids to use their personal devices at school. Wierd.... My kids have own an iphone/itouch/ipod for 2 years now and the schools request that they leave it at home.
We use them for everything at home....
I like this idea!!! It Rocks....
Thanks,
Portia,
Johns Creek Ga
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This sounds like an opportunity with great potential. What problems have you dealt with so far? Do your students tend to use them for the intended educational purposes-and what happens if they don't? Do they pay a deposit, or sign a contract outlining what appropriate use is?
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Our students and parents do have to agree to a use policy. No deposit is paid. Students are committed to educational use so that they can continue to use the mobile devices!
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Permalink Reply by Mark Marshall on
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I have recently started an iPod Touch proposal for a classroom set at Grade 3. In a couple of days, I am meeting with admin to answer questions regarding it.
One question/issue is that how easily is to ensure that the iPod Touches are being used for authentic learning engagements? Owning an ipod touch myself and looking at many of the educational apps, it seems that many of them fulfill the "drill and kill" area but this can easily be addressed with the multitude of websites out there that kids can use on the computers.
What makes an iPod Touch a unique learning tool that doesn't already exist through laptops/desktop computers? How easily can students upload and share content with each other? How easily is it to synch multiple ipod touches with authentic content?
I know there is iTalk which has value. I also see Google Earth and a few other apps being useful as well.
I only ask this because I will get the same questions from admin and I am struggling to find the answers.
Thanks for any responses!
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Permalink Reply by Sandy on
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We have a pilot of 30 Touches in an AP Government class. How authentic? Well, it has been pretty interesting. The teacher loaded NPR on the Touches and directed the kids to a podcast about Safeway's health care plan. The teacher gave the kids directions to his blog for the students to put in their comments, and then he and I sat down to work on a proposal for a NECC or rather ISTE conference proposal. We were the only voices in the classroom. I wish I had had a camera on the kids! Next time I'm in there I will because you could have heard a pin drop - well, actually, you would have heard me and Jeff talking about how the proposal would go. It's almost crazy how engaging this tool is for students. And it's a one to one solution that is affordable. It doesn't take a team of network analysts or technicians to manage or deploy these devices. KISS - that's how it works.
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Engaging, affordable, so easy to use...our students surely don't need a technician's help, the tools our students need for the work applicable to their curriculum. Pretty compelling reasons to use this device.
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Permalink Reply by Deon Scanlon on
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A quick reply:
QuickVoice app - converts speech to text, and sends via email. Excellent!
Also, many web 2.0 apps work in Safari on the iTouch. Edmodo is one example - an online, secure network in the vein of Twitter for sharing of information. Students can also access Ning, apart from video content.
Simply Box - share web content from Safari via a bookmarklet that links to Simply Box account
Posterous - blog from the comfort of your own email accounts.
Google Apps - compatible (mostly) with Safari on the iTouch (great for collecting information via Google Forms)
iHomework - timetables / organisation app that can easily replace a diary (although not for grade 3)
Syncing mutliple iPods is done easily - many iPods can sync with a single iTunes, so download apps once, then distribute to as many iPods as you like!
SimpleMindX - create mindmaps in seconds
Slideshow - makes slideshows!
ComicTouch - turn images into comics with ease
Whiteboard - simple drawing app that can be networked, so two people draw together, using different ipods
Melodica - cool music creation app
TypeDrawing (AWESOME for GRADE 3): type some text in, then draw. The line of your drawing is made up of the text you typed - great for poetry!!!
Brushes - excellent paint app
SkyGazer - astronomy app
There are also plenty of free language apps - I have Indonesian and Khmer (Cambodian) ones that provide you with audio lessons on how to speak the language.
That's just some!
Hope you can impress your admin people with some of this stuff! QuickVoice has great potential for young kids who find writing difficult! Show them that!!!
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