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 Susan Wells on
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Apple has a terrific resource out for traditional iPods in the classroom, http://images.apple.com/education/docs/teachers/Apple-iPodGettingSt...
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The resource I just referenced "Getting Started, A Guide for Using iPod and iTunes for Teaching and Learning" is wonderful for iPod classics as I said. Regretfully it does not address iPod touches but, good news, Apple promises a resource soon to be available for educators which will include all things iPhone and iPod touch.
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Permalink Reply by Sandy on
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I am hoping there is a way to show the iTouch and any of its apps through an LCD projector so that a student can model the work he/she has done, or view a webpage he/she has found to the rest of the class. Can this be done? I've looked in the Apple Support files and have found and purchased an AV cable, but my LCD project displays "no signal detected." The more I search on this, the less information I can find.
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Permalink Reply by Derek Keenan on
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Hello Sandy,
I'll try to help as best I can. In order for the touch (or iPhone) to display it must be plugged into a power source. (USB) once it is connected and powered, then video can play through the video section. As of right now, I don't think Apple has an API to allow video out in any program (wish there were). If any of the developer types know more than me on this then
let me know.
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I'm going to ask my tech specialist to ring in on this one as we do use an adapter to connect the iPod touch to our LCD's. This works for some of what we need but not to stream apps. I think I'm describing that correctly. Again, I'll ask Val to come in on this one. Also though wanted to recommend the doc cameras. We use them daily with the iPod touches. This may not be the answer to all but they work beautifully for teachers to work through problems with students while everyone holds their own device in hand.
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Permalink Reply by Deon Scanlon on
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We played with the idea of getting document cameras, but have found no need, six months into our use of itouches. I think that most apps you would use are not complicated, and (as has been commented upon recently) very much rote learning tools (there are exceptions).
Any web apps you use (I believe this to be one of the main benefits of the itouch) can be displayed by projecting from a 'normal' computer.
That being said, the students I have are all 11yo and up. I can see the importance of showing younger students how to do things using a large screen, and also sharing would be made more effective.
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You're right though Deon. As always our students make their through and to the other side faster the we do every time. The apps are intuitive for the most part. Teachers often want to have that time at the front to walk through the lesson but it is curious how much less of that time is needed once everyone holds the tool...
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I agree totally, Susan. My students aren't interested in me showing them how to use apps. When it's in their hands, they just want to DO things with it! And because they own them, and carry them everywhere, including home, many of them choose to explore the apps I have given them on their own.
Even with things like Nings and CoveritLives, they just want to get into it... VERY LITTLE explanation is needed.
I love that they are taking the initiative with their learning!!!
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Thanks for your comment. Turns out Apple does have a cable for video out. the Apple Composite AV cable. I tried it out at the Apple Store here in VA. The Touch will display photos or videos, but not the interface or individual apps.
I was thinking about student presentations - hooking the kid's Touch up so he can do his presentation with the Touch. This will work if it is Quicktime movie, not flash. Also, our students have DiscoveryStreaming accounts through their teacher and we're giving some thought to letting them download the videos they want to use when they teach their peers on a given topic.
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Permalink Reply by Beat Döbeli Honegger on
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Without jailbraiking, the iPhone (up to OS 3.0) only provides videos and fotos on the AV cable/external screen . This is the reason whe bought an visualizer for our iPhone project so that the teacher and the students can show anything on their iPhones.
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I think that's a bit harsh. Remember that the app store allows developers real opportunities for new product development. And then provides a venue for immediate movement to the public. They are not the evil empire....
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Indigo, this topic is iPod implementation. Perhaps there is a better venue to voice your concerns than with educators that choose to and want to use Apple products.
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