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 Deon Scanlon on
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Should they "know the situation they are entering" by listening to a clearly biased person's opinion?
Most comments in this thread are from people who actually use them in schools - not people who actively despise the company that makes them.
Do we all agree with the way Apple deals with its business? Perhaps not... but within the context of this forum, who cares?
There are loads of great apps and great uses for iPods touches in schools, period.
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Permalink Reply by Louise Duncan on
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Indigo,
I have used many different technology devices with students over years of teaching experience. There are many factors that place restrictions on what can be accessed by students. These include purchase price of site licensed software, time to install images / new software, lack of sufficient broadband access, lack of access to computers.. the list goes on. It is not until I had a class of students with an iPod touch each that all of these barriers melted away. There is such a broad range software available to cater for all our needs, so easily accessed. We can create our own content for sharing, access material from universities around the world in the palm of our hands, listen to a wealth of audio, watch video content and communicate more seamlessly than ever before. It seems to me that you have not had these experiences in education at all. In the world I live in, and the discussions here, the boundaries you are describing are very out of sync. (pardon the pun!) BTW, I can't recall having to seek Apples approval to install any Apps, the choice of the tens of thousands available are enough for us. Where would be if our discussion focussed on drawbacks?
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Permalink Reply by Susan Wells on
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Louise,
You've written a terrific summary of why we've put such energy behind the use of this device. Thank you! -
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Permalink Reply by John J Caprice on
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Dear CP,
It is the evolution of power.
Thr revolutionary rises to defeat the establishment, thus becomming the establishment, giving rise to a new revolution.
When IBM cesed their computer line to Lenovo, it left a void in the market place. Apple continues to fill that void
Thus giving them more control of the market. Wheteher in government or business, power evolves and changes hands.
JJC
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Permalink Reply by Jan Webster on
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I am going to be working with administrators and showing them ways that the ITouches can be used in the classroom and for their uses in administration. What are good resources to use and do you have any video footage or podcasts of your students using the ITouches in the classroom. We are located in Asheville, NC not too far away from you. Would you be willing to do a web conference with the group if it worked in your schedule?
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We are only about 5 hours away!
I'm happy to have a video conference, skype or ichat.
Let me know what would be helpful.
Best,
Susan
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Permalink Reply by Shawn Kimball on
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These small tools are the devices of the future. I started using an iPod touch at NECC 2009 and am addicted now. My son had one that he used like his old iPod until I showed him all the apps and other cool stuff. This is amazing stuff. Here is a link: http://onlineultrasoundschool.com/2009/50-fun-iphone-apps-to-get-ki...
Here in Maine we are 1-to-1 in grades 7-8 and many of our 9-12 high schools and my sense is that we will be migrating to smaller devices in future rollouts. Maybe just letting students that don't have their own, check them out of the library/media center. Who knows?! Time will tell!
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We just rolled out iPod touch full 1-to-1 to all new parents to our school. We'd surveyed parents this summer to find community support and after a full year of piloting in 08-09, support was overwhelming. So, here we go. We'll have a combination of school-owned/student-owned devices. Staff has written the use agreement, an adventure onto itself, particularly with apps of course. I'd love to hear from others of you doing this combination of school/student owned. I'll keep you posted and happy 09-10 everyone!
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As we move to full 1-to-1, we'd love to compare use agreements. This would be a great area to post if anyone's interested... Our staff is finalizing our new user agreement, we hadn't even thought to add the condition that student bring the device in fully charged each day. This is a no-brainer for many of you I'm certain but it just hadn't been one of the things on our collective minds... Your thoughts would be most helpful. Thanks!
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Music seems to drain battery the least, followed by use of simple apps (like Safari, mail etc).
Apps that use significant RAM (mainly games with high video content, 3D stuff etc) churn through the battery VERY quickly! Some kids charge their iPod overnight, play games on the way to school (up to an hour for some) and have rather flat batteries when they get to school.
I doubt 6 hours of video playback is realistic, actually. I think it would be less than that. But I have an iPhone, which uses more battery in the go, connecting to cellular network.
Mind you , who is ever going to watch videos on an iPods for six hours? And if you are, you would plug it into something, for sure.
What bugs me is that iTouches don't ship with an AC adaptor (transformer) - only a USB charger, which means that they can only charge in a powered USB port (if a laptop is closed, it won't charge the iPod!).
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You can buy a two prong plug the goes into a typical wall socket that will hold the USB. Then just simply plug it into the wall.
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Permalink Reply by Katherine Burdick on
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You can buy the prong plug here for $1.95. I have found the accessories at this website for all things iPod, Touch, iPhone, shuffle - to be the most reasonable. Three packs of cases for $8.95 for instance.
http://www.hdaccessory.com/servlet/the-1062/apple-iphone-3g-s/Detail
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