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 Jim Hoffman on
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I have a classroom set of iPod touch and would not trade up to iPad unless you can afford a full classroom set. Our 8gb iPod touch is now holding over 200 apps plus some videos, podcasts, and more. The price point is awesome for the iPods but a little high for the iPads.
Sure I would like the iPads, but the cost difference would not be acceptable for me.
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Permalink Reply by Deon Scanlon on
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Hi Jim
The pedant in me is wondering how an iPod Touch can hold more than 200 apps...
11 screens of 16 apps, plus 4 in the dock = 180
Am I missing something?
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Permalink Reply by Tim on
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I thought the iPhone OS was capable of holding more apps than can fit on the max number of screens. I think you just need to use the Spotlight Search to launch them? (I'm not 100% sure of this since I don't have that many apps.)
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Sorry I didn't notice your request earlier. Once you fill the 11 screens the apps can only be accessed via Spotlight search.
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Permalink Reply by AdrianG on
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After this longer term usage in class how has failure rate of the device gone? many or any dead ones? We have some test models here our selves and sadly the failure rate is currently at 50% (i.e. not worth repairing is the answer we are getting...just buy a new one). This is not encouraging.
Granted we may have been in a bad batch of devices. have seen this with computers before. Some batches are just lemons.
Would love to know how this aspect is going.
Thanks
Adrian
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Permalink Reply by Susan Wells on
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AdrianG,
I am so sorry! I'm afraid that may have been a bad batch issue for you. Out of 400 we've had one unit that had to be taken back. It was really a no go out of the box so was traded out immediately by Apple. We've been really impressed with how hardy the units are.
Good luck and try again, they are worth it!
Susan
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Permalink Reply by Val Brown on
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AdrianG
You definitely have a bad batch. At Culbreth AVID students have used them every day/all day for months now with no problems outside of the occasional bruise by students to the devices.
Are your test models 1st or 2nd Gen models?
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Permalink Reply by Derek Keenan on
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In my project I have 36 touches and I have had no dead units. They all have run perfectly out of the box, and operate as expected. I am sorry to hear that some people have these issues, as I know there is often great excitement about these projects and replacing units delays effective implementation.
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Out of 90 in our school (purchased in January), we have only had to return one, which was last week. For some reason it would no longer operate at all, so the student had to return it, still under warranty luckily!
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Test post from my iPhone
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Testing again
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Permalink Reply by Bob Pritchard on
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My seventh grader would agree...there is a gaming environment that the students are comfortable with (I think that we would score a big hit with the nintendo DS as well, although we - as adults - would need to get past the idea that kids will not slip into game mode. The Nintendo DS is wildly popular with adolencents and pre-adolescents and the iPod Touch gives them a confortable substitute. We just need to get past our own fears and accept that this is how these students communicate. Netbooks (forget laptops and desktops) and even the iPad don't hold the appeal that mobiles and "DS" like devices do for this age group. The handheld is disruptive technology at its best. The Nintendo DS is the game changer here...
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