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 Bo Bailey on
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The colored idea might help if we set up the cart to have different libraries. We could sync based on which library was open. They would know to only connect that color to the cart.
Gotta figure how to have multiple libraries but only one account? When I do this I forget do I have to reset the account. Counting for my 5 possible accounts? If not I could have 30 libraries and when a teacher opens iTunes they would select their account. When they connect the iPod Touches it would only load the apps they have loaded. (or at least in my head it works that way)
ANYONY KNOW DIFFERENT or IS THIS CORRECT?
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Permalink Reply by Sandy on
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Just load all the apps your teachers want and let the kids find them - until you run out of disk space what difference does it make if you have 50 apps or 75 apps, if they are elementary or high school apps. And why make more work for yourself? If some apps prove to be distractors, let the classroom teacher deal with classroom management issues. If the lessons are focused and have genuine purpose, the kids will get to work.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Kadin on
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I'm still looking for a really solid reason why an ipod touch has an advantage over a netbook. Obviously the touch is smaller, but the netbook is infinitely more versatile. Anything that you can do on an ipod you can do on a computer, except for the tough screen functionality, but is that really important?
So a netbook doesn't fit in your pocket, is that so bad? I wouldn't want my students running away with it anyway.
I think we should be training our students to use devices they will need to use to be successful (financially, in college, gaining cultural capital, etc) in the future, not a fun little device that is mostly about music, videos, and games.
I hope my apple hatred didn't bleed through to much ... :)
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It's about what the kids bring with them to school. If kids are carrying smartphones, why are we buying laptops? What is it that we are really doing with Web 2.0 tools and learning? Through our pilot where we have a 1:1, where we impose the use of our purchased Touches, 30% of our students have their own Touches or iPhones or other smart phones. They want to use their own Touches/iPhones. We are trying to determine if it is practical and equitable to utilize what kids have in their pockets already.
Our big question: How do we leverage what a school district can really pay versus what parents are already paying for? See Liz Kolb's presentation on this at http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/.
This may not be true 1:1 implementation, but given our economic crisis - it may be as close as we get. For now, maybe for a long time.
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Permalink Reply by Susan Wells on
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Sandy,
I agree with your thinking. This is why we're moving to opening up our environment to blending school-owned and home-owned.
It seems like the battle of device may be the wrong battle...
It's really about access isn't it.
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We've started posting vodcasts from Mobile Devices in the K-12 Environment seminar on our school YouTube channel. The intro is up with the content demos coming up this week. http://www.youtube.com/greyculbreth
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Permalink Reply by Jim Hoffman on
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I struggled with the same issue when I wrote a grant last year for mobile computers in the classroom. I picked the ipod touch because:
1. They are very portable
2. They are fast. Your netbook will still have to go through several minutes of booting up and logging on. Our network literally takes 5 minutes to get laptops up and running.
3. Students stay on task. They are not trying to check email, download games, or check the basketball scores. This is because of...
4. Very specific apps. We only load apps that have educational value. If they stray from my math app, they are on something like an ebook or simulation.
5. The apps are very cheap or free. I have 48 ipods and thus the cost is a major concern.
6. Many apps are customizable. I have contacted developers to suggest changes or new apps and have seen my ideas put into practice.
7. Data collection apps are available.
8. Down time is nearly nonexistent. Our laptops are always acting up. We never have problems with the ipods.
9. Students are EXCITED to use ipods. They are not excited to use computers.
The only downside I came up with was no keyboard, but I felt the laptops we use cover the mundane word processing and spreadsheet applications we need.
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Permalink Reply by Louise Duncan on
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"I think we should be training our students to use devices they will need to use to be successful (financially, in college, gaining cultural capital, etc) in the future, not a fun little device that is mostly about music, videos, and games."
In response to this part of your comment, as I am travelling the world at present I am noting how valuable training to use an iPod touch / iPhone is. It will have an impact on the future success of our students. It has not gone unnoticed that they are everywhere and USEFUL TO ADULTS. The information provided by my iPod touch or a complete stranger's iPhone has already got me out of a few minor binds. NO-ONE has whipped out their netbook to help me in the real world to date....
Have a look at this presentation:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/20/mary-meeker-economy-is-recover...
This is not a competition between netbooks and mobile devices. The iPod touch fills and important niche in the education of a 21st century student that can't be replicated by a netbook. Just look around you.
Notebooks / computers will never be replaced, but should all our students (especially up to middle years) own one, dragging it from pillar to post with all the inherent problems this will cause?
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Permalink Reply by Melissa Morrison on
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I recently purchased an iPhone and cannot believe the power I have in the palm of my hands. Although I have been out of the classroom on child-rearing leave, the idea of using this type of device as an educational tool is exciting. I use it at home with my own children to supplement what their learning in school. We can view educational videos with youtube, anytime, anywhere. I feel like I have regained so much control over my time by simply having this device readily accessible, in my pocket. I don't have to "boot up" to pay my bills, open a phonebook to find a number, use mapquest for directions...etc, etc. Everything I need is at my fingertips in a moment's notice. And traveling with the iPhone is a dream. It has helped me navigate the NYC subway system, find train stations and cabs, and even lead me to some great eateries. This is the type of tool I want my own children and students to be comfortable using.
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Permalink Reply by Deon Scanlon on
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I'm guessing you haven't used an iPod Touch in a classroom, Michael! Netbook = infinitely more versatile? I don't think so... Mostly about music, videos and games? Wrong again!
Firstly, I don't think there are many 'iTouch educators' who actually claim that the iTouch is better than a netbook. It is simply a different tool. At our school, we had a very close look at the ICT curriculum content for our area, and decided that about one third of the things on it would be more efficiently done with an iPod, one third would be more efficiently done with a laptop (we didn't even consider netbooks - if kids have to unpack and boot up a device, it might as well be a REAL one!), and the remaining third could be done in a similar fashion on either device.
Think time/classroom management.
An iTouch can last all day at school without needing to be recharged, unless it is being used continually for video. A laptop SHOULD last this long, but usually will not, depending on what it is being used for.
An iTouch takes about 30 seconds to get out of your pocket at the start of a lesson, unlock and do a web search. A laptop requires unpacking from its case/school bag, opening, waking up (or booting up), opening your web browser (whilst waiting for your wifi network to kick in) and doing a web search. Could you do this in under two minutes (I guess it depends on your network infrastructure) with a netbook? Just the fact that you have to carry a bag around with you is going to slow you down (or make you fitter!!!). Add up the 90 seconds or so difference between these over 7 or 8 classes a day - there's an easy 10 minutes wasted every day of school - almost an hour a week, 40 weeks of the year...
The other thing with the iTouch is that it doesn't require a locker/bag in which to store it. Kids can do whatever they want/need WHEREVER they want/need (as long as it doesn't involve flash-based applications or the need to type copious amounts of text).
As far as college goes - check out the number of universities around the world that are jumping on the iPhone bandwagon.
As a teacher who has 1:1 iPod Touches in his classroom, and who carries an iPhone, I use my iPhone about 90% of the time for web/email access. I use my iPhone for all my online banking needs, for shopping, communicating, researching, posting blogs, organising my time, storing contact details for friends and colleagues......
I think all these things increase my successful management of finances, time, education and culture.
In the ever-changing world of technology and education, one constant is the need for students/people to become life-long learners. You can learn every minute of every day with an iPhone (but not quite so often with an iTouch). I don't see many students with their netbooks out at the mall, or on the bus/train, or during their lunch hour...
Ultimately, the iPod Touch is not a replacement for a regular laptop/netbook - but it can perform a majority of the functions at a fraction of the cost (think software costs...), and can be used in a great deal more places.
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Oh, one last piece of irony...
As much as I love my iPhone, it for some reason doesn't let me post to this Ning, anymore!!!
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Many of you probably already visit this link for Q&A but Apple itself does give a shot at answering questions on a discussion thread at http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=221
I've posted there once and got a response quickly. I've also found useful information for some common challenges.
Try it out if you've not visited...
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