DegreeGo Blog

Music teachers are praising the iPod for their classrooms.

A teacher calls his blog in an iPod world.

Elementary schools have systems developed for how to incorporate iPods into basic education.

The concept of using iPods as study tools is not new. Since the introduction of mp3 players, tools were being made to utilize them beyond their music potential. It’s no different than the TI-83 calculator that could whimsically do twelve other applications, including the wonderful game of Tetris.

The iPod allows students to do more than listen to music. As a media tool, it offers students the ability to have a computer in their pocket, benefiting from today’s entertainment technology in new and interesting ways. For an online student, an Internet-ready iPod could allow going to class without the laptop; check your e-mails from the comfort of your handheld device.

One of the earlier ideas was to make class lectures available in mp3 format. The iPod Touch and the iPhone, however, offered a new plethora of teaching options. The iPod Touch even empowers learners with disabilities.

Wired Educator discusses how an iPod Touch may be beneficial to an entire classroom. She writes:

What began as a way to deliver audio and video podcasts to students quickly, and more importantly easily, has blossomed into iPods being used to document student readings, interactive personalized quizzes, SAT and ACT practice, PowerPoint conversion, and much, much more.  Oh, so much more, but now the I believe even that glass ceiling has been shattered with the release of specialized iTunes Education Content and now, even more amazing, iPod Touch/iPhone applications focused on education.  Things are about to get interesting.

The iPod Touch and the iPhone come with many of the same accessories, making them attractive to iPod users that want the bang of the touch interface without paying the buck of the iPhone. Teachers discuss how the iTouch is cheaper the XO (provided by the One Laptop Per Child) and provides the same exposure-to-the-world-through-the-Internet experience. Best of all, the iTouch can be quickly synced for classroom functions: “In my desk drawer, I have a rack that holds 35 iPod Touches (sp?), those are all connected to a series of powered USB 2.0 hubs that slim down to one USB cord that goes to my computer, allowing me to sync new content onto all of them at once,” writes Jethro, a teacher.

For owners of an iPod, whether educator or the educated, consider the options for how your popular device can improve your learning experience.