Welcome to the support website for “iPod Touch in the Classroom”. This website is designed to support your learning during the workshop and to provide on-going opportunities as you begin to experiment with this technology in your classroom.
What is an iPod Touch? An iPod Touch is a combination portable media player and PDA with Wi-Fi capabilities. It was invented engineers at Apple Inc, and debuted on September 5, 2007. That first model included a Safari, the full functioning browser, as well as several built in applications. The current iPod Touch is generation 2 of the iPod Touch which improved upon the initial design with a better screen, networking, built-in GPS, bluetooth and Nike+ (capable of tracking how far and fast you run) an external speaker and external sound controls. The current models include an 8 GB (1750 songs & 10 hours of video viewing) a 16 GB (3500 songs and 20 hours of video) and a 32 GB (7,000 songs and 40 hours of video). These iPods retail for $229, $299 and $399 respectively. Teachers always get a discount, so when purchasing online do so through the education store. If purchasing in person, be sure to bring your school ID or a current pay-stub.
The popularity of the second generation iPod Touch has grown dramatically since the App Store at the iTunes Store opened in July of 2008. The App Store has been a catalyst for this product, which is demonstrated by a doubling of iPod Sales in April 2009 over the previous year. (Apple 2nd quarter 09 report)
This website is designed to help you better understand the many features of the iPod Touch and how it is capable of supporting teaching and learning within an educational environment. How can you incorporate the features of the iPod Touch into your teaching practice? First you need to understand how this innovative hand held product is unique. Use the page links at the top of this webpage to learn about the iPod Touch. As you explore, be thinking about the following questions:
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1. How is this different from a standard video iPod ? (The Classic)
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2. Are there features of the Classic iPod that aren’t available on the iPod Touch?
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3. How might this hand held device enhance teaching and learning in your environment?
