The iPod as a portable learning device will change your classroom.
iPod & Foreign Language
Students taking foreign languages regularly record oral exams using iPods. Exams are in a variety of formats: students describe a picture, converse with a friend, or give directions to a location within the school. Recordings are then downloaded to a computer, organized into a playlist, and burned to CD. Students evaluate their own exam and the exams of their classmates according to a common rubric. They have rich conversations about verb conjugation, vocabulary choices, and sentence structure. Recording oral exams on iPods has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the oral exam process.
ipod & museum tours
After studying an artist and recreating their work using a variety of media styles, students record a reflection that documents their process. Students work in GarageBand to add an intro to their recording and embed a digital photo of their art work in the track. The class’ files are uploaded to an iPod and the art work is hung up for display. When parents come for conferences, they listen to the audio tour as they walk through and view the student-created museum.
iPod & Digital Portfolios
Track language and reading development by recording students at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. Students love to hear themselves reading and will be amazed by the progress they’ve made throughout the year. Audio files are easy to share with parents at conferences or incorporate them as part of a digital portfolio.
iPod & Audio Books
Students and parent volunteers can read books from the English curriculum into the iPod to create a library of books on iPod. Students are able to use an iPod to help them read the book assigned for class. All recordings are downloaded to one computer and organized into a playlist by chapter. The students can then access the chapters they need and follow along in the book while listening to the recording.
iPod & Scanner
Using a scanner and Kurzweil software (http://www.kurzweiledu.com/), articles, textbooks, etc can be scanned onto a computer. The software then reads the text to the student through a set of headphones. An additional benefit of the software is that it will export the audio as an mp3 file that can then be moved onto an iPod.
Podcasts
With iTunes and your iPod you can listen to your favorite radio shows on your schedule. Think of a podcast as radio on demand; you subscribe to a channel and iTunes downloads new episodes as they are released and puts them on your iPod. More and more educational podcasts are being listed in the iTunes directory for use in the classroom. From National Geographic Video Shorts to the weekly show from the Center for Educational Development for English Language Learners studying to take the TOEFL to Colonial Williamsburg Podcasts where you will learn all about living in colonial days.
Want to publish your own podcast? Podcasting is a great way for you and your students to publish and share what’s happening in the classroom. List your podcast on iTunes for anyone to subscribe and listen to. There are some great resources out there to get you started. Built-in to iLife 08, GarageBand allows you to record your podcast and send it out to the world with iWeb or iTunes. This great feature utilizes the familiar GarageBand tools and makes creating enhanced podcasts (that include video, pictures, or pdfs) as simple as drag-and-drop. Integrates seamlessly with iPhoto, iMovie, & iTunes.
iPod Accessories
Belkin & Xtreme Voice Recorder
Plug it into the bottom of your iPod and you’ve got an instant voice recorder. The iPod recognizes the recorder and prompts you to begin your recording. Your iPod will hold hours of recordings. These work with Video iPods- cheaper recorders are available for older iPods. ($59.95-$69.95)
Speakers
A set of speakers is important when using an iPod in the education setting. After students record exams or read poetry, its nice to have a set of speakers to plug into so everyone in the room can hear the recording. ($24.95-$249.95)
Resources
There are tons of great resources out there to get you started. From lesson plans to how-tos, look to the web for everything you’ll need to put an iPod to work in your classroom.
Apple Education:
Education Podcast Network:
Apple Learning Interchange:
GarageBand Podcast Support:
COULEE KIDS, LaCROSSE, WI:
Podcasting in education:
PODCASTS FOR EDUCATORS:
iPODS @ GCSU:
iPod and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. which bears no responsibility for the content of this handout.
© Stephanie Cheney 2008
iPods are not just for music! There are many ways to put them to work in the classroom, here are a few:
