iPods and Schools

When I think of iPods the only thought that comes to my mind is music. Come to find out iPods are way more advanced than that. Maybe it is because I have owned an ipod for a little over 4 years now and the only thing I have ever used it for was music. I am a huge fan of music and own probably around 500 CDs if not more. Owning an iPod is one of the best things that has ever happened to me! Maybe I should learn to truly take advantage of this fascinating technological device.

Research has been conducted using iPods as educational aids. You can now purchase iPods with recorders. These are great because you can rewind and fast forward easily through lectures. "Middle school students can write a radio drama based on a
historical event or period and then record the radio shows using an iPod and voice recorder and then podcast the radio shows to others over the internet. High school students can conduct oral histories with a family member using iPod and voice recorder. Special education students can use video iPods when taking tests"
http://www.principalspartnership.com/iPods.pdf.

Duke University conducted an experiment by providing their first year college students with iPods. The academic uses of iPod devises by faculty at Duke fell into five major categories:
1. Course content dissemination tool
2. Classroom recording tool
3. Field recording tool
4. Study support tool
5. File storage and transfer
http://cit.duke.edu/pdf/reports/ipod_initiative_04_05.pdf


I think that iPods can be very useful aids, and there is obviously research proving that. However, I do not think that they should be required or even advertised for that purpose until there is more resources for educational purposes through iPods available.