iPods in the Classroom

It is amazing how much technology is being integrated into classrooms, especially on college campuses. One thing that still blows my mind is how classes are using everyday devices like ipods in their lesson plans. Duke University is one such example. Duke University has begun distributing ipods to all incoming freshman who are taking classes that require the ipods. Who wouldnt want a free ipod? The free ipods, however, are not just for listening to music or downloading videos. Professors at Duke are using the ipods in the classroom for portable hardrives, podcasts, music and foreign language classes. The ipods can also be used to record lectures and is an easy way to look back at certain parts of lectures for reference.

Orange County, California is another example of schools that are starting to place ipods in the classroom. However, schools in this county are not just designating the ipods to one age group. They are using them in all grade levels. Some first grade students are able to use their ipods to listen to stories and record themselves retelling them, while other students are using this newly integrated technology to count the number of calories they burn during certain activities. Students in upper level classrooms may use their ipods to publish podcasts in which they discuss the material that they recently covered in class. The uses of the ipod have become more than I ever would have imagined. It has proven to be more than just another fun gift for listening to endless amounts of music. The ipod has become a teaching device that is both fun and educational. It has also opened the door for many other unimaginable types of technology to be used in the classroom. I never would have thought that I would be allowed to bring an ipod into any of my classes, much less use them to learn. The only question I can think of now is what could possibly be next?