Ipod's as pedagogical tools

We have been discussing the concept of using technology to enhance learning. I came across a news clip online that outlines how an English as a Second Language teacher at an American middle school utilizes iPod's as a teaching tool.



We discussed the other day in class what it is that makes technology-based learning more enticing for students. This question was answered straight up by an elementary level student in the video when she was asked if she would like learning strictly from books. She promptly replied, "No... Because it's boring." The youth of today are constantly surrounded by technology and I feel that in order to promote learning, teachers must use material that is new, hip, and cool in the student's perspective. Just how I loved playing Oregon Trail, Kid Pix, and later Civilization, these kids enjoy the idea of being able to use technology that in a sense disguises the fact that they are actually learning. A district representative further confirms this notion when she states that "it makes sense to utilize today's technologies and apply them in an instructional way."

The video clip concentrates on the utilization of iPod's to help bilingual students to learn English, but it also touches on the fact that it can serve many other purposes. iPod's put a whole new spin on the 'book on cassette.' Today in one of my lectures I notices a student in front of me using his iPod to record the lecture, and I had never even considered this possibility.

Although purchasing iPod's at each elementary level seems a little over the top, this is just another example of how how a cool, modern form of technology can help within the classroom.