Is it practical to use the iPod Touch in the classroom as an educational tool?
I’m still struggling with the practicality of giving every student in the classroom their own iTouch. My main concern is monitoring their usage by students. How can a teacher ensure that 20+ students are staying “on task” while using an iTouch? Can a first grader (or 10th grader, for that matter) really be expected to ignore its other features during class time? Won’t they be distracted by its other apps? Is there a way for a teacher to restrict its use?
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to review several applications I can see their usefulness as a learning tool, BUT, how do I, as a teacher, make sure my students ONLY use the applications they’re assigned to use? A teacher cannot “see” what his or her students are doing, while working on an iTouch, because its screen size is so small.
In my earlier post, I also talked, in particular, about the appropriateness of iTouches for the younger grades. It still makes me a little uneasy to put such expensive devices in the hands of a five or six year old. I know the key is setting up expectations for their use, but I’m still leaning toward offering them to students in the upper grades (and possibly on more of an individual basis for the younger ones). I know iTouches are somewhat durable, but there is still the issue of whether a child is developmentally ready to use one. For example, does a six year old understand that the screen could be scratched if placed next to a sharp object? Do they have the dexterity to plug in the earphones? Again, my concerns center on whether it’s appropriate to give an iTouch to a young child, without close supervision.
I have no doubt that an iPod Touch is an amazing learning tool; I’m just not sure they have a place in the hand of every student in every classroom, as least not until a system is in place to monitor student use.
All fair points! And how does a teacher monitor everything that a child is doing with paper and pencil (I remember in grade school that several boys spent hours drawing war scenes all over the notebooks.... the teachers never saw this)?
ReplyDeleteHow many would have to use them "off task" to decide that it was a bad idea for the whole class? Three? A quarter of the class? Half?
Can we pair kids? Set times for their use so that if they do wander off they don't complete required work? have only smaller numbers working at them at a time?
What other management strategies can we think of?
Kathy Cassiday, a Canadian teacher, does more work with (more expensive, less durable) laptops with first graders than any other teacher I know. Her blog is http://primarypreoccupation.wordpress.com/
I'm guessing that if you emailed her or commented on her blog to ask about young children and technology, she'd have some great insights!
Remember - we're not the first to work with things like Touches! We can draw on the experiences of lots of other teachers... another thing made possible by technology :).
The good news and the bad news is that so many of the Touch apps are created for young children - so apparently there are children using them :)
Jane
And here's a link to Kathy's class blog where she highlights her students' work
ReplyDeletehttp://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337
Enjoy!
Teresa, I think you bring up some great points, some that I have also been thinking about. I agree and have seen how students can be distracted by apps and itunes when they are suppose to be working on something educational with their computer. In my dyad placement it seems like everyday students are asking to listen to their Ipods instead of reading. Like you, I have no doubt that an iPod Touch is an amazing learning tool; I’m just not sure they have a place in the hand of every student in every classroom, at least not until a system is in place to monitor student use.
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