Gadgets in the Classroom

BEduc425C
Blog 1

IPod Touch Project

Undoubtedly there are many students who would benefit from differentiated instruction. All students at one point or another in their education have unique needs. Creating instruction that will be flexible and accommodate to all our students should be a constant goal. Making use f all available tools at our disposal in our effort to fulfill this goal is only logical. Technology provides many tools. Like any other tool, how useful they are will greatly depend on the purpose to which they are put.

Mobile devices like the IPod Touch, IPhone or IPad can help high performing students, alongside mainstream students, as well as those who might be struggling, by making additional materials available to them, enabling them to explore further, go beyond the regular requirements and assignments, offering opportunities for deeper learning in areas of personal interest or simply a different take on the subject matter and additional practice. I can easily think of 3 students who usually complete all assignments with plenty of time to spare, who would welcome the opportunity to complete individual projects in areas of personal interest. Likewise I can think of 3 students who would benefit from having an additional tool to help them review and learn the material which they have not been able to master during the regular lessons.

There are a few items that could be limitations, however it would depend on how they are presented and received by the class and again the purpose(s) to which they are put. One possible argument would be that not all students will be able to use the technology at the same time. This would be a limitation only if it is perceived as a source of unfairness by either the instructor or the students. Another possible limitation would be if the use of the gadget interferes with the student’s ability to pay attention to and follow along with the rest of the agenda/lesson becoming a source of disruption to the learning of that student or the group. Again, this depends on the management and choice of time and activity in which the equipment is used. One more possible drawback is the cost/effectiveness ratio. Is the tool being used to its fullest potential?

Personally I find having access to technology to be very helpful and to greatly facilitate my work (and my life). At the same time I can also understand why it might be hard to justify the investment when schools have 30 books for teaching a subject to 3 classrooms of students (roughly 90 students), having to cart the books from room to room as part of the daily routine, making it impossible for students to take the book home for review or homework. To this I can only say we, as a society, need to get our priorities straight.