IPod Touch Project Blog 3

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Blog 3
IPod Touch Project Final Update and Reflection

I look back at what classrooms use to have when I went to school, some 20 years ago, and compare them with what they have now, and my first reaction is WOW, what a change. Today I see computers in almost all the classrooms, with internet access, great, user friendly word processors, spreadsheets, software to create presentations, flash drives, and students who are familiar with and capable of making use of them. My school had 2 computer labs, each with roughly 30 units; back then that was considered “state of the art” and learning Lotus in school almost unheard of. There were certainly no computers in the regular classrooms and most of us hadn’t even heard about the internet. Then, as I think more about it, I realize the essence of good learning/teaching hasn’t really changed at all. It is true that now we have different tools than we did before (would be really scary if we didn’t, a stagnant civilization), however making use of the best tools available to enhance learning is not new or revolutionary. It simply continues to be the right choice just like it was before. The key word here is “enhance”. A new tool, approach, or curriculum has the potential of being beneficial to the extent that they enhance/improve what is already in existence.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I have found the use of such devices as IPhones, IPods and IPads to be of value in the classroom. They share many of the same functionalities. Perhaps if I had not had access to IPhone and IPad technology in the classroom I would be more impressed by the IPod. Alas I did, and the IPad outperforms the others. There are many uses, some of which I have talked about in previous posts. Here are some of my favorite uses: The students and I have created collaborative documents on the IPad without having to leave our seats. As a teacher it gives me the freedom to walk around the classroom and be able to write, edit, create, search for answers from anywhere in the class while it is projected in the front. It is very important to me to have my students collaborate with each other, formulate questions and answers together, share their thinking and knowledge. They get to do this and drive the learning in the classroom from their places by using the wireless keyboard. It is one of the features my current students like best.

If I had the funds to provide an IPad for each of my students I wouldn’t hesitate to do so, because I have seen how it can help them to learn. The IPods are cheaper and easier to fund, and although they can be beneficial, their contributions seem small for their price.

Current technology is opening new avenues of learning and teaching. Virtual schools are gaining recognition and slowly growing in popularity, while hybrid courses are not “the latest thing” but rather a regular occurrence. I don’t know what tools will be available in 3-5 years let alone in 10 or 15years from now. What I do know is that in order to provide the best education possible, one must make use of the “best things available”, regardless of how new or old they might be, based on their ability to enhance/improve what is already in place.