iPods in the

Classroom

Created by: Emily Ross

What is an iPod? • A portable music and video player, handheld game

console, and email-capable personal digital assistant, designed and marketed by Apple Inc.

• It is not a smartphone, though its design and operating system closely resemble Apple's iPhone.

• It can connect wirelessly to the internet including the iTunes Store and Apple's App Store, allowing users to directly buy and download content and software.

• As of May 2013, 100 million iPod Touch units have been sold.

In short, why is an iPod so great?• 5 megapixel camera also shoots 1080p HD video • Light, thin 4 inch retina display• Connect online in an instant• Carry and store easily • 32 GB memory• Download Apps• Listen to Podcasts

Black 5th Generation iPod Touch

What is an iPods general purpose and uses in the classroom?• Take photos or videos for projects.• Facetime or iMessage the teacher with homework

trouble• Listen to Podcast of lectures or content materials. • With over 20,000 downloadable educational Apps the

possibilities are endless!! Many Apps are also free of cost! • Word Book thesaurus• iTap (helps with Smartboard usage) • WordPress (create Blogs and posts)• iProcrastinate (organizational tool)• Ebooks• GoogleEarth (virtual field trips)• Webquests• WordWarp (vocabulary development)• Flashgram (parts of speech)

The list goes on and on…

How can an iPod help meet CCGPS?• We live in a “digital age” students know how to

work computers and technology and they LOVE it! With the new, more rigorous CCGPS we must make sure every student is challenged, prepared, and successful!

• There are many Apps that can match every standard in CCGPS.

• At Central Elementary School in Escondido, California students are making gains in their reading fluency of 40-60 word in 6 weeks. The normal 6 week word gain is only 5-10. That is 4-6 times the norm!!! Unbelievable!!

How can an iPod help meet technology standards?

National Educational Technology Standards are currently NOT being met in our system!

iPod will help students be creative, work on communication skills, research information, use higher-order thinking skills, problem solve, and help them understand a variety of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

What else do iPods promote in the classroom?

• iPods can really help with assessments! You can seen assessments to students via Google Docs, then students can answer and respond instantly.

• Students can share what they know using blogging sites like kidblog.org. This can help students communicate and talk about what they have learned.

• With iTunes U, you can put all the assignments and materials from your course right in your students’ pockets.

How can we use iPods to differentiate? • There are numerous translation and ELL Apps that can help students learning English as a second language with the huge learning curve they face.

• Assistive Technology meets the iPod Touch:• Communication Apps like Proloquo2Go give a voice to students with little to no communication skills. • Visual Timer Apps, Relax Apps, Tumlebooks, etc.

How do iPods support communication?• When using as an assistive technology it is

communication for that child. • Students can use blogs to discuss content learned in

class. Parents can also read blogs to know what is going on in the classroom. Teachers can review and discuss on the blog with students to check for achievement of CCGPS.

• Students can message or Facetime with their teacher or tutor to help them with homework if they are struggling at home.

• Students that struggle with writing can communicate via voice recorded stories.

• ELL can translate words to better communicate with their teacher.

How do iPods support our technology vision?• Our goal as a system is to make sure that EVERY

child is challenged, prepared, and successful. • Challenge: iPods provide a fast, easy extension to any

lesson to keep students busy learning if they have finished their work but others are still working. • Prepared: iPod organizational tools help students be

prepared daily; however, their huge variety of educational apps will help them meet state and technology standards to be prepared for college and/or the work force. • Successful: iPods will help students who might normally not feel successful master skills they only dreamed of before!

For what grades are iPods best suited?• Many studies have shown that the iPod Touch can

be successfully used in any classroom, at any grade level k-12 for a variety of tasks.

How do we ensure equitable access?• The implementation plan calls for one classroom at each school

as well as the ESOL instructor to have access to a set of iPods for 1-to-1 access in the classroom. This is to gather data on the impact the iPods play on student achievement. However, if the principal so chooses, the iPods could be housed in the media center and teachers could check out the iPod storage/charging station to use with their students.

• We are being culturally responsive allowing ELL to have access to this learning device 24/7. Many of these students are economically disadvantaged students who would not have educational information at their fingertips otherwise.

What additional equipment and software will we need to purchase?

• iPod charging/ storage cart• Will charge up to 30 iPods at one time.

• Some Apps will need to be purchased• AppleCare Replacement Plan• Cases for younger students

What technical support is available? • Paper manuals• Live chat• Blogs and discussion communities • Hundreds of videos online • Online Apple technology support website• Technology coaches in our district • Apple offers professional development workshops

What is the implementation plan? • Year 1-Pilot program using iPods with the ESOL

teacher and in one classroom in each of the 5 county schools funded using the technology budget, media center budget, ESOL budget, and/or technology grant(s). Teachers will receive training via county technology coaches for 1 day during preplanning. • *Data will be collected this year and presented to the

school board in May to discuss further iPod 1-to-1 classrooms.

• Year 2- Depending on budget, as many classrooms as possible will be furnished with an iPod charging station and iPod touches for each student. All participating teachers will go to training during preplanning.

What limitations might iPods pose? • Broken iPods will be replaced through AppleCare

replacement plan

• Problem: a student looses or steals a iPod Gadget Track App is a free App that will track the device using the system’s GPS. This could be downloaded free onto all the iPods before being used by students.

• Students trying to view inappropriate content while at school the school filter will be monitoring the sites students can view. IF students do take them home then parents will be required to sign a release stating they will monitor their child.

Bottom line: What will they cost us?• 32 GB iPod Touch- $299 x 28 students= $8,372• Storage and charging cart- $2,299.95• Mini charging station (up to 20 iPods) $925• Special App pricing for 20 Apps or more• No sales tax since we are tax exempt

Total per classroom large cart = $10,671.95 Total per classroom mini cart =$ 9,297 Total for ESOL teacher small group instruction= $2,990

ESOL teacher would be responsible for charging all 10 iPods daily.

Who can help us fund iPods in our schools?• Foundation for Rural Education and Development

Grant awarded over $38,000 in technology grants last year. Applications available in August for 2013 and due in November. http://www.fred.org/tech.html

• Local philanthropy organizations• Thomasville Junior Service League• Williams Foundation

• US Department of Education offers grants to use iPods for assistive technology www.ed.gov

• Grant Wrangler has a variety of technology grants for teachers http://www.grantwrangler.com/

• We had tons of iPods that teachers assessed students with years ago. Where are they? Do we have access to them?

What does the research say?• “Kids are learning at a rate that I didn’t think was

possible.” — Kathy Shirley, Director of Technology and Media Services

1.Results may vary by school district.2.Based on a six-week pilot program.3.Data from EUSD ITBS Scores.

What did I learn?• I found several sites and resources I can go to and

write a grant for my students to gain access to technology.

• This is something that is DOABLE! I really want to show this to my school board.

• There are over 300,000 Apps available! • Technology provides access to students so that

they can break down more complex, higher-order thinking Common Core Standards and take small steps towards mastery by using engaging Apps and devices. It is essential that we provide these experience and technologies to our students daily.

Works Cited• Apple Inc. (2013). ipod touch. Retrieved from

http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/

• Kelly, S. (2013). The ipod touch classroom. Retrieved from http://ipodtouchclassroom.ning.com/

• Wikipedia. (2013, July 05). ipod touch . Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Touch