You are Never Alone

Last week I wrote about iPods in education in Australia with a number of examples of how teachers are using them.

As Lorraine Cairns from Dookie Primary School in Victoria says, the key factor is the way students engage with the technology. Here is what Lorraine sent to me:

I have 6 iPod touches in a class of 17 Grade 3-6 children.
I use them in Literacy and Maths rotations in the following ways:

Downloaded Apps from Itunes -Literacy- Hangman, Grammar Lite, Word Families, Scramble, Scrabble, Word Dash, Wurdle, etc
Mathematics - Four Free, Times Tables Free, Math Quizzer, Mathemagics Lite, Geared Free, Carrie’s Dots,

I also have downloaded some images and the children use these as writing prompts.

I also make up slide shows and save as an mp4. I have made up slide shows about the Solar System for the children to listen to and watch. I also make up slide shows with spelling words on them. The children then listen and watch the slide show to practice their spelling.

At present the children are making up small podcasts to advertise the local Agricultural Show. These will be loaded onto the iPods for others to hear.

Podcasts of stories are also downloaded and children can read along or just listen to a story.

The iPod Touches can access the internet through our wireless network which means the children can access the internet right at their tables.

Of course much of this can be done on computers or tapes and listening posts but the interest and the engagement is high when they get a turn on the iPods.

Still need some ideas?

Here is a Clip from Australia’s Channel 7 News showing the how the StudyWiz Learning Management System is leveraging iPods for education.

Here is the longer version of the report (also a Youtube video).

And here is a list of possible uses.