Education via iPod? People are Doing It

Apple has one the hottest items on the market, and it has been that way for a long time. Who thought that a simple mp3 player produced by Apple would turn into the phenomenon that it has turned into. Now a days it seems like everyone has an iPod. They are a really neat product. I do not think that anyone ever thought that an iPod would be used in the classroom, from elementary schools all the way to the college campus. In 2005, one of the premier academic institutions in the United States started experimenting with iPod's in the classroom. The Duke Digital Initiative is a program that has integrated the iPod into a useful tool for students. They pass them out to freshman, they contain orientation information and class information. There are also classes that use iPods. The thing that is crazy is that they give them out free to the students!!

Another interesting use of the iPod is from the Pearson Education company. The company is developing content like study guides, audio books, and audio notes. This is only for books that they produce of course. The new program will also offer podcasts done by teachers for their students. I think this will be an awesome tool for students of all ages. I personally think it will flourish in the high school classrooms. Technology is amazing and is constantly giving us ways to improve the educational process.

My Presentation

Dr. Alice Christie

After looking around Dr. Christie's site I was impressed with it. It is full of different ideas and ways to integrate technology into education. They were all very interesting and potentially useful. The one that really stood out to me was GPS and Geocaching. GPS stands for global positioning system. GPS receivers use satellites to triangulate one's position using latitude and longitude. Geocaching is and adventure game for those using a GPS. There are hidden containers all over the world called caches. After a geocache is found you sign the logbook and return it to its original location.
Now, this may not sound like a educational tool, but it is. There are so many aspects of a GPS and geocaching that is educational. It really appeals to me because you take the classroom to the outside world. You are able to learn and enjoy our wonderful planet at the same time. Dr. Christie's site is full of information on how to use these items to further educate people. It is amazing how much material she has on her site. You could spend a long, long time on one section. She has given educators all the rescources they need to integrate some of these ideas into her classroom.

Wikipedia

Since high school, I can remember my teachers telling me not to use Wikipedia. At first, I did not realize why. I looked into it and asked why. The answers I found were good enough to persuade me not to use as a reliable source. The information on Wikipedia is not credible. There is no verification of the information considering that anyone can post information. I use it to look stuff up if I am curious about something, mainly because if you type anything into a search, most likely the first thing that comes up is from Wikipedia.
I don't think that this will ever be a credible site. The only way it could be, is if they removed everything and started over which I highly doubt they will do. It is hard to look at something on there and say it is 100% accurate. So I do not think that it will ever be a reliable source of information.

Okay To Be Technologically Illiterate

In September 2007, Karl Fisch wrote a blog about teachers being technologically illiterate. He makes a valid point, one which we all know, that technology is very prevalent in today's educational process. His main problem is with teachers who are not up to date with technology. He brings up several options, such as standards to being fired for not being up to date. There should be certain requirements that need to be met in my opinion.
I have grown up with a computer and the internet. I can navigate my way around a computer somewhat easily. As i said earlier I do believe there needs to be certain standards for teachers, but how can you tell a 65 yr old middle school teacher if she can't do this or that she will lose her job. My belief is that if it is taught to new teachers that before too long, the ones that are not literate will be gone and you will have a generation of teachers that are technologically savvy.

International Classroom Blogs

The first international classroom blog I found is from New Zealand. The site belongs to Manaia Kindergarten in Mt. Manaia, New Zealand. There are thirty families in the class according to the blog. You can view the blog here. According to the blog, the class uses the blog to keep up with family, friends, and relatives from around the world. The blog has a lot of videos and stories. One of the posts on the blog is pictures from one of the students family trip to Mt. Fuji. The latest post on the blog is a video from where a students lamb, named Mary, followed the student to school.

The second international site does not belong to a particular classroom. The site is one where people post job openings internationally. The site is quite interesting, look for yourself. The site seems to have a lot of pertinent information. It shows opportunities, interview tips and overseas living tips.

Blogs Used by Teachers

Visit Here
The first blog i found is used by a Chicago, Illinois, kindergarten class. The class is taught by Miss Frandsen, I wish I could tell you more information about her but there was none on the blog, at least that I could find. This class started blogging this past January. From the look of the blog, they have had a blast doing it. The blog is full of pictures and videos of the class in the classroom and on field trips. The blog is also used to keep the parents up to date and involved in the things that are going on in their child's class. The blog also has useful links for the children and their parents.

The next blog I came about was a 3rd grade class in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The teacher of the class is Mr. Bob Greenberg. This is one flat out impressive blog. It is crazy how much stuff is on there. It has information about things they have been doing on class. It gives information about things they are doing in the future. It is full of videos and pictures. There are videos of the class doing activities and there is a poetry video. The teacher also has assignments posted on the blog. Each student has their own entry on the class blog. The blog gives information about the class and the countries that are represented in the class. Check it for yourself, click here.

"Did You Know"

This video is definitely eye opening to the technology advances our world has made. To comprehend how much we, as a world, rely on it is ridiculous. The number of people that use social networking sites like Myspace is crazy. To say that if it were a country it would be the eighth largest is crazy. The total revenue of E-bay was also jaw dropping! All the statistics about the English language were also interesting.
I think that if you look at the technology advances in society, you realize that it is also an important part of a students education. If all we teach is math and history, this next generation is going to suffer. Technology needs to be a more prominent issue in the educational system.