iEducate

To view the first article I found on using iPods for education Click Here.
To view the second article I found on using iPods for eduction Click Here 2.

The first website I looked at for the use of iPods in the classroom was http://www.principalspartnership.com/iPods.pdf - This website discussed both the positive and negative effects of using iPods for educational purposes in a high school setting.
iPods are digital media devices that allow file downloads (audio, video or text) to be played anywhere. They range from 2 GB of memory to 120 GB, which this article points out; is like having a tiny laptop of storage. That is where the true attraction lies. When Apple made 120 GB of memory portable,(this is enough memory to hold 30,000 songs!) it set the wheels in motion for digitally enhanced learning. Administration and faculty can upload files on the iPods and kids can review lessons anywhere. Some say that this will encourage students not to participate in class and become reclusive. This is argued by the fact that the iPod would only be supplemental to the learning experience in the classroom. Teachers would upload information to enhance their classroom lessons. Students may download other media on their iPods but if a decent amount of the storage was used for educational purposes teachers would be validated. It would be like a student choosing to do homework over watching TV; the choice to use their resources wisely is ultimately the students choice. Apple has decided to make a little cash in on this deal and create iTunes U. (More about that later) With resources and software multiplying over night, iPods definitely have a place in the educational setting in the years to come.

The second website was about using iPod as an educational tool on a collegiate level. This was mainly focusing on the strides Duke University is taking with technology. It covers some of the pros and cons found by teachers and users alike. Duke was the first University to give each new incoming Freshmen a 20 GB iPod. They downloaded orientation information and the Duke fight song. Students could have lectures in the palm of their hands. Like any new technology, I believe the more we explore the possibilities the better the practice of digital lecture will be. Of course, some hitches in the system were found. Some concentrations used the iPod more productively than others. In the future Duke will only give iPods to students in departments that directly benefit; i.e. arts and foreign languages. Duke has started the long process of sorting through the information on iPod learning. I believe, as with all technology, that once guidelines and standards are set the iPod will be an amazing tool for students.