March 2006 — Features
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In iPod We Trust
“Asking for an iPod for your classroom now is like what we went through asking for digital still or video cameras three to five years ago. The iPod is a part of the teaching arsenal that needs to be in every classroom, right along with the computer itself.”
Additionally, establishing and maintaining an acceptable use policy is another point to consider. “Our faculty acceptable use policy holds the school to the TEACH Act,” Hallissy Ayala says, referring to the Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2002, which drew up the boundaries for governing educators’ use of copyrighted materials for instructional purposes. “We limit file access to appropriate students, and the files are deleted when a unit of study comes to a close.”
An ‘i’ to the Future
The
emergence of iPods as an educational device has had an uneven reception. Some
districts are only at the talking stage. Others have moved on to implementation
and have well-supported programs underway. The same is true of individual schools,
and in the classrooms. Many teachers say they buy their own, as do many of their
students. Others are more fortunate and have received iPods through their school
or district.
Availability of educational content for the iPod, which once had to be created by individual teachers or developed by the district or a particular school group, is now growing exponentially. Apple’s iTunes store offers loads of free content uploaded from schools all over the country that can be used in lessons or as examples to spur creative efforts locally.
Boon, or bane? The debate continues. In some districts, as in Orange County, the iPod is coming to be regarded as a classroom essential. In other schools, it’s considered a distraction, and along with other MP3 players is officially banned from campus. One thing is certain: For the foreseeable future, students will continue to acquire and use iPods. One thing that’s less certain: Will educators choose to swim with the tide, or against it?
Mikael Blaisdell is principal of Mikael Blaisdell & Associates (www.mblaisdell.com), an IT support consultancy serving higher education and corporations worldwide.
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