I have to admit that my initial thoughts on the iTouch have changed somewhat—but only somewhat, and this is after reading several links off Jane’s Web site about handheld technology in the classroom, reviewing apps for Tony and Robin, and using an app with my Juanita Elementary buddy.
The theme of my blog update is this: There are obvious educational uses to the iTouch, and I, throwback that I am, have truly enjoyed it. Yet I’m still not sold on its use in the classroom.
The positives: Like I said, I’ve had fun with the apps and have downloaded a couple myself, such as Stack the States (a geography game), that have no direct link to our current UWB classes. I think some of the apps Lauren and I used with our Juanita kindergarten buddy are helpful (Word Magic and iWrite Words), and I’ve tested them out on my 7-year-old. It’s immediately obvious, both with my buddy and my own kids, that children love this stuff and pick it up quickly. I have reviewed one math app that is reasonably fun (and another that is mostly just a reference and calculation tool), and as I peruse others to settle on a good one for differentiation, I know I’ll find one. The iear.org site, which I found after watching portions of an iTouch tutorial on Jane’s Web site, has a series of reviews that gave me some ideas.
I can appreciate why games make learning fun. I can see how improving literacy and math skills, disguised as games, appeals to kids (and adults) of all ages. On the handheld technology link (also on Jane’s Web site) I noticed that at one elementary school that has been using the iTouch, the student comments focused almost exclusively on how they loved to play the games. Presumably these are educational games, but I think it’s worth noting that that’s how many of the kids view the device.
Finally, is the iTouch better than a computer in the classroom? I am not sold on this. That handheld technology link also has a short article about a North Carolina school that has distributed the iTouch to each student. The students can’t take them home, and they are blocked from using a number of Web sites, including Facebook. (I cannot IMAGINE this working at my middle school.) Now, the article didn’t go into detail as to how the teachers used them, but one teacher did describe how students respond to questions on the iTouch, so that he knows who is confused about what. And I thought, “Whatever happened to personal interaction?” I understand, and have seen, many uses of technology in the classroom, such as virtual manipulatives and digital storytelling, but I am not yet convinced that students need iTouches to experiment.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that it's a problem that kids love the learning games on the Touch? I'm not quite clear what you're saying here but it seems to be that kids liking them is one of your hesitations about using Touches in schools. ?
And this is one school where kids mainly played games, but there are so many possible uses - I just heard a presentation last week that was using Touches with young children to write back and forth with their parents. There is so much more there in your hand than a gaming console :) .
I'm also not quite clear about what you're saying about blocking. The same things would be blocked on Touches that are blocked on any computer in the school because that blocking happens at the network level (and most schools do block Facebook). Can you say more about what you see not working for the middle school kids?
I think that I can clarify the "responding to questions" on the Touches. Have you seen the "clickers" here at UWB or in classrooms with Smartboards? Teachers can pose a question that students answer with a special device in their hands and then instantly see projected up on the board the many ways that students answer.
They can then pick up the lesson right there to clarify or reteach or know that they can move on-- except for the 5 seconds to click, the teacher and students are interacting together just the same (and Touches are *Way* cheaper and more versatile than buying clicker systems that can only be used for one thing).
(and some schools do let kids take Touches home -- that's just up to each school and district!)
I want to nudge you on one thing: The choice really isn't between Touches and computers in the classroom because every district in the country knows that they'll never have the resources to buy the computers that they really know that they need.
So the question is whether inexpensive Touches can fill some of the very real technology shortages that almost every school now faces.
So... given that the choice is more likely between Touches and resorting to paper and pencil worksheets because the old computers are dying and not being replaced, what's the better option then?
Glad that you're thinking all of this through!
I know this isn't my conversation, but I happened to be reading this thread and would love to quickly chime in.
ReplyDeleteMany of us are having a difficult time envisioning ourselves using the iTouch to assist students during whole class instruction. I'm also placed in a middle school for my dyad, and I worry that giving the kids iTouches will increase the myriad of behavior problems we already deal with. Could the main thrust of our collective concern be about control?
While I own an iTouch, and enjoy its many uses, I have a difficult time envisioning this device being effective for whole class instruction simply because I don't know how to ensure kids are staying on-task. The same problem exists when students work in the computer lab--except the iTouch screens are smaller and tomfoolery is less visible.
I don't know if this is where I respond to people's comments, or if I need a new blog post, but...
ReplyDeleteTo clarify your questions, Jane--I think blocking of sites such as Facebook is fine. My point there was that blocking does attempt to mitigate the goofing around; my question remains, however, about the best use for handheld technology in the classroom.
The other issue was about the kids who saw the technology as games. It's not that I see kids' affinity for iTouches as a problem; it's that to them, these are games. Now, perhaps it's good that learning is disguised as a game (like I said in my first post). So I'm still thinking this through. Thanks for the nudge. And thanks for the comment, April!
You make some great points and I love your question about whether or not a hand held device replaces a computer. My thoughts are that a handheld device does is not meant to replace a computer, especially right now as there are no good replacement sfor allowing students access to word processing (a given need in the educational setting). On the other hand, I have begun to picture the handheld devices as those that can free us from all the other technology resources we may need in the classroom. These iPods can be our camera, video camera, microphone, audio recording device, minicomputer for some applications and an internet device. If you physically think of all of those tools in one, then the iPod touch is a great replacement and far more cost effective option for schools.
ReplyDeleteI agree the iPod touches could be helpful in the classroom and I am struggling with finding real examples of how I, as a future elementary school teacher, can incorporate the use of a handheld device into my curriculum. I need real life examples :)