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A New Kind Of Apple In Classrooms
by: Guest
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Ever since the iPod surfaced in the market, it has captured the attention of the world. As the iPod gets more and more advanced, the people using it and those designing the gadget constantly look for ways on how to further improve the use and the functions of the iPod.
Whether you have an iPod nano or an iPod shuffle, there are more ways than one to enjoy the capabilities of your media player. For example, the iKaraoke lets you use the songs on your iPod while singing ala karaoke. There are also products that let you use your iPod to broadcast your music over FM station. Of course, there are games available for iPods. Pac-Man has been made available for iPod owners last September and Ms. Pac-Man just recently made available through iTunes store. Of course, for you to be able to do that, you need an iPod shuffle accessories that will let you enjoy your iPod for a long time before it runs out of juice and then requires recharging.
Another use that the iPod has is in the classroom. You see, these devices are now being used as tools of learning. In fact, the Louisa-Muscatine School district is exploring ways to use the iPod as a tool in standardized examinations. Due to the effort put into the project by the school, there is a probability that next year will see special-education students from the L-M Elementary school using the iPod when they take the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.
In preparation for that, the school used iPods on an experiment to see how they would work in the real world where there are difficulties in teaching students who have some disabilities. While to this point, the project seems to be succeeding, there are still underlying problems that need to be addressed. The thing is, iPods still need permission that it can be used when taking the Basic Skills Tests.
If the experiment of the L-M school proves to be successful, then the school will not be the only institution benefited by it but other schools in the district as well. This is what Andy Crozier hopes for. Crozier is a technology teacher for L-M.
Meanwhile, the project seems to solicit support from important figures. David Frisbie, the director of the Iowa Statewide Testing Program at the University of Iowa’s College of Education said the project “looks promising”.
The Iowa Tests of Basic is developed by the Iowa College of Education and it is aiming to gauge the ability of students to learn basic skills. Among the fields covered by the tests are educational knowledge which includes English, math and problem solving, Science, Geography, and Social Studies. The test is being used all over the country.
Principal Scott Grimes of the L-M elementary school said that he sees a potential for the project to succeed and be eventually used in the taking of the Tests of Basic. Grimes who once refer to the school as “the small school in the middle of the cornfield” is now in charge of a school that has taken a great leap forward in the usage of existing technology for educational purposes. The school has started using iPods last year along with other schools in the district but what sets them apart is the way they envision how the iPods will be used in educating students.
The iPods are used in the L-M school to record test questions. Since the iPod is a media player, audio and video files can be uploaded into it. This is the capability of the iPod that the school is taking advantage of. Test questions are scanned and then recorded then uploaded to the iPods for the students to answer the questions. While in paper, the process is simple. In reality, it takes a lot of work in uploading the test questions into the iPods. Some of the areas wherein the school is having minor problems are in the scanning of the test questions, placing the files into the iPods, and having someone read the questions for the recording.
While there are still some problems in the special project of the school, continued efforts and support from the board of education will greatly help the future use of the iPod as a tool in taking the tests of Basic.
About the Author
Giovanni Woods is a geeky entrepreneur who cannot work without his music buddy – the iPod Shuffle. He collects the latest iPod shuffle accessories in the market through TopZone UK. He also loves to travel around Asia.
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