Response to Keena’s Response
Greetings,
After reading Keena’s response to this article regarding the usefulness of iPOD’s at the high school and university level, I couldn’t help but to respond.
I have a friend who goes to Duke University and received a ‘free’ iPOD his freshman year. He tells me, despite the well-intentioned give-away, he does not use the iPOD for classroom work, nor does he know many students who do, if at all. He noted that the professors often do not encourage this sort of behavior as few are willing to post their lectures online, for various reasons. I had this friend in mind as I read this and I was highly doubtful of the usefulness of an iPOD in an educational setting.
After reading Keena’s response and then reading the article itself, I must admit that the potential is there, even if my friend did not need it in his experience. If there are tech-savvy teachers and professors, it can be used as a classroom enrichment tool, by posting lectures and video casts, as well as the other examples cited in the article.
Overall, however, I do not think the time of the iPOD as a widespread educational tool is not yet here. Too many people would not think to use the iPOD in such a way, and just think of it as an entertainment tool.
Websites:
Belleville News. “Colleges Get Smart to iPOD’s Usefulness.” 21 March 2006. http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/business/14148976.htm>
Sioui, Keena. “Personal Reading: Colleges Get Smart to iPOD’s Usefulness.” 4 April 2006. http://keenasioui.edublogs.org/2006/04/04/personal-reading-colleges-get-smart-to-ipods-usefullness/>
