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The iPod is a great device.

ha, Nellie, thank you again! I do think so and wish to offer ipods in lessons … still not ready, technically … Do you practice ipods for online/live-lessons already?

or do you mean c r e a t i n g ipods? sure … this I guess takes to long to get results …

I managed to get a video going but only I can see it for some reason. Hmmm.

Watch the video and let me know what you think.

I can’t comment on the use of iPods in the k-12 learning environment, but I know a number of university professors who are recording their lessons and then uploading them as podcasts. This allows students access to the lesson after the fact – a fantastic tool for students with learning disabilities which hinder their ability to quickly copy notes, or students who have trouble concentrating on long lectures.

Mind you, it has also increased the number of students who skip the in-class lectures sine they feel they can catch up on whatever they missed in class simply by listening to the Podcast.

This isn’t a lesson but a discussion.
Our course bought every student a video ipod and we used it in our classes.
We also had a demo reel with ipods and youtube and won an award from youtube.

One of my teacher is looking into or is teaching using iTunes University.

I would say it depends a lot of the style and subject of class. Since I attended a liberal arts school, many of my professors used the Socratic (or similar) method of teaching – if there is no one to have a conversation with that method won’t work very well.

Subjects that are fact based (stats comes to mind – which, frankly, I skipped all the same) didn’t require the same amount of student engagement for course delivery. The numbers didn’t change whether I was there to copy them down or not.

Sorry, forgot one point:

If classes are being skipped out of boredom, I don’t believe podcasts will help – how is listening to dry subject matter better on a tape then in person?

As for online education; as I’ve mentioned above, my education background is in liberal arts and even when I did online classes, I found I learned more in the classes that had a high level of student involvement/engagement on the message board and chat rooms simply because different opinions being expressed got me thinking about the subject matter in different ways.

iPods have a place in post secondary education. No school district in the Kansas City, MO area permits electronics in the school building. Students use iPods to watch music video, listen to music, and watch film, not educational material. I see some students using podcasts to listen to missed assignments, but not many. Not too many students in middle school are inclined to listen to lessons. I just keep “throwing” different technologies at the kiddos until I find something that they seem to enjoy, but more importantly, use to learn. I tried blogging with a Literacy class last year. It wasn’t successful. No one would post anything unless they received a grade for their post. I believe that technologies that are interactive and “live” will provide me with the best opportunities to engage my kiddos with educational opportunities w/technology.

I went back and read the file regarding the positive use of iPods in the K-12 arena. Very good ideas. I will try some to see if any of the kiddos will use their iPods during their out-of-school time to learn and study.

Laurellion, I’m going to disagree with you. Certainly students need will and dedication to achieve, but I would counter (from my own experience as both a student and teacher) that the most significant factors for most students are engagement in the material and a teacher who makes the student feel that their presence and work matter, even if the student isn’t doing top work.

I’ve been in physical classes where the instructor never knew if I was there or not. I’ve been in lecture courses with over 200 students and had professors that make students feel significant and welcome. I’ve also been in an online course that I never once laid eyes on the professor, but I felt challenged and knew my input was expected. I’ve also seen online courses where I’d be lost in the interface. Engagement and relationship with the instructor were always key factors, for me.

At our school, we talk a lot about relevance, rigor, and relationships. We are charged with illustrating for students why the work is relevant, maintaining rigor by setting the bar high and expecting our students to perform, and by building relationships with students, their friends, families if possible, and so on. I mentor several students officially, and I mentor all the rest unofficially, just because of my experiences.

Vance said: At our school, we talk a lot about relevance, rigor, and relationships. We are charged with illustrating for students why the work is relevant, maintaining rigor by setting the bar high and expecting our students to perform, and by building relationships with students, their friends, families if possible, and so on.

Hi Vance,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the value of emotional intelligence in the learning process. However, while I agree with you, is it the same remedy for all? Do all learners and teachers the same? Do they all have the same learning styles, multiple intelligences, life experiences, prior learning, and motivation to learn?

Here is a recording of a live WiZiQ session, PowerPoint slides, and another recording on learning effectively and efficiently that learners may find of interest.

Warm wishes,

Nellie Deutsch

Wikieducator Profile

Nellie, I’ve taken a similar inventory before, and I tried this one. As typically happens, I fall near the middle on all these scales. In fact, I was dead center on all four axes, when I just re-took it. For me, there are times that I need to work through problems on my own, but there are times when I need to work in a group and bounce ideas off others. It’s not that I have no strong preference in any of those domains. It’s more that I discreetly utilize each of these approaches/attitudes at different times and in different situations. There are certain situations when I am so sequential it drives others crazy, but in other situations, I’m so global that I don’t want a single detail, until I understand how the system works.
I am still undecided whether this is a sign that I have developed my learning skills, or whether this is a sign that I simply do things in different ways, at different times. I have a similar problem with Personality Type profiles, which I see as related types of exams. Depending on when I take them and what I’ve been doing most that day, the scores vary quite a bit.

Back to your comments, I think I understand why you took that meaning from my post, but I wasn’t referring to emotional intelligence in the presentation of material, with those comments. I was talking about an environment of student involvement and engagement. Certainly, we need engagement during the presentation of material, but, as you are suggesting, the type and nature of that engagement varies with the student’s personality and learning style. That’s why it’s important to present material in a variety of ways. Speaking and listening skills are often easier for those students that are verbal learners, but we can help the visual learners by providing them with visual cues or graphic organizers to help organize their thoughts. We can balance reading and writing skills between the active and reflective learners by having them read or listen to material, then having them create one-act plays, presentations, or similar projects.
I think it’s also extremely important to remember that this is not a continuum of two types, but a balancing act with 4 axes. So, you may have two students who are both visual learners, yet one is global and one is sequential, and that’s just two axes. We have to provide variety in presentation and practice, so each of our students can has opportunities to connect well with material.

I think that brings us back to my original post. My perception was that ‘rtokay’ was searching all over for technology and activities that his students would like, rather than looking for uses of technology that addressed specific needs for his students. Trust me, none of my students were jumping up and down about the online tutoring session I held earlier this evening. They logged in, because they had specific questions about an upcoming exam. But, the response was excellent, and every student sent me a message to say how much the liked it. My response: Great, glad you liked it, but more important, it met a specific need that each of them had; it allowed me to meet casually with students without anyone having to go to campus or meet somewhere; and it exposed all who participated to another effective use of technology (that’s an underlying theme in my courses, but it helps address relevance, at a time when many of my colleagues are using old methodologies that students have trouble relating to).

Great post, Vance. I enjoyed reading your ideas.

Thank you.

I haven’t been here for a long time. I am a little loose with my language when I write in social networks and such. “. . . throwing different technologies. . .” does sound like I’m rapid firing technology at my kiddos. I am, in fact, using very few. Presently I have a moodle, nothing else, for my students to use when they miss a class or want to do some extra prep for tests, etc. . To date, I had two or three students use the moodle.

I am always searching for new ways to entice my 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. I strive to make my lessons as enjoyable as possible for my kids.I have my kiddos do learning activities they may not want to do almost every day. There’s always someone who doesn’t want to do something.

The class I teach is self-guided. I introduce the kids to the “system,” demonstrate how to use it, and “turn them loose.” The student is responsible for regulating his or her own time. This is very difficult and threatening for 10, 11, 12-year old students.

I do almost all one-to-one teaching in this environment. If someone is truly not understanding the lesson, and can’t come to understanding after discussing the lesson with his or her partner, I am available. Before I intervene, however, the team must make efforts to learn the material themselves.

My previous experience with on-line tech and students wasn’t very successful. The students did receive a grade for the required assignment. With the exception of a few, the students did the absolute minimum for the assignment. That doesn’t mean I stop using this tool. It means that I review and reflect on ways to improve the assignment to make it more relevant for my students, and if I am able to make it an enjoyable activity, so much the better.

By the by, my middle school’s motto is, in the order of importance, Relationships, Relevance, and Reading.

I would like to write more, but I really have to go—and, Vance, don’t worry about any criticism or suggestions “thrown” (there’s that word again) my way. I am always open to constructive criticism and learning new ways to do things.

ipods are great

Ipods can be a great device when used properly. At my school, the teachers used to let us use iPods, but now they’ve banned them for good. I understand their point – loads of people in my class use them instead of paying attention and then they don’t catch up on what they missed. However, during revision sessions I find it very useful to listen to classical music while learning because I am an auditory learner, so like a little music in the background. It’s a shame we can’t use them anymore, but of course they have to be able to trust us to us them responsibly which isn’t always the case.