Wormbog

I am going to start a short series of posts on our use of the iPod Touch in the classroom.  Now that we have a functional case and Google Calendar setup so that our teachers can reserve the lab we have the opportunity to evaluate how the iPod integrates into the classroom.  The first topic is Internet research.

When looking at the iPod’s small screen it is hard to imagine that it could play a role in research in the classroom.  However, once you start to use mobile Safari you quickly realize why the iPod Touch has become so popular as a web browsing device.  Once you learn to use the multitouch interface, double clicking to zoom in on a section and landscape vs. portrait mode the iPod Touch becomes a capable research tool.  Students have been very quick to pick up on these functions.  In a history class the students had passed out the iPods and started the research within 2 minutes of the teacher asking them to begin.  For the most part the students preferred the iPod Touch to the older PCs in the classroom for the research they were asked to complete.

After watching this type of exercise in a few classrooms this week I think the iPods accomplish the task of basic Internet research well.  An assignment that is going to take 20 minutes or less is ideal.  Research for larger projects where students students will be writing papers should be done on laptops or desktops (or maybe the iPad).

The next topic with be online testing with the iPod Touch.