iPods and Podcasting in the Classroom

Today in class we played around with iPods and learned about podcasting and how it can be used in the classroom. I had used some of the things we talked about, such as the recording, but most of the stuff I had never used before. I did one of my research articles on iPods in the classroom and I have thought of their uses in the classroom before. Today I got more ideas! I had heard of using iPods as a good tool to give students with learning problems their tests. This way they can repeat a question if they need and they can take the test on their own, not with a class around. I had also heard of using iPods as a center tool and today we learned some creative ideas to do with them at these centers. You can have students listen to a recorded book while following along. Students can watch certain educational television programs that relate to the topic they are learning. Students can record themselves reading and then listen to themselves. The last center topic that I will talk about is podcasting. As we learned there are a few types of podcasts: audio, audio with images, and video. These can be great tools for students as long as you find appropriate ones. Students could listen to such things as a book or a task that they have to follow. They could listen to a topic while seeing still images of that topic. Or, they could watch a video podcast such as a short clip from National Geographic or another education topic. iPods are small and easy to carry around and use. I think they are great for classrooms and could be used in many creative ways.