Reflection 5 Wk 6

As the final reflection in this exploration of digital learning tools I thought it fitting to focus on my favourite 'tool' so far rather than a particular software package or app. That is the iPod Touch. I have owned one myself for about 3 years now. I only used it for music until my daughters got their own last year and enlightened me to the wonderful world of apps.
Watching my children use them with ease and seeing how children flock to another child with an iPod shows what a fantastically engaging little device they are. Almost every child has access to an iPod, iPhone or iPad in their household and they know how to navigate the touch screen.

iPod positives -

• portability
• relatively cheap
• millions of available apps
• privacy and restriction settings
• most households/children have one or a compatible device
• internet accessibility - immediate download to blogs etc.
• user friendly

iPod negatives -

• social networking issues (cyber bullying)
• can be dropped
• charging needs (battery life is long enough for classroom exercises)
• cost of phasing in to schools - parents might not be supportive of supplying own devices

In an early childhood/early primary setting the app store offers a limitless supply of potential learning tools. I downloaded an app called "Starfall Pumpkin". This was one of 5 options that appeared when I searched "learn measurement". It has limited applications but could be incorporated into a Halloween theme or vegetable growing activity. Children can estimate the weight of a pumpkin by selecting a unit of measurement (1kg, 5kg or 10kg) and adding units to a scale until they match the pumpkin's weight. In this way children are learning to compare weights, estimate and choose appropriate units of measurement. Inclusion of real physical pumpkins and different types of scales in the classroom would provide for the 'hands-on' needs of young learners. IPods work beautifully to this end by providing visual, auditory and touch sensory input for children to process.

"Starfall Pumpkin" 





Children can use iPods to video (and upload to YouTube), photograph, record audio (Audioboo), as explored in previous blogs. As the school year progressed children could be assigned more detailed tasks that required more individual thinking and input. A research project on 'insects in the school grounds' could involve children photographing and uploading photos to a class page then resourcing information online on each insect as a class.
Personally I have found trying to teach early primary children in a "computer room" a fruitless exercise. There are always computers/headphones that aren't working and it is difficult to see each child and their progress behind the screens. It is difficult for the children to gain a teacher's attention. The activities seem quite clumsy when compared to touchscreen capabilities of the iPod touch.

Further examples:

Image from http://www.slideshare.net/jenjongste/mobile-learning-5096525.