Assignment+2+-+AHA+Moments


 * Assignment #2 - AHA Moments**

Looking at Alyssa’s wiki, I really liked the iSchool Initiative video explaining the many benefits of using an iPod Touch in the classroom. Not only would buying an iPod Touch for each student save money for schools, it also would make school more interactive for students and allow students to have information at the tip of their finger. I am excited about the thought of each student having their own computer at school in the future, but this video made me realize that this could be a reality right now at a very reasonable price with an iPod Touch.

On Brad’s wiki, the article about students using iPods to cheat on tests made me realize that there are many great benefits to iPods in the classroom, but a school must have very specific guidelines on how they can be used. As a teacher, I wouldn’t have a problem with students using crib notes on a test or downloading a formula sheet, but it is a problem when students are voice recording answers to the test or emailing answers to other students. I do believe the benefits of iPods in schools outweigh the negatives of students trying to cheat, since some students will always try to find a way to beat the system.

I enjoyed the report on Jesse’s wiki about the benefits of students listening to music while doing their schoolwork. When I was in high school, I remember a guidance counselor talking to my class about studying and how you shouldn’t listen to music while studying because you can’t listen to music while you are taking a test. That was the old school thought on studying, but in the report, there seemed to be scientific research about benefits of listening to music while studying. I had a very difficult student this year in one of my classes who had a hard time doing his work during class. Even though our school bans iPods in school, I did allow him a couple of times to listen to his iPod while he was working on his assignment. This student actually got his assignments completed, and did not cause distractions for the rest of the class.