iPods In A Classroom: My Observation
I had an interesting learning experience today while I observed/evaluated one of my preservice students teach a senior level highschool math class. Direct instruction was utilized as students observed the teacher, followed along and wrote down any derived formulas. It was classic chalk-and-talk. And, the students were mostly well-behaved, and although a few chattered among themselves, it appeared that the majority paid attention.
Then I noticed a couple of the students in the class fiddle with their iPods as they followed the instruction. Both students were using only a single ear bud, while directing the rest of their attention toward their teacher. These students still took notes, yet once in a while, stopped long enough to navigate to another song.
I asked the supervising teacher if this behaviour was usual, or if iPods were even allowed in the classroom. He opened his gradebook, and noted that these students were two of the highest achievers in the math classroom. Their averages were well into the 90’s.
Then it occurred to me, or at least, this is what I have surmised. It seems that these students use their iPods to:
a) keep from being bored when there is downtime in the classroom;
b) keep from being distracted from the chatter of other students; and,
c) maintain a one-to-one relationship with the teacher.
Yes, I’m talking about direct instruction, and one-to-one teaching/learning relationships. And I’m talking about teaching and learning that doesn’t involve networks of learners, or the Internet, or even simple forms of collaborative learning. Yes, it’s direct instruction, and I’m talking about it here.
But in many schools, and in many classrooms, this is the way that learning still occurs. And in this very real situation, I was both happy and surprised to see that the use of the iPod actually seemed to make this learning relationship just a bit better.
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February 11th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Not so much in exams but teachers have to see our side of the situation as well. I’m not near a bad student or a troublemaker but when other children in my class are acting out of line and are loud and rude I like to clear them out my outing on headphones. Which this is not a problem during exams because there is no talking in a final exam! So you would have nothing to cancel out such as other kids! So in conclusion there is not a single reason why students should not have iPods that os backed up by any proof, so there should be no problem with them in a learning enviornment to help with concentration! (sorry spellings alittle off :)…)
February 12th, 2010 at 4:34 am
Zack
I appologise if my comments seem a little insensitive but I have been teaching for a long time and I see pupils in my school eating, drinking and using ipods in class. When they come to my room they sometimes forget that I don’t allow it. This gets the lesson off to a bad start. The problem with using ipods as a way of keeping bad sudents quiet is it has a knock on effect all over the school. You must have many experienced teachers who can keep good order in the conventional way. They will be constantly reminding pupil that ipods should be put away. I firmly believe that teachers should have high expectations of pupils. In turn, pupils will meet them.
February 26th, 2010 at 9:03 am
we should be able to listion to i-pods in class because when im listioning to music…i consentrate. :)
February 26th, 2010 at 9:14 am
kids should be able to listen to music on their ipods in their class it helps concentrait
February 26th, 2010 at 9:15 am
i think that we should have ipods in school to help us focus :@
February 26th, 2010 at 9:16 am
I-pods should be aloud in class because it helps us concintrate during work I strongly disagree with people who think ipods should not be aloud in calss it is very stupid if you dont agree.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Wow. Three different ways to misspell “concentrate” in a row. Sorry, kids, you’re not helping your argument.
February 27th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Let me get this right. Are the school pupils who are advocating the use of ipods in class simply doing so to impove discipline? i.e. drowning out the badly behaved pupils. If so, I feel so sorry for them. I wish you could attend my school. Karen, are you an English teacher?
February 27th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Nope, Math – the spelling is appalling on any level.
February 28th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
I-pods should be aloud!!!!!
i am going to do a presentation in the next G.N.A with Peter ad if you lauryn and sarah want to present it with us then that is fine with me and peter :) :D
March 1st, 2010 at 8:42 am
me and matt will be doing a presitaition on why ipods should be alould in class if you want to give us some ideas send a message to my email. her it is. shebapeter@hotmail.com. please ggive some ideas for why ipods should be alould in class send them to shebapeter@hotmail.com we need ideas for the presintaition we might do it in front of the whole school (: (;
March 1st, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Wow guys no need to put that in
Yes IPODs should so be allowed in the class
March 4th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
I believe teachers use Ipods to help keep the class under control. I hear teachers often say “but they don’t use them when I am addressing the class” well what about the learning that students do listening to each other. School is a social environment and I see tuning out as anti-social behaviour. Even if other noises or kids anoy you it is an important lesson to try to live in a class together in harmony & the teacher plays a vital role in this problem solving – this can only happen when everyone is present not in their own preferred space.
March 10th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I believe iPods should be allowd in classes is because there are many possibilities of having them. Teachers can record lectures and give them to the students to listen to, they can go home and copy it onto their iPods then come back the next day and they can listen to it to help with studies or something. The students can also play speeches from famous people from history for the class, look at things the teacher taught them on their iPod if they are sturggling, or help with concentration. There are endless posssibilities with having the iPod in class. So yes, iPods should be allowed in classrooms.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Twitter Comment
after reading [link to post] thinkin’ social media like the ipod is about creating one-on-one time ….
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March 11th, 2010 at 10:48 am
im doing the same thing ;) i think ipods should be allowed in class, not just cause theyre fun but because it helps lots of ppl concentrate, if u think tht it might cause destraction for other students then i say “why do u think we have ear phones?”
March 11th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
this has been verry helpful I’m writing a persuasive essay
March 14th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
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