I personally believe that Ipods could be a good addition to a classroom. For most people it seems like they worked better with some sort of music or noise in the background. In a class I took last semester we talked about how different people learn differently. With Ipods people who like having music in the background could have their Ipod on and it wouldn't distract others who might not like having music in the background. Also children would be able to listen to what ever music helps them focus.
On the other hand some children will find a way to use Ipods as a way to cheat. I know a person I knew in high school used his Ipod to cheat on a test. Our spanish teacher used to let us listen to music on our Ipods and this particular person decided to make a song that had all the answers in it so when he would get stuck on a question he would start the song over and listen to it. In a way I thought it was very creative that he could make up this song to remember the answers, but I also hated the fact that he cheated on the test while everyone else had studied.
I guess there is good and bad to everything and we need to decided if the good out weights the bad or not. What does everyone else think? Should we be allowed to use Ipods in school?
This is exactly what I was thinking could happen when we were discussing iPods in class. Very creative that the student made an actually song. What I was thinking is that if we teach them to make podcasts, how easy it would be for them to make one telling themselves the answers, and easily put this on their iPods.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! We were never allowed to listen to iPods during tests because we could be listening to Pod Casts. Although... I didn't even know what a Pod Cast was until I was in college! With the knowledge that surrounds technology in schools today, I wouldn't be surprised if students taught themselves how to cheat by using a Pod Cast. It really is a novel idea!
ReplyDeleteI think in many ways, listening to music while taking a test is a great idea for students. No matter what there will always be that student who decides to cheat instead of actually studying. It happens with or without the use of iPods. I suppose teachers could go around and check their students iPods if they really wanted to. I had a teacher that would go around and check our TI-84 calculators to make sure we hadn’t stored any notes for the exams. I think it is up to the teacher and how comfortable they feel with it. I want to be a math teacher so I don’t think I would have a problem with it. Tests can give some students a great deal of anxiety (me being on of them). Anything I can do as a teacher to calm their nerves a bit while taking an exam is something that I will keep an open mind to.
ReplyDeleteDo you know if the student created the song themselves to cheat on the spanish test or was it something they found on the internet? I think that if it was something they had created themselves it is to bad that the teacher didn't allow that to be their assessment. Or that they could not share it with the rest of their class. Maybe as a study tool?
ReplyDeleteExactly...does the good outweigh the bad? I certainly think so. While the cheating song is a great story...it is also pretty unusual. I don't condone the cheating at all, but I do appreciate the fact that the student probably learning a lot composing the song.
ReplyDeletePart of using this technology is for students to accept responsibility for using it appropriately...and ethically. While lessons like that always existed for students...technology has made these lesson even more necessary.
So, I would say, "Use the technology, but teach your students to use it responsibily."