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= iPods in Education =

As we move ever further into the twenty first century we are seeing technology play a bigger part in our children’s education. Though iPods can be a distraction to a class, they can also be used to enhance our children’s educational experience. They hold a lot of information for a device that can be anywhere from the size of a ball point pen to the size of your hand. Some media players like the popular iPod Touch can connect to the internet via any wireless network. iPods have been used in education for a few years. Much of the source material referring to iPods as educational tools comes from post secondary education (colleges and universities). Now they are beginning to find their way into K-12 education. As iPods have evolved from a simple media player (iPod, iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano) to a device comparable to a pocket sized computer (iPhone, iPod Touch) we start to see them being used for more than playing music, audio books and podcasts. Since the iPod Touch can connect to the internet and can operate as a web browser and video player as well as a music player, it emerges as a handy tool for students. In addition to viewing video, listening to podcasts, audio books and music the Touch can also:
 * Download educational games and reference apps from the app store
 * Take notes through the Notepad app (this app comes free with every iPod Touch)
 * Record voice memos with the Voice Memos app (comes free with every 3rd generation iPod Touch)
 * Access email
 * Act as a web browser

Cost
The initial cost for a class set of iPods varies depending on which type of iPod you choose to use in your class. The iPod Touch has the widest variety of features that can be used in the classroom, so for this article we will look at prices based on the purchase of a classroom set of iPod Touches. Apple sells their 8 gigabyte iPod touch for $199. Considering everything that the iPod Touch can do on its own, this is a good price. The initial cost for a classroom set of iPod touches will be about $199 for each device (Apple, Inc., 2010). However, all iPods come with head phones that fit in the ear. This is a health concern so a set of headphones that merely cover the ear should be purchased instead. On Amazon.com this type of headphone costs $4.75 a pair (Amazon.com, retrieved June 1, 2010 from www.amazon.com)Link text. The applications for the iPod touch cost anywhere from$ .99 to $10.00 each. However there are many free educational apps available in the App Store. The free apps are usually smaller demonstration versions of the paid apps so if you buy the free apps they may not contain all of the features of the paid apps. The challenge of iPods as an educational tool comes from the need to charge and synchronize a large number of devices at once. Apple has the Bretford Powersync Cart that charges and syncs up to 20 iPods at the same time. The Bretford Powersync Cart costs $2,299.95 by itself (Apple, Inc., 2009). This is an expensive piece of equipment that may simplify the process of charging and synchronizing. Making sure this extra device is functioning properly and is well maintained will add more to the overall cost of having iPods in the classroom. Using iPods as teaching tools is a relatively new approach to teaching. It is especially new in the field of K-12 education. Fortunately iPods are easy to use. They are an extension of a computer. If any staff development is needed it will revolve around synchronizing the iPod with the computer.

Impact on Infrastructure
iPods will have an impact on the infrastructure of a classroom. Patten and Craig (2007) wrote about some of the changes in infrastructure that occurred in four classrooms using iPods. The first change involved the ear buds. The ear buds were less effective than the traditional earphones, one of the possible explanations is the ear buds did not fit well in small ears (Patten and Craig, 2007). The second factor had to do with the newness factor of the iPods. The students wanted to play with iPods when they first got them (Patten and Craig, 2007). The newness factor is a significant change in the infrastructure of a classroom. When the students first get them it would be a good idea to securely lock all the applications that would be potentially inappropriate and let the students explore.

Effectiveness
According to Patten and Craig (2007) iPods were shown to be effective with ELL (English Language Learner) students. The type of primary level reading apps available in the app store would give early reading students the chance to practice independently on their reading skills. As of 2008 there has not been much research done on the effectiveness of iPod touch as an educational tool according to Conrad Auchincloss and Tom McIntyre (2008) guest correspondents for the Journal of Special Education technology. There has been some research done with traditional iPods as educational tools, like the studies reference by Patten and Craig (2007). Most of the research evidence of the effectiveness of iPods as classroom tools comes from the anecdotal accounts of educators who post their experiences with these devices online. The effectiveness of iPods as teaching tools is still in question but we will see more research come to light as we move further into the twenty-first century. Tools like the iPod are commonplace in the world and we may see them fully emerge as an accepted tool of education. We will see if they stand the test of time.