Finally, it appears, our classroom set of iPod Touches may be ready for action. We received a small bit of grant money for the set of Touches, but then, we had to wait for a sync/charging station, and now, as far as I can tell, the devices are just about ready to roll.
In some ways, we had bad timing in the purchase of the Touches, because if we had waited a month, we could have gotten the upgraded versions with cameras and (I think) microphones embedded right into the units. Instead, we have the older versions. I would have loved the video, audio and image element.
Still, our push is to use the Touch devices in Science (the heart of the grant) but I am sure I am going to steal them from time to time for work in my Language Arts class. I am perusing the ideas here with Tom Barrett’s Ways to use the iPod Touch, which is a great resource.
I like the ideas of:
- Collaborative flashcards
- Collaborative stories
- Google surveys
- Type Drawing for visual stories (new one to me)
- Martian App allows you to create an alien (and then your partner has to draw a replica based on descriptive language)
- Story Kit for writing and publishing a book
- Using iPadio for interviews and sharing at our blog (hmmm — I will need a little iPod microphone, though)
Peace (in the touch),
Kevin