For about 5 months I (with help from friends) have been writing a guide to using the iPod touch, iPhone and now iPad in education. Nearly every day I get an email or query as to how to approach deploying these devices in schools. I’m passionate that hard-working teachers not fall into the ‘shiny-things’ syndrome and just spend school money on whatever is the latest cool gadget – although I am secretly stoked that finally, most are actually looking at mobile devices rather than dubiously fixed IWBs.
To help answer some of the questions that these time-poor teachers have, there now exists THIS guide – www.slidetoLearn.info . It takes its name obviously from the ‘slide to unlock’ home screen of iPod touch, iPhone and iPad devices – a nice metaphor for unlocking potential. My favourite description of this platform is that it is a ‘blank slate’ ready to become whatever the user/ student/ teacher wants. Sure its not a perfect platform (no true video-out, can only act as clients of a desktop pc) – but its flexibility and ease of use put it at the head of all mobile eco-systems at present. (I’ll be happy to write an Android guide if I ever am able to get some devices).
The guide has five main sections – and is still in beta and receiving feedback – so please feel free to comment/ email back.
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March 14, 2011 at 8:43 am
You have produced a very practical and professional document for implementing an iDevice program in schools. I wonder if there might be a link included about learning outcomes and assessment. I found your advice about students choosing apps. depending on their learning needs, providing teachers with a screen-shot of their results and putting a review and rating on iTunes to be very helpful. There will always be the argument from ‘blockers’ – “What’s to stop students just playing games?”. I think primary teachers are usually much better at providing ‘evidence for learning’ than secondary teachers.
March 28, 2011 at 11:21 am
I think that there are already a lot of colleges that are using this type of method in some of their classrooms. Idevice teaching could be very motivating for students. Let’s face it. Most of the average students are using the internet in some shape or form for their everyday lives. Why wouldn’t education take advantage of the online “addiction” that society has these days and teach that way?
I would love to see more examples of how schools are using online education with idevices in their courses or classes.