iPods are such an amazing learning tool for classroom learning, that are simple to use, and troubleshoot.
I am always looking for new ideas and ways to include them in student learning and recently discovered the website Learning in Hand created by Tony Vincent. This is an amazing resource for any hand held tool that you might think of using with your students, but since we have access to iPods I found that section especially helpful.
Tony Vincent lists lesson plan ideas, how to tutorials, and links to other sites with more great ideas.
If you are looking for new ideas or just ways to get started with iPods in the classroom, this is a must see site. Check it out, here.
This post is dedicated to interesting ways to use the iPod Nano to record video in your classroom. If you are unsure how to record Video on the iPod, please take a minute to watch the clip below.
Tips for integrating video recording into your classroom: As with audio recording, video recording has unlimited possibilities in the classroom from recording presentations and special events to creating documentaries on "A day in the life of..." Here are few ideas for use at the different grade levels:
Kindergarten - Make a video alphabet. Have each student create, draw, colour or decorate a different letter of the alphabet and record each of them sharing their creation and the letter name it represents. Once all of the letters are added, upload the video to a class website or burn it to disk and send home for parents to review the alphabet with their children at home.
Grade 1 - Ask the students to video what they are doing or interview a friend explaining their favourite classroom activities. Use the footage to share with parents at Parent-Teacher interviews or simply as a window for you into the learning experience of the kids in your class (they will talk differently when you are not around).
Grade 2 - Have students create a 'How To' video to share with parents and classmates (i.e. 'How to measure temperature or the length of the classroom).
Grade 3 - Have students create a Vlog (Video log) of the life cycle of a plant (potato plants).
Grade 4 - Studying explorers? Have students dress up as an explorer and record them playing the role of their chosen explorer. They could prepare a monologue to describe themselves and their explorations to share on video.
Grade 5 - Instead of the old fashioned book report, have students create and record a commercial for a book they just finished reading.
PE (I haven't forgot about you Courtney!) - Record students performing dance or gymnastic routines for self or class evaluation.
So there you have it! Ideas for using the video recording feature of the iPod Nano at all grade levels. Craving more? Check out the slide show below with 43 more interesting ways to use video recording in the classroom.
The iPod is many things and there are so many ideas for ways to use the iPod in the classroom that I decided to break down the suggestions into feature groups. So this post is dedicated to the way Voice Memos or an iPod as an audio recorder can be used in the classroom. If you are unsure how to record Voice Memos on the iPod, please take a minute to watch the video below.
The first idea that I would like to share is a simple way to help students with written output. Instead of wasting time staring blankly at an empty sheet of paper, unsure of what to write or how to begin, give students an an iPod and have them 'tell' their story first. When finished recording have students listen to the story they created and then write it down. No more blank pages!!
Or take it a step further and try this:
Have your students think of an exciting beginning to a story they want to tell (characters and setting). Record the beginning using the iPod and press pause (the middle button) when finished. Then have the students develop their story by creating the middle (plot or introduce the problem) and record it by unpausing the iPod and adding on to the beginning. Press pause when finished. Finally, have the students develop the end of the story (solve the problem) and record it by the same method. Stop the recording and listen to a complete story with a beginning, middle and end. The student can then write the story they created (or simply listen and upload), and you, can enjoy the dramatic improvement in your students story development and writing skills!
Now, I know these ideas won't work as well for the primary students (and teachers), but I don't want you to think that you can't use the iPods with your students. So I have tried to come up with some ideas that would be helpful at different age groups. Here are a few interesting ways to use an iPod as an audio record:
Kindergarten - use the iPod to record an interview with each of your students, describing what they love about their mom. Upload the interviews or burn them to disk and send them home with the students to give to mom on Mother's Day.
Grade 1 - use the iPod to record your students reading at different times during the year. Upload or burn the recording to disk to send home for parents to keep as a memento. Guaranteed this one would be saved forever!
Grade 2 - record PM Benchmark retells or other assessments that require students to explain their thinking. You could even have the students listen back to their retell, asking them if they would like to add any additional details.
Grade 3 - record a collaborative classroom story. Pass around the iPod and have students record one line of a story before passing the iPod to the next student to add another line. Listen to the story created as a class and upload to your class website for parents to enjoy as well.
Grade 4 - use the iPods to record public speaking practice. Have the students listen to their recorded speech and ask themselves if they are using expression, speaking clearly, etc.
Grade 5 - use the iPods to interview an expert on a research topic of choice. This could be a parent or grandparent for an oral history project or a community leader for a government project.
Here are some other ideas for using the audio recording feature on the iPod nano's in the classroom.
The iPods have arrived!! Thanks Dan and the Terry Fox PAC for purchasing iPods for our school. Here is a quick video about some of the features of the iPods Terry Fox just received. I am so excited about them and everything that our students and staff will be able to do in our classrooms with them. I believe strongly in the benefits of this tool in the classroom. There are so many ways to use the iPods and I plan to dedicate the next few posts to the iPod and different ideas for using them. So stay tuned!!
In the mean time, I encourage you to charge up the iPods and bring them into your classroom. My guess is that even if you don't know how to use them, some of your students will...yes even in Kindergarten...and you can spend time playing and learning about the features and capabilities together. This particular iPod is called the iPod nano 5th generation (just in case you want to watch 'how to' videos on YouTube) and has been out for a year, so some of your students will definitely have one at home. Have fun playing...
