iPods at School

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "In Some Schools, iPods are Required Listening." The article states, "Pedro Noguera, a sociology professor at New York University who studies urban schools, said that more districts were using new technologies like iPods to connect with students. For instance, he said, teachers have designed video games around history lessons and assigned students to re-enact novels and plays on YouTube. 'You know the No. 1 complaint about school is that it’s boring because the traditional way it’s taught relies on passive learning,' Mr. Noguera said. 'It’s not interactive enough.'” The article reports, "Ms. Poli (an ESL teacher) said her Spanish-speaking students — known around the school as Pod People — have been able to move out of bilingual classes after just a year of using the digital devices, compared with an average of four to six years for most bilingual students."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Students

• Do students think it's possible to learn from songs? Why/why not? Do they think it's possible to learn from pictures? Why/why not? What about from games? Why/why not?
  
• Challenge students to identify something that they have learned in a fun way.
  
• Ask your students to name their favorite electronic game. What do your students think they could learn from this game, if anything? Encourage them to support their points.
  
• Consider having groups of students select games from around the classroom and use the games to teach something, while playing "teacher."
  
• Ask students to name their favorite song. What do students think they can learn from these songs?
  
• Students might create their own songs.
  
• Ask students if they know anybody who does not know how to use a computer. Ask students why they think that some people don't use computers.
  
• Challenge students to teach you, the teacher, one new thing about the computer or technology.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Confiscated; Formula; Innovation; and, Irrelevant.
  
• Why do students think that so many schools outlaw technology devices such as cell phones and iPods. Do students think that it's right for schools to do this? Why/why not?
  
• Ask students to write persuasive essays in which they explain whether or not schools should allow these kinds of devices.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they walked into a classroom of the future, one hundred years in the future. How do students think that the required supplies would be different? Encourage students to support their opinions.
  
• Students might draw pictures, create computerized pictures, of the futuristic classroom. (Encourage students to consider how drawing in response to this prompt might create learning.)
  
• The technology writer Mark Prensky has called youth "digital natives" and adults "digital immigrants." Do students think that these descriptions are accurate? Why/why not? Can students think of any metaphors to describe the difference between youth and adults when it comes to sports/hobbies?
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.