“A Chapel Hill middle school could become the first in the country to give an iPod to every teacher and student, an experiment that would challenge teachers and administrators to ensure the hand-held devices are used as learning tools, not toys,” Matt Dees reports for The News & Observer.
“It’s still not clear how the iPod touches would be used at Culbreth Middle School. And school officials know that students may use the iPod touches more to download the new Jonas Brothers single than to tap the riches of human knowledge. But Principal Susan Wells says that to dismiss the technology as a distraction or a gimmick ignores today’s tech-driven world,” Dees reports.
“‘It’s a world we better figure out, because we can’t ask our students to come into a classroom, put those things aside and sit in a row and think we’re interesting,’ she said,” Dees reports. “‘We’re just not that interesting.'”
Dees reports, “If the project wins funding, Culbreth’s teachers, administrators and students during the next year will develop courses for which iPod touches are central to the curriculum. Other schools could follow Culbreth’s model.”
“Culbreth has bought 35 iPods: 15 for teachers and administrators and 20 for students in Advancement Via Individual Determination, a program for college-bound students who need extra help,” Dees reports. “If private funding can be obtained to foot the $230,000 bill, every student and teacher will have an iPod touch by winter break.”
Full article here.
[Attribution: MacSurfer. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
good incentive to write some school minded apps
Courses via podcasting
Record labs on digital video
Maybe an application dealing with the periodic table
and each Touch could come preloaded with a demo lesson on capitalism and the evils of monopolistic practices…i.e. Microsoft!
So much for the “look but don’t touch” rule.
And the middle school is a few miles south of Duke University where freshmen also received iPods a few years ago.
I’m sure they will find the funding locally, especially with tech giants such as IBM, Redhat, and others…
Waldo and Carmen Sandiego are screwed. Now they can track those sneaky snakes with GPS.
Where’s Google Earth for the iPhone?
“We’re just not that interesting.”
Sounds like it’d be perfect for a new Microsoft “Honesty First” marketing campaign.
Yeh-heh-heh-heh-hehesssss . . .
iPod Touch… the new eMac
Things sure do change. Ah, the days of walkin’ to school in NC – uh, looks like I’m gettin’ old.
Just wait till the real chat client comes that allows chat via bonjour. The end of their education and the iPhones go bye-bye until the end of Ms. Crabtree’s class.
the jonas brothers suck… just thought I should point out that FACT.
Another dumb idea. Just what are kids doing to do with the touch?
Download illegal music to it.
Abuse it until it breaks.
Clalim that it’s not there fault the homework or project is not done since the touch the school gave them is broken.
Stick the taxpayers for a lot of $$’s to pay for this fiasco.
@JoshtheiMacGuy
Damn. Who peed in your corn flakes?
@JoshtheiMacGuy
P.S. They have flash cards for the iPod touch that teaches kids the difference between “there” and “their”.
Ooh, burn.
@Glum
Nicely done.
pwned.