Comments on: iPod Touch Apps – Do they enable pedagogy?

By: shanetechteach

shanetechteach — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:36:58 +0000

Thanks for the comments. Jonathan, what you say is true of any platform. As its versatility is realised, functionality expands. Despite the negatives I read about Apple and its app approval process, I’m amazed at how many apps are directly applicable to learning. Choice is a pleasure we can afford.

Shane, I agree totally. Hopefully some may realise the potential application by reading the blogs of educators using the devices in their learning. For those who have shifted, and subscribe to the transformative theory of learning, the students themselves can teach us a great deal about the potential application of devices. The teacher is still required to interpret the pedagogical application.

By: mentormadness

mentormadness — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:43:10 +0000

Great post Shane! You’ve got me thinking about how I can use my iPhone now! Those TED talks are fantastic though aren’t they! Thanks for the sharing! Cheers!

By: jnxyz

jnxyz — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:05:58 +0000

I’m getting the feeling that covering apps for this platform is now like trying to be on top of say every education program available for OSX or Windows! You just wouldn’t even try it! As the iTouch/iPhone platform gets more mature (ie there is now over 40,000 apps available and about 20 million devices) it will more and more come to resemble the already established desktop OS’s. What does this mean for writing about iTouch apps – I don;t know! But from all the uses you descirbe above Shane, it is clear that the platform can already do probably 60% of what a laptop can. Exciting times!

By: Shane Hoy

Shane Hoy — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:20:57 +0000

For many years ICT had been introduced to the classroom with no real plan of how it was going to be used. Now when they are integrated into learning, opportunities for students to heighten their learning are presented and they are more motivated to engage in the learning process. It’s refreshing to note the many uses iPod apps can present students in their learning. Teachers who use iPods / iPhones themselves are more likely to use them confidently with students. This has been widely documented and also helps teachers maintain up to date skills. Teachers need to see value in an iPod app to be able to use it in the classroom. It does require a vastly different pedagogy to integrate these technologies. Students can manage their own learning and have more control over the direction their learning will take. Traditional methods take a back seat as the students take control. While ‘technology is a catalyst for educational reform’ it also needs to take into consideration that it is teacher pedagogy and practices with ICT that have a larger impact on education and consequently student learning.