An iPod Classroom?

Grade 10 Journal Entry Question #2

Personally, I think that I would learn well using an iPod, if only I had one. Learning with an iPod gives students the freedom to be able to plan their day very efficiently. It allows them to be able to multi-task and “attend” a seminar while possibly working on other units. I think that this method is perfect for a school such as Mary Ward. However it may be a bit tricky to implement in the beginning. The teachers will have to plan their seminar, video tape it and make sure that they have covered all of the information in the seminar so that students will be able to understand the unit with minimal questions. I do not think that we should replace our current system with a more technological approach as it does have its own drawbacks.

First, I think that it is unfair that this method of learning will only available to those with an iPod while the rest of us without one can either look on jealously over our friends’ shoulders or we could just go out and buy one for ourselves. If only the prices weren’t so ridiculously high. Also, I think that using an iPod for seminars will only give students another excuse to procrastinate. An iPod has a wide variety of uses other than to display seminars. It can be used to play games, videos unrelated to anything educational, and most important of all, music. A student can simply make it look like they are watching a seminar, when they could be doing something else entirely.

I think that Mary Ward should consider having iPod seminars as an option to help make the lives of students easier. I think that we should not rush things and completely convert the system to modern methods. It would be too much freedom for the students especially to those who are just getting used to the Mary Ward independent learning system. Freedom is good but too much of a good thing isn’t.