Learning and Leading

I distribute one charging cord per three iPods so that if the cords get lost, we have plenty of extras.

Revise and re-evaluate. Plan to update the apps o;en. Having di;erent app folders for various reading groups is one way to ensure the iPod touches are di;erentiated for diverse learners. Also, we bought audiobooks for the devices without making sure the printed versions were available in the library. Now we make sure we have both versions so students can read along while they listen.

Let the iPods be mobile. Don’t be afraid to let students check out the devices to listen to while walking down the hall. Allowing students to listen to a book or an educational song while in transit makes use of every minute of the instructional day.

Although our implementation plan was not perfect, the results spoke for themselves. ;e technology motivated and engaged students. One teacher borrowed iPod touches from other classrooms to have a class set for a day. She was able to keep the rest of the class engaged while she called up individual students to listen to them read. In the past, her ;rst graders interrupted her so o;en, it was di;cult to pull o; this task. But with the iPod touches, students worked for more than an hour without needing assistance.

I interviewed students about what
they learned and asked classes to vote
on their favorite apps. ;e students
loved the apps that let them practice
writing their letters in print and cur-
sive. ;ey also loved making words
and doing math ;ash cards. Some
students suggested adding games and
apps that they used at home, and I
did. A few teachers did not want some
nonacademic games, such as Cut the
Rope, and I obliged. But others saw
these strategy games as a way to teach
problem-solving skills.

—Stephanie Hinshaw Hatten is a technology instructional specialist for Galena Park Independent School District in Houston, Texas, USA. She is completing her doctoral dissertation in educational leadership at the University of Houston—Clear Lake. Her research is focused on di;erentiated sta; development for successful iPod implementation.