iPod Touches have no business in the classroom!

image by: Вася Артёмов

"iPod Touches have no business in the classroom!" -Tech Leader

"We can't support Apple products." -Tech Leader

"The students will just abuse them and get distracted." -Reluctant Teacher

I hear quotes like this all the time.  "iPod Touches are toys, and cannot help the students learn." My experience has shown me differently.

Last week I had the opportunity to work with a teacher who was reluctant but willing to try something new.  I had a buddy (who will be posting here soon) bring a class set of iPod Touches to teach fraction to decimal equivalency to some fifth graders.  While doing the lesson we had the students, the teacher and the principal all switching apps and playing some games that helped to drive home the math concept that we had been discussing and working on.  The students were upset when the lesson was over.  Never were they off task, and not once did I have to deal with a discipline issue in this class (which can be rough at times). The principal even lost herself so deeply in one of the games that she forgot that she was in a room with students and LOUDLY celebrated when she received a greater score!

At the end of the lesson a few amazing things had happened. The students had used a "toy" to gain a concrete grasp of a difficult math concept. The teacher and principal had been exposed to a powerful learning tool, and had bought into the tool completely.  I had just won two more pawns into the game that are willing to lead from the front in order to do things that are best for students.

Share your story about leading from the front.