http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/03/14/using-ipods-to-increase-reading-comprehension.aspx
A teacher in Oregon had used iPods to do the "letter of the week" with her students. She imported the audio files for the specific text the students were studying into iTunes and then broke it up into tracks with GarageBand, an Apple audio mixing and editing tool that's part of the iLife suite for Mac OS X. Williams then added audio prompts with specific reading comprehension strategies in the breaks and moved the files back over to iTunes. Finally, she added the text to the lyrics attached to the files in iTunes so that students could read along with the audio.
There are other devices that could be used instead of an iPod that are cheaper as long as they display text with speech.
Do you think using an iPod can really increase reading comprehension?
Would you use iPods in your class to help increase your content area for students?
I think that it's an awesome idea. This is another example of differentiated learning. I think that this shouldn't be the only way the students learn the material, but it's a great tool. If I had access to this material I would totally have my daughter use it. I always use the ipod in my classes. I don't use it to help my students become better athletes, but I do use it to make it an enjoyable setting for them. I put songs on there that I know they like and I use it as my start and stop signal (instead of a whistle). The kids always tell me how much they love hearing it.
ReplyDeleteThere could be a possibility that using an Ipod can increase reading comprehension, but the more a person plays around with an Ipod the more they will know how it functions and how it operates. There might be some courses in which the ipod will not work with, but it still is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI am no expert in reading comprehension, but I firmly believe the understanding of almost any concept can be enhanced by using music to deliver the material. Embedding content into music seems to tap into different parts of the brain and help retention and comprehension. I use music videos to illustrate topics like the quadratic formula, for example. I am also intrigued by the idea of using the iPod for the delivery of speech-only files, like podcasts of lessons missed, for example.
ReplyDeleteAs Pam said, I am no expert in reading comprehension, nor am I an expert in iPods. Most people, myself included, have primarily thought of iPods as entertainment devices for listening to music. However, there is obviously a wealth of opportunities to be had with iPods in the classroom, especially as Coach mentioned that they can support differentiated learning. Furthermore, I am sure that iPods can increase reading comprehension to some extent. If not, they can definitely enhance learning other subjects, as I know a Social Studies teacher at Farley Middle School who uses iPods in the classroom quite often. I would like to eventually use iPods in my content area as well, but obviously need to learn more about it so that I can effectively do so.
ReplyDeleteI think that using an Ipod/pad or any other type of interactive tools can help students in many different ways. When I first heard about this I thought that the students would be using ipods for fun instead of education but I have found over the last few months that the students are using this technology daily. I had a student the other day use an iphone app to help "check over" his work to make sure he had completed the correct conversions (I am sure that he used it to do the homework but he was still completing the assignment). I think that half the battle is getting the students to complete the work and if these apps help in any way I am all for using it in the classroom. Just wish I could get a set for cheap...I think I just got an idea for a grant!
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