While there are plenty of other personal music players, none has had the impact of the iPod. The iPod has become the best selling digital audio player series in history. Since its launch in October 2001, its uses have changed—-it’s not just a music player anymore. The iPod has gone the way of Kleenex (facial tissue), Xerox (photocopiers), and Band-Aids (bandages). mp3 players are not “mp3 players” anymore—most people call them all iPods! iPod use in education is growing, and there will definitely be more uses discovered and invented in the near future.
Many students currently use their iPods as portable storage devices to transport their files between school and home. But there are many other potential uses as well. There are many educational podcasts available, and most of them are free. There are also applications available for the iPod touch, including thesauri, dictionaries, trig calculators, periodic tables, anatomy flash cards, and many more reference materials. Some are paid for and some, such as “Spanish Tutor,” Drivers’ Ed Lite,” and a graphing calculator are free.
Apple’s suggestions can be found at http://www.apple.com/education/ipod
