iPod in sync with schools

Applications include teaching maths, making music and taking students' attendance
Amelia Tan, Straits Times 1 Oct 09;

PRIMARY 1 pupils at CHIJ Kellock used to lug boxes of marbles and ice cream sticks to school to help measure objects during mathematics classes. But now, all they have to do is 'touch' to learn.

The school in Telok Blangah started using Apple's iPod touch portable media player earlier this year to teach units of measurement. Applications on the touch-screen device help the girls measure objects, such as leaves, window panes and table tops, around their school and during field trips.

Alexandrea Tan, seven, said: 'We get to use the iPod touch during trips outside of school. This is more fun than normal lessons in classroom where we just sit down. I hope we will use it in English lessons too.'

Teacher Adela Chua said: 'Laptops are too heavy for seven-year-olds to carry around, but an iPod touch fits in their hands. We can easily use it in excursions. This will make lessons more fun.'

The iPod touch has also been gaining popularity with other schools as a replacement for textbooks and worksheets and even as a tool for teachers to take the attendance of students.

A check with three education technology services providers showed that more principals and teachers have been approaching them to find out how they can use the device in their schools.

Elchemi Education is working with teachers at five primary and secondary schools, such as Yishun Primary and Nan Chiau Primary in Sengkang, on ways to use the iPod touch in teaching various subjects and during school excursions.

It is also running programmes for 10 secondary schools, including Catholic High School, Maris Stella High School and Bukit Panjang Government High School, to teach students how to develop their own iPod touch applications. The company will run similar programmes for 10 other schools next year.

Another company, Zimerick, has implemented a programme using the device's wireless connectivity to record the attendance of students at three secondary schools, including Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road). It has received enquiries about the programme from about 20 other schools.

MusicTEC started an enrichment programme earlier in the year at Bukit Panjang Government High School, teaching students to make music using digital instruments on the iPod touch. It is in talks with eight other schools to introduce the programme next year.

Principals and teachers say they like the iPod touch as it takes mobile learning to a whole new level, and because their students already know how to use it.

Schools can pay for the device by applying for a three-year infocomm technology (ICT) grant from the Ministry of Education. The value depends on the number of students a school has. Other funds to support innovative ideas in schools are also available at the cluster, zonal and ministry levels.

Ms Karen New, chief executive of content producer for mobile platforms Omnitoons, said in order to engage students, both schools and companies have developed educational content in forms they are familiar with.

Her company has launched a digital comic book version of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream that can be downloaded on products such as the iPhone and iPod touch. It will introduce five other e-book titles in the next three months.

'Not many teenagers will want to read a thick Shakespeare book that does not have pictures and is heavy to carry around. But they will be interested if the book has pictures and sound and can be read on their iPod touch,' said Ms New.