iTunes U

My understanding of iTunes U wasn't much to start out with, but it's getting better. One thing that made perfect since to me as to why iPods are going to be one of the perfect learning tools to be incorporated into our classrooms is this...How many teens do you know, honestly, that don't have an iPod???? My friend's daughter is 12 and has 2. Even my husband has one, and that's saying a lot! Trust me! The site points out that it's not just that the student's have the needed tool already, it's that they already know how to use it that is a big plus. The fact that their education can be put on their iPod makes them more willingly to get in there and watch their lectures, listen to the instructors required listening material. Because their education is being put in their familiar world, learning doesn't seem like learning too much. Also, the use of iTunes U through these iPods and iPhones is going to give the nerds, like me, more help with wanting to study more often.

After reading more on iTunes U, I understand that this tool is becoming more useful to teachers who are trying to "customize" their lesson plans more. Because I have never been a teacher before, I don't know if I am dreaming or if it could happen in reality with the amount of time I would be putting into my classroom, BUT, wouldn't it be nice if you could pin-point problem areas of each student and have their iPod packed with the certain material THEY need to succeed? If Johnny needed help in one area and Jane in another, you could put Johnny's area of need on his, and Jane's on hers.

It is my understanding that each individual campus or school, would create their own iTunes U page that they can dress up with as much information as they would like. On one of the Apple i Tunes U sites, under "iTunes U: The biggest campus expansion plan ever," it talks about how you can go outside of the classroom as well. You can post various school events so that students who may be too busy with school and can't attend all of their school functions can still be aware and catch up with their school's activities. This is where I think of me being an Elementary teacher and will have parents who may want to see what they may have missed by not being able to attend all of their child's school's events.

The make-up or "content" of your page/site can be added to or deleted at the administrator's decision. Also, you don't have to let everyone in the world look at your school's or group's page. You can have it blocked with log in's and passwords so that your chosen ones are the only people who can log on and see your information and/or page. Some schools have chosen to do both. They have parts set up to only allow students who are equipped with a log in and password to see certain pages, and then they have areas set up to where everyone who wants to can see the page and use the information they chose to make available. Everything I have read keeps saying that when you set up, it is modeled after the original iTunes page and is suppose to be VERY easy to set up and maintain from the beginning.

In my opinion, if Duke University, one of the top schools EVER, is using this in their classes, maybe it won't be long before we all are. After all, again, if Duke thinks it is a good idea and thought enough of the project to really put in the effort to getting it off the ground, it must be a good idea. Also, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon are involved! That has to tell you that the incorporation of iTunes U has shown benefits. I seriously doubt that these 3 schools are going to continue with methods and tools that are not providing good results. I can say personally that when I was in Psychology and Sociology, this would have been a wonderful tool! I hope that South will do this before long. I also hope that our middle and high schools put this in before long. I would love for my nephews, my niece, and my daughter to have this available to them!