Warren teachers putting iPods to use in classroom

View larger image Maria Kisner, a third-grade teacher at Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School, helps Conner Knerler with an iPod touch. The devices will be used for educational purposes, such as providing students with SOL practice test questions. Dennis Grundman/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints * Breaking News If local news is breaking and you know about it: * Call Us: 800-296-5137 * E-mail Us * Upload Your Photos View larger image Tim Grant, Warren County Public Schools tech, helps Chase Roltsch, 9, to learn how to use an iPod. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Maria Kisner, third grade teacher at Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School, helps Chloe Phillips, 9, and Jazmine White, 9, as the children learn about iPods. Dennis Grundman/Daily

Education grant provides five media devices for each school

By M.K. Luther - mkluther@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School pupils did some heavy SOL testing prep on Wednesday with the help of an iPod Touch.

Tim Grant, information technology resource teacher with Hilda J. Barbour and Leslie Fox Keyser elementary schools, led a session on using iPods for instruction.

Thanks to a total $14,000 Warren County Education Endowment grant to fund a digital learning connection project, the school system now has five iPods for each of the county's eight schools.

The fourth generation iPod Touches, divided into two sets of 20, arrived in the schools several weeks ago, Grant said.

Maria Kisner's third-grade class used the iPods on Wednesday to answer SOL practice test question by sending a text message response.

"They really love it and they are interested in it," Kisner said. "It keeps them engaged so they focus on what we are learning over time."

After successfully completing the lesson, the pupils were allowed some precious moments to open the iPod's full host of apps, rushing to find their favorite games, view online maps or snap a photo of one another with the built-in cameras.

"They are really cool because -- and I have played one before -- they are really fun and you get to learn about things," said pupil Chase Roltsch as she slid her fingers over the touch screen to open another iPod application.

Grant has been going through classrooms since the iPods arrived more than a month ago, helping teachers and pupils alike learn how to use the latest in personal communication devices for educational purposes.

"The teachers see the value in all the activities," Grant said. "They are very engaging -- this is a very engaging activity, and the kids really get into it."

The younger pupils take to the latest technological tool almost intuitively, recounting tales of having used one at a friend's house or having seen an older MP3 player that only played music.

"They are digital natives," Grant said. "They just pick right up on it."

Ultimately, the school system would like to have one iPod per classroom for use as in instructional resource, similar to a reference book, Grant said. For now, Grant concentrates on exposing the pupils to the user-friendly iPod functions besides the standard Web-surfing and game-playing.

Teachers at all the county public schools can request the iPods for instructional use through the resource department.

The iPod Touch can be used for educational videos and podcasts, Grant said, and the various applications can be used as a supplement for instructions. There also are several math and reading games for the iPod, Grant said.

The schools already have use of an automated student response system, but Grant said that classroom tool does not get the pupils as involved in the learning process.

"These can just capture so many more uses," Grant said.