Apr. 16, 2007 - IPod® School -- Using your mp3 Player in your Homeschool -- IPod Specific Ideas
IPod® School
Using Your Mp3 player in your homeschool
The Amazing Versatility of an IPod®
IPods are wonderful! I cannot imagine homeschooling without mine anymore. If you can only get one np3 player I highly recommend saving for an IPod. Here are some of the creative ways you can use your
IPod.
Using Playlists
IPod's and Itunes work together seamlessly to create and use playlists. At first glance, using playlists seemed boring to me. So what, I'm gonna put all my Christmas music on a playlist and then at Christmas I put that playlist on my iPod and after Christmas I take it off-- big deal. Sure it makes changing seasonal music on my iPod easy -- what else can I use a playlist for?
1. Current Drill Playlist: Need your kids to memorize Latin or Spanish Vocabulary, Awana verses, Poetry, a Classical Music piece, Geography songs, music for choir, maybe even a chapter of Story of the World audio? Add all the individual cd tracks you want drilled to a playlist, and title it Current Drill. (for example, two Awana verses, 15 vocabulary words, 2 classical music peices you want the children to have familiarity with, etc.) You can change the current drill playlist each week, upload it to your IPOD, and use that for the first 15 -30 minutes every day in the car. This idea came to me from my friend Debra and I love it!
2. Classical Music Playlists: Want to do a month long study on one specific composer? Create a playlist with all the music you own from that composer and upload it to your IPOD. How about a month long study on a specific time period comparing composers -- upload one peice from each main composer in that time period into your playlist. Want to compare two specific composers from two different time periods; or even two specific pieces? Upload those into your playlist and compare away. The applications for Music Appreciation are endless.
3. Poetry Playlist: Celebrate Poetry month (April) by reading your favorite poems into a voice recorder or your computer microphone and create a poetry playlist. You can also purchase pre-recorded poetry if you please :)
4. Time Period Playlist: Let's say you are studying the Knights and Castle's era. Put your Jim Weiss recording, your audiobook recording of A Door In the Wall, your Story of the World or Mystery of History chapters for that era, some music from that era, and perhaps even some poetry from that era into one playlist.
Using Bookmarks
Simply click on the pause button within any book and you have an automatic bookmark! Go listen to something else on your IPOD, and come back later. You can now pick up where you left off. You can create unlimited bookmarks on your iPod at once, and when you sync up with Itunes, the bookmarks are synced too! If you have books in mp3 format (like if you record your own for instance) you will want to read this blog by Jimmy Akin. Audible files and other purchased book files are formatted correctly to begin with.
Using Video on iPod®
I have a friend who records TaeKwondo moves as done by the instructor, and then plays them back over and over on her iPOD. It's small and portable, making it perfect to take Math U See, Magic School Bus, or Prima Latina on the road for days filled with Dr.s Appts, necessary errands, and even visits to Grandma.
Finding Specific Songs Fast
During Christmas, I like to play all the various versions of a Christmas carol at once for my children. We then talk about the various styles, which ones we like, which ones we don't like, and why. Sometimes my girls dance, sometimes we sing along, and sometimes we sit quietly to worship. We have our carols scheduled for the entire month. On my iPod, I just check the songs list, which is alphabetized. I can quickly find all the versions of Silent Night because they are all grouped together. The only exception would be medleys that include Silent Night with other songs. I can find these quickly in Itunes just by typing Silent Night into the search field. Then it is easy to locate on my IPOD with the correct title.
Individual Learning for Older Children
Older children who can be trusted with the volume dial and ear plugs can listen privately to their very own Current Drill list and other schoolwork while they complete chores, ride bikes, have quiet time in a room full of younger siblings, etc.
*Please remember that these ideas are specific to the iPod. I don't own another kind of mp3 player. I do plan eventually purchase a player that can play the Digital Rights management files from our library service called Overdrive. That is the only reason I can imagine for purchasing any other audioplayer. I love my iPod; and I don't see myself checking out lots of audiobooks that I can only keep for 3 weeks anyway.
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