1. ADD YOUR NAME!
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iPod
I explored the iPod at an in-depth level for multiple reasons. The first reason being
that I love iPods and have used one since they first came out in the early 2000’s. It is
an extremely handy device due to its size (which seems to decrease and decrease
every year) and also due to its functionality. I always have my iPod on my person
mainly because of these two reasons. The breakthrough in the iPod line really came
in the iPod Touch, which is essentially an iPhone minus the phone feature. Learning
on the iPod was excellent for me because, I am an extremely active and visual
learner. The iPod accommodates both of those learning styles well through its
vibrant screen and through the apps that feature buttons and 3D diagrams.
iPads
The iPad was the most fun and exciting technology to investigate out of the three. I
always carry my iPod, but I seem to enjoy using my iPad the most. I have had it for 3
semesters now and have tried to incorporate into my learning in various ways. This
class showed me some great apps and great methods for the iPad. The iPad is very
tactile and engages my active learning preference to the fullest. I use it to watch
videos, use apps, surf, and complete assignments. The fact that it has the best screen
of all the technologies helps, when I need to be visually stimulated.
Microblogs
Microblogs were also very interesting to me before I even began the course. I had
used Twitter and Tumblr before, as they are both very cool, popular forms of
microblogging. Surprisingly, I liked using Twitter more, even though it is
significantly less visual than Tumblr. Twitter would update for me much faster than
Tumblr, and that made the app seem more active, engaging, and alive. At times there
are pictures, but overall I enjoyed Twitter’s speed the most.
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The technology that interested me the most was the iPad. I feel that the iPad and
tablets in general are emerging pieces of technology that are catching on quite
quickly and that are here to stay. It is very practical and very powerful, just look
around campus and you will see as many iPads as laptops. The technology that
surprised me the most was definitely the iPod. I had always viewed the iPod as an
entertainment device and never as an educational learning tool. Exploring its
capabilities really proves itself as an educational tool. The technology that does not
seem to work very well as a learning tool would have to be the microblog. Although,
it can be used for learning, I think that will take some time to catch on. Still many
use it for social interaction, and the true educational benefits with microblogging
can still be difficult to uncover.

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The iPad worked best for my learning preference. The platform offers many apps
that are obviously highly visual and also interactive, great for an active learner. A
global learner, like myself also benefits from the many hands-on, interactive apps
that let you skip around and freely “explore”. A good example of this type of app is
the 3D brain app for the Level 1 activity. This app was visually appealing (brain
illustration), active (rotatable brain and clickable notes), and global (no certain
order to navigate the app). In the 3D Brain app, there was an excellent combination
of hands-on diagrams that really stimulated my learning. Normally, I would not
want to learn about the brain at all, but I enjoyed learning about it mainly because
this app was so cool and intuitive.
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The most simple, but definitely most useful app that I learned about was the
iPadFlashcard app. It was a very straight-forward, no frills app, but it served its
purpose very well. It was very simple to make a deck and you can make as many
decks as you want, without spending any money on flashcards. I also thought that
they cloud deck storage was very helpful if you have multiple iOS devices. As for this
learning strategy, I will definitely use it post-college. I know many businesses and
even government agencies are beginning to use iPads in their day-to-day operations.
I can learn new vocabulary, sequences of tasks, and various protocols with the
Flashcard app in the workforce.
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After this course I will continue using apps on the iPod and also the iPad for
learning. The selection of apps is so wide that almost any course I take here at San
Francisco State will have an app that can supplement the material. The apps are
always very hands on and of course visual, something that helps me tremendously.
The Flashcard app can be used but so can many other apps such as note taking apps,
scheduling apps, word processors, and spreadsheet apps. There are even apps
can give companies and organizations the ability to meet with each other online.