An iPod in Your Classroom Toolbox
Grace Poli
Media Specialist
~
José Martí Middle School
Union City, New Jersey

Snapshot of Union City
Visit iTunes Store to view video about the
demographics of Union City
1.Open iTunes Store
2. Click on iTunes U
3. Scroll to the bottom and select K-12
4. Click on New Jersey Union City School District
5. Select “ABOUT UNION CITY” and download
free podcast about Union City demographics

Why teach with iPods?
Engage students in learning
Enhance instruction
Increases Motivation
Individualized instruction
Accommodate multiple learning styles of students
Take it anywhere? Expand learning beyond the
classroom

Music Lyrics
Sample Lessons

Creating Lessons
1. Find a song, artist and the lyrics
2. Determine language patterns, vocabulary and syntax in
the lyrics
3. Create lessons by removing the key words and phrases to
be learned from the lyrics

Example Lessons
Lesson 1: Advanced Students
Write complete words, phrases and open-ended questions
Lesson 2: Intermediate Students
Complete sentence syntax (nouns, verbs, etc.) when provided with
context clues
Lesson 3: Severely-Limited English Students
Identify words provided using a translation dictionary

Student Assessment
Complete grammar activity
Read song lyrics, without listening to the music
Pronunciation of words and comprehension
Spelling (oral assessment) say words in their native
language and have students write the English translation

Methods for Downloading Music
Purchase songs from iTunes for $0.99 per song
Check out the iTunes free download of the week
http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Import music from CDs
Free and legal downloads Free Music for Your iPod or
iPhone | iLounge Article

Lyrics & Music
Determine the Artist & Song Find songs by any topic
Free musical lyrics websites The Green Book of
Songs and Subjects
http://lyrics.astraweb.com
http://greenbookofsongs.com/
http://azlyrics.com Annual Subscription $19.95
Type the code - grace into the coupon
http://sing365.com box for $10.00 discount
Pay only $9.95

Free Foreign Language Lyrics
Spanish
http://spanishlyrics.org
http://donquijote.org/spanishlanguage/lyrics/
Italian
http://a-z-music-lyrics.com/
French, German, Italian, Spanish, World
http://onlylyrics.com/

Audiobooks

Benefits of Audiobooks
Proper word pronunciation
Improves listening and comprehension skills
Engage students in active reading
Increases vocabulary comprehension
Students can follow along with printed text
Listen and learn at your own pace: slow down, fast
forward, go back or bookmark a section

Audiobook Cost Analysis
TITLE CD/CASSETTE iTUNES DOWNLOAD
Harry Potter $374.70 $249
The Outsiders $25.95 $15.95
A Wrinkle in Time $25.95 $15.95
The Mixed-Up Files $14.95 $10.95
The Chocolate War $25.95 $15.95
Kira-Kira $27.95 $17.95
Maniac Magee $19.95 $15.95
$515.40 $341.70
Download Savings = $173.70!

Importing Audiobooks
1. Purchase audiobooks in the iTunes Store
2. Import CDs - multiple tracks NOT always practical
3. AudioBook Builder http://www.splasm.com/
audiobookbuilder/ - $10.00 cost
4. Downloading free audiobook online - multiple tracks

Other Audiobooks Sources
AudioBooks
http://audiobooks.org
Free Classic Audiobooks
http://freeclassicaudiobooks.com
Audiobooks for Free
http://audiobooksforfree.com

Ebooks at Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org

iPod Voice Recorder

Benefits of iPod Voice Recorders
Improves English fluency
Improves word pronunciation
Increases comprehension of words and phrases
Students learn to speak more clearly
The iPod becomes a portable recorder, can be taken anywhere
Once recorded on the iPod, audio can be used anywhere (podcasts,
iMovie, PowerPoint, etc.)

Practical use of the Voice Recorder
Instructions
1. Connect the Belkin TuneTalk to the iPod
2. Click on the center button once to start recording
3. Once you finish recording click STOP and SAVE

Conversation Questions
http://iteslj.org/questions/

Using the iPod
Across the Curriculum

Social Studies
United Streaming Video
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/

Science
Visual Learning Company
Teacher’s Guides include:
• assessment tests
• lesson plans
• lab activities
• video script
Titles now available in Spanish

Conversational Questions
http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/ Whole Language
“Greetings a Relative”
Italian Transcript
Elena: Ciao zia!
Zia: Come stai?
Elena: Benissimo e tu?
Zia: Bene! Da quando sei arrivata?
Elena: Siamo arrivati la settimana scorsa! Grazie mille per averci
invitato! Cosa ci hai preparato stasera?
Zia: Ma, non so se vi piacciono le lasagne al pesto!
Elena: Ah, certo le lasagne al pesto! Son Bunoissime!
Zia: Che sono tipiche de Genova. Il coniglio e poi la crostata v’ho
fatto!
Elena: Allora due sono ancora a scuola, l’altra é andata a goicare a
pallone, ma tornerà per cena. E la mamma come sta?
• Quicktime
• Real Video
Elena: La mama sta benissimo. E la tua mamma?
Zia: La mia mamma è un pó vecchietta ma sta bene peró, verrá
presto a trovarci anche lei, speriamo stasera. • Italian Transcript
Elena: Bene bene! • English Translation

Math
iQuiz Game
iQuiz Maker

Educational use for iPods
Spark Notes - Online study guide database
SAT Vocabulary Builder - test taking strategies
Webster Dictionary Reference - look up words and
definitions onto your iPod
ESL Podcast
Brain Quest - Educational games for grades 1-7

Bretford iPod Cart
Sync and charge - 40 iPods
Software updates

More resources...
Apple Learning Interchange - http://ali.apple.com
Learning in Hand - http://learninginhand.com
iPods in Education Webcast - http://macenterprise.org
iPods in Education: The Potential for Language
Acquisition - http://e2t2.binghamton.edu/pdfs/
iPod_Lang_Acquisition_whitepaper.pdf

Unexpected Uses of the iPods
http://www.oculture.com/2007/04/10_unexpected_u.html
1. Train Doctors to Save Lives - American College of Cardiology indicates iPods are used to listen
to recorded heart sounds to teach medical students how to better recognize different
conditions
2. Bring Criminals to Justice - United States federal district court has started using iPods to hold
copies of wiretap transmissions in a large drug-conspiracy case
3. Get Yourself Into Serious Shape - TrailRunner is a free program that helps you plan your route
and then loads your iPods with maps, distances, and time goals
4. Tour Around Great Cities - iSubwayMaps lets you download subway maps from 24 major cities
across the globe. They range from New York City, Paris, and Berlin to Moscow, Tokyo and
Hong Kong. Audio tours of New York and Paris downloard Soundwalk narrated by a
celebrity for $12.
5. Calculate the Right Tip - TipKalc helps you figure out the tip and grand total

Unexpected Uses of the iPods
http://www.oculture.com/2007/04/10_unexpected_u.html
6. Record Flight data - LoPresti Speed announced plans to use iPods as flight data recorders in
light aircrafts (will have the ability to record over 500 hours of flight time data)
7. Throw a Meaner Curveball - Pitcher for the Houston Astros, started using video iPod to
review pitching frame by frame to improved overall techniques
8. Learn Foreign Language - University students are using iPods to record lectures, take notes,
and even create electronic flash cards
9. Memory Stick - save your Microsoft office files
10. Wikipedia - download one of the largest encyclopedias on your iPod (FREE)

Thanks!
Grace Poli, Media Specialist
gpoli@union-city.k12.nj.us
www.teachwithgrace.com
To obtain a copy of this presentation visit
www.slideshare.net/gpoli
Please note videos and musical lessons will not be posted