I got an ipod!

During the last year my school have engaged in a long and arduous debate over wether to replace current laptops (up for lease) with ipads or ipods. Many times have people sat down and debated over the pros and cons - what would we loose?

Interestingly, despite all our talk of 21st Century risk taking in order to problem solve (an expectation we often place on our students) I found myself giving up and voting to stick with laptops. I couldn't fathom what life would be like with these new tablet tools with no keyboard and no mouse and no plugs! We were worried about loosing Flash, worried about imovie editing, worried about lots of of strange things that we never used to talk about.

My views changed completely when I purchased my own personal ipod, I then entered into the world of app store, of HD video, of instant sharing, of drop box, of anytime surfing - I finally realised that it is tiny! I can carry it around and it is as good as my laptop! I am scanning students science diagrams as they plan projects and then sharing them on google docs, I am constantly recording learning experiences and sharing them with my students.

My thinking has been changed, I am now an ipod convert, instead of worrying about flash, I am constantly ticking off my mental checklist of reasons I don't need my laptop.  I am waiting for leap in development of google docs to further sway me to the tablet.

My one to one experience over the last two years has been fast and furious. One thing I have noticed is the use of the laptop for everything, something I thought was important to start with in order to embed my self and my students into this new and untested environment. The laptop was still a main feature of the student desk - rather like a desktop. Now I am thinking of ipods and ipads, something that can come out when needed and then be popped away again as students partake in a range of activities.

What would happen if discussions would occur, then research, back to discussion then some recording, some sharing, some communal doodling then back to the ipad for write up? The mobile nature of the tool could allow for more interaction before and after 'screen time'. The device would exist as a tool in the true sense, not the main item on a desk, but a tool amongst a discussion group, a team, a buddy experience.

A vital point to my experience is that my views changed once I started using the tool. I shifted from ignorance to curiosity to fascination.