More Than Just a MP3 Player

When the first iPod Touch arrived on the scene, I couldn't justify it as a appropriate tool for the classroom. To me, it was just a glorified iPod with a touch screen and out of touch price. It is true that it did offer wireless and a few applications, but I was still not sold.

Well...recently I have been working with the iPod Touch Generation 2 and let me just say, it is more than just a MP3 player. Starting at $229, the Generation 2 Touch offers users additional features that make it a the ultimate tool for the educational arena. With Apple allowing the public to develop applications, this has made the G2 flexible and diverse mini computer. All of these applications can be purchased through the iTunes applications store. Many of these applications are useful to support administrators, teachers and student learning. Some of these applications include eBooks, network utility tools, education activities just to name a few. The icing on the cake is the iPods ability to work with Microsoft Exchange so it can receive e-mails and sync to your calendar through your wireless network [Click here]. With iTouches ability to access the Internet, the Touch may also allow teachers to access classroom tools that are web based (gradebook, attendance tools).

Here is a listed of just a few applications for the iPod Touch:

Bookshlef - A flexible eBook reader/tool that allows the ability to download eBooks and the ability to transfer normal text into eBook form

Cities World Clock - Tool that allows access to times to 2300 cities and 180 countries.

Google Earth - Google Earth for the iPod

Google Mobile Apps - Mobile access to all of the Google applications you love.

Mocha VNC Lite - A remote access tool that allows mobile access to computers running common VNC servers.

Math Zombie - Math game with pizzazz

Mighty Math - Basic math drill game

Please feel free to add any iPod Touch applications you find beneficial. Just click on the comment link below.