Thursday, October 26, 2006
Excuse me... I cant hear you over my I-pod... class assignment!
what's funny about this article is that one time, i was hanging out with my colleagues. and one of them says to me, "hey man, turn that dam ipod off... those things make people anti social." so for a while i thought that was true. everyday you see all these people walking around like zombies. that notion is basically dead at this point. usually ipods hold music and videos which dont have much to do with socializing or networking for that matter. but now, i cant believe that there actually making ipods a tool for learning. from poems to lectures, its crazy to see that they even come in different languages. the only thing i cant quite figure is why? why not stick to old tradition. but as time goes on i guess we'll see the true benefits of this ipod revolution???
Ms. Gu said she asked students to record diaries in Mandarin because there was educational value in stumbling through awkward moments when speaking. "To learn a language," she said, "you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes." Jacques Houis, a French teacher at Brearley, said the iPod kept his students engaged. "The ability to vary what you're doing is important for maintaining interest," Mr. Houis said.
Ms. Gu said she asked students to record diaries in Mandarin because there was educational value in stumbling through awkward moments when speaking. "To learn a language," she said, "you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes." Jacques Houis, a French teacher at Brearley, said the iPod kept his students engaged. "The ability to vary what you're doing is important for maintaining interest," Mr. Houis said.
