In a rut with your curriculum? Look no farther for a solution than your......iPod Touch!
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We joke in our family that we need our iPod Touch's surgically attached. My kids are music buffs, and are using their iPods to keep up with the latest and best in the music scene. They talk to all their friends (and their mother – in the same house) via iPod instant messaging. We check them for maps, they look after tracking my walking/weight loss/nutrition, we use them to get weather reports, check the names of actors in movies, and plan our weekly menus. I check my e-mail, follow up on my businesses, listen to the Bible, and get wonderful teaching on Podcasts on a myriad of different subjects.
But this week we discovered a whole new field of delights when I was at my wits end trying to figure out how to get my kids through high school math: Curriculum! Believe it or not, the iPod Touch can get you complete curriculum from K-12 and many University courses – all for free! You can also get books and learning applications (apps) some of which are paid (usually about .99 up to about 4.99 per app) and many of which are free.
Here's how you can find what's available:
1.Log in to iTunes (if you don't have an iPod Touch/iPhone, go visit a friend who does, and check out iTunes at their place.)
2.At the far right hand side of the menu bar near the top, click “iTunes U”.
3.On the “iTunes U” page scroll down the left hand menu bar until you see “Find Education Providers”, and then click “K-12”. You'll see a page of about twelve links. Not all of these are actual curriculum – some teach teachers to teach, and share in new discoveries about educational philosophy, but some – like the “Utah Electronic High School” have actual lessons/science demonstrations, and such. These are frequently updated, so you'll just have to poke around and see what they offer.
4.Now go to the “apps” menu, and in the search box search for whatever you're studying: Algebra, Phonics, Chemistry, Vocabulary, or whatever, and take a look at the apps. Most apps have a free version you can download to see what it's like. The “Pearson Education” ones have actual video demonstrations for every question so if your child doesn't understand what to do, you find a similar question and press the “help” button, and you'll see a step-by-step video explanation of how to solve the problem. Some of the apps are in game format, or a timed format, so you can gain speed and accuracy.
5.Now go to the “podcast” button and do a search for something you're studying: Phonics, Science, History, English Literature – whatever – and there will probably be a podcast that teaches something about it. Most podcasts are free. Some are video, some are just audios.
6.Now do a search for “books” (still in the apps section) and you'll find hundreds and hundreds of classics (like the entire Gutenberg Press Library) to download for free, along with many other kinds of books. Just do a search for whatever you're needing.
7.The final place to look is in the audiobooks menu. If your child is an auditory learner – like my son – an audio book can be a big help. They have dozens of selections.
While this will probably never be able to replace good ol' Mom and Dad, it's great for “spicing things up” and getting a new take on a subject gone stale. It also makes “car schooling” much easier if you tend to be on the road a lot. All they need is their iPod, and you're ready to roll!
But don't just stop with your kids! Mom, Dad, you can organize your whole homeschool program with your iPod. Go to http://www.google.com/calendar, set up an account, create a calendar, and type in each day's schedule and assignments. You then upload the calendar onto your iPod and your child's iPod, and you always have your schedule handy. You can also create to-do lists, chore rotations, manage contacts, set alarms, take notes, and keep track of anything you need to keep track of, and send an instant message to your child to remind them of their chores that are still not completed, without having to yell across the house.
The iPod Touch – don't homeschool without it! (I should be in marketing!)
Darlene Hull
www.PraiseWalker.com
But this week we discovered a whole new field of delights when I was at my wits end trying to figure out how to get my kids through high school math: Curriculum! Believe it or not, the iPod Touch can get you complete curriculum from K-12 and many University courses – all for free! You can also get books and learning applications (apps) some of which are paid (usually about .99 up to about 4.99 per app) and many of which are free.
Here's how you can find what's available:
1.Log in to iTunes (if you don't have an iPod Touch/iPhone, go visit a friend who does, and check out iTunes at their place.)
2.At the far right hand side of the menu bar near the top, click “iTunes U”.
3.On the “iTunes U” page scroll down the left hand menu bar until you see “Find Education Providers”, and then click “K-12”. You'll see a page of about twelve links. Not all of these are actual curriculum – some teach teachers to teach, and share in new discoveries about educational philosophy, but some – like the “Utah Electronic High School” have actual lessons/science demonstrations, and such. These are frequently updated, so you'll just have to poke around and see what they offer.
4.Now go to the “apps” menu, and in the search box search for whatever you're studying: Algebra, Phonics, Chemistry, Vocabulary, or whatever, and take a look at the apps. Most apps have a free version you can download to see what it's like. The “Pearson Education” ones have actual video demonstrations for every question so if your child doesn't understand what to do, you find a similar question and press the “help” button, and you'll see a step-by-step video explanation of how to solve the problem. Some of the apps are in game format, or a timed format, so you can gain speed and accuracy.
5.Now go to the “podcast” button and do a search for something you're studying: Phonics, Science, History, English Literature – whatever – and there will probably be a podcast that teaches something about it. Most podcasts are free. Some are video, some are just audios.
6.Now do a search for “books” (still in the apps section) and you'll find hundreds and hundreds of classics (like the entire Gutenberg Press Library) to download for free, along with many other kinds of books. Just do a search for whatever you're needing.
7.The final place to look is in the audiobooks menu. If your child is an auditory learner – like my son – an audio book can be a big help. They have dozens of selections.
While this will probably never be able to replace good ol' Mom and Dad, it's great for “spicing things up” and getting a new take on a subject gone stale. It also makes “car schooling” much easier if you tend to be on the road a lot. All they need is their iPod, and you're ready to roll!
But don't just stop with your kids! Mom, Dad, you can organize your whole homeschool program with your iPod. Go to http://www.google.com/calendar, set up an account, create a calendar, and type in each day's schedule and assignments. You then upload the calendar onto your iPod and your child's iPod, and you always have your schedule handy. You can also create to-do lists, chore rotations, manage contacts, set alarms, take notes, and keep track of anything you need to keep track of, and send an instant message to your child to remind them of their chores that are still not completed, without having to yell across the house.
The iPod Touch – don't homeschool without it! (I should be in marketing!)
Darlene Hull
www.PraiseWalker.com
