While teaching has always centred on reading, writing, and arithmetic, technology is slowly creeping into the world’s classrooms. Of course, computers have been an invaluable tool in many schools for years now, but we are talking about current technology. We are talking about the iPhone.
Ever since Apple (the maker of the iPhone) announced that users had downloaded over a billion apps from their website, educators have been paying close attention. Really, you don’t have to be a maverick or a boat-rocker to recognise the importance of iPhones and their apps.
And the truth is that the amazing, record-breaking growth of the iPhone can be traced back to one group more than any other — the kids. That’s right! Kids have a special relationship with these gadgets that most parents cannot understand. But it the job of an educator to use any and all tools at his disposal, which is why many of them have begun teaching using iPhone apps .
These apps are particularly popular with specialty subjects like art and music. As you may know, these subjects rely on keeping kids interested, and so it is incredibly important that teachers utilise every tool in their bag of tricks. For example, apps like Garage Band teach kids the basics of how to play popular instruments like the drums and guitar as well as how to mix and record music.
The hope here is that children will gain an interest, possibly even a passion for subjects like music by using these basic but terribly entertaining apps. In the end, the point of all of this is communication. As most educators know, when students see you as only an authority figure, it can be difficult to make a connection, which makes it difficult to teach. But if you use some of their favourite devices to help you teach, the lesson can actually become somewhat fun.
