Apple develops tools to help college students
Erika Dye
Since 2001, the name iPod has quickly become familiarized to the consumer masses worldwide offering music, video, and now the Internet right at your fingertips.It’s not hard to see that the iPod is much more than just a mere MP3 player.
So how can students make this relevant to their education?
Jeff Wolf and Al Teran, both highly knowledgeable Mac experts, explored the iPod and its educational features with students and faculty members on Jan. 24, in the Navajo Room.
The key to incorporating the iPod into the educational world, Teran noted, is the simple use of a podcast.
A podcast, to put it simply, is a web-based radio program.
The use of a podcast became relevant to students and educators about two years ago when Duke University gave each new student an iPod with a Podcast relating to life on campus.
This idea quickly branched out to other universities, such as ASU, by using ‘iTunes U’, which is a section of the iTunes Music Store where one can download podcasts of lectures from their own professor.
And as for students here at Mesa Community College?
Andrew Kasian, MCC’s web administrator, is working on getting these authenticated streams on iTunes U and making them available to students as quickly as possible.
Students will eventually have access to iTunes U podcasts in the near future which will offer a great deal of benefit for extra studying, missed notes, or even a fully missed lecture straight from their iPod.
The real plus here is that an iPod or even a Mac isn’t necessary because iTunes can be downloaded onto a PC.
Students should brace themselves for education right at the palm of their hands.
The Mesa Legend has its own podcast where users can catch up on each issue’s articles. The podcasts can be downloaded at: itunes.mc.maricopa.edu
