Video iPods and Pilot ProgramsTeaching With New & Emerging Technologies – Nobles, April 19, 2006

Douglas KiangAcademic Technology Advocate

e-mail: douglas_kiang@nobles.edu

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iPods and Education

Increasingly, video is becoming more and more popular as an educational tool in theclassroom. We needed a portable device that could handle the various types of digitalcontent we generate. After evaluating such tools as the Archos media player, the CreativeZen media player, the Sony PlayStation Portable, and the standard DVD player, wesettled on Apple’s new video iPod as our standard platform.

What is technology’s role in the classroom?

• Transparency: Technology must be transparent, through ease-of-use and/orubiquity.

• Mediator of content: Technology facilitates communication and the interchangeof ideas, but places emphasis on the parties themselves.

• It’s about the ideas, not the tool: What is important is the idea, not the pencil thatwrote it nor the paper on which it was written.

iPods are ubiquitous and have very wide acceptance as an entertainment tool. Most kidsare familiar with the interface, and those who aren’t tend to pick it up very quickly. It is anon-threatening entry point. Part of the value lies in its elegance; it doesn’t do everything,but what it does, it does very well.

From a maintenance standpoint, iPods are simple to maintain and enjoy good battery life.iPods go out overnight with some classes, or are used during a single class and thenreturned at the end of the period.

The learning takes place in the discussions that kids have after viewing a powerful movieexcerpt, in the presentations they make to the rest of the class, or the essays they writeafter viewing the latest news podcast. The iPod is simply a catalyst.

Many of the tools we use to get content onto the iPod come pre-installed on everyMacintosh (iMovie, iTunes) or are free (iSquint, HandBrake, video podcasts). The iPodshave been a relatively inexpensive way to showcase digital content. Many of our studentshave a lengthy commute to and from school; the iPod allows them to use that time toreview PowerPoint presentations, view student films, or watch video newscasts.

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What is the iPod?

The iPod is a portable device that is capable of displaying video, audio, photos, and text.The iPod can also be used to backup and transport data files. Approximately five iPodscan be purchased for the cost of one laptop. The iPod is only a playback device; it has nonetwork capability and users can neither create nor save content on the iPod. At leasttwenty iPods can be synchronized simultaneously to one computer. In summary, the iPodis a relatively durable and portable delivery vehicle for already existing digital content.

iPods can be used to:

• show excerpts of movies• review science experiments• show three-dimensional objects• review PowerPoint presentations• show collections of student artwork• provide an audio track with scrolling text• review key plays from yesterday’s varsity football game• automatically update with published web or intranet content via an RSS feed

What skills are addressed?

Ability to analyze and take notes from audio contentAbility to go at own pace to view and review materialMake connections between visual and audio elementsMake inferences about audio by observing visual cues

LogisticsWe use the following equipment to maintain and update 20 video iPods:

Hardware20 5th gen. 30 GB iPods ($299 each, and personalized with school name and serialnumber)Macintosh 1.6 GHz PowerPC G53 D-Link 7-port USB 2.0 hubsLocking filing cabinet with hole drilled in back for cablesReplayTV 5500 DVR (for TV capture; outputs MPEG-2 files)

SoftwareApple iTunes 6.0.4 (http://www.apple.com/itunes/)Apple iPod Updater (http://www.apple.com/ipod/download/)HandBrake (http://handbrake.m0k.org/download.php)iSquint (http://isquint.org/)ffmpegX (http://homepage.mac.com/major4/download.html)

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MPEG Streamclip (for MPEG-2 streams) (http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html)QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component (for MPEG-2 streams)(http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/)Audacity: free sound editing application (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)

The iPods are kept in a locking file cabinet. All of the USB cables are connected to thedaisy-chained D-Link hubs and threaded through the back of the filing cabinet. Videos,photos, and audio are placed on the computer that is connected to the USB hubs. To syncwith the iPods, I quit iTunes and then open it again, and all 20 iPods synchronize andcharge simultaneously..

ManagementAll of the synchronization and management of the iPod content is done through iTunes.Use the machine that is most compatible with your video formats; if most of your moviesare created on a Mac, use the Mac to synchronize with your iPods. Even though iTunes iscross-platform, it will save you a lot of headaches if you don’t have to move videos backand forth between platforms.

All of the content is the same on all of the iPods. If students need to access differentmaterial, you can use Playlists to manage this by putting the videos and songs in specificPlaylists within iTunes. They will show up as separate directories on the iPod.

We keep track of which class is borrowing the iPods in Apple’s iCal. Then, wesynchronize those calendars to the iPods so that the schedule of usage is always available.

Occasionally students will put their own videos on the iPod. When this happens, the nexttime the iPod is synched to the master computer, everything is automatically erased andthe proper school material is put back on. The only thing that doesn’t change is thesettings file; any preferences that students have changed will stay changed.

WorkflowsHow do we get video in all of its formats over to the iPods?

ReplayTV DVR (TV Shows): Download Mpeg2 file using DVarchive. Use MPEGStreamclip to export to DV, use iMovie to edit and send to iPod.

DVD: Use HandBrake to rip directly from DVD to iPod. This gets the whole movie.There is no easy way to just grab a single chapter.

AVI/MOV: Use iSquint to export to iPod format video.

Hygienic considerationsWe have not had any cases of kids passing cold germs to each other through the in-the-ear headphones, but it never hurts to be safe, especially around flu season!

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To disinfect the iPods after a class has used them, we use Purell Hand Sanitizing Wipes(available from CVS) and wipe off the earphones as we hand them out to kids at the nextclass.

ProtectionTo protect the iPods against damage, we use a clear plastic case made by Agent18. Thiscompletely encases the iPod, including the screen, and protects it from scratches,moisture, and fingerprints.Agent18 ClickShield: http://www.agent18.com/main.html

To protect the iPods from the students, we ask each of them to sign a contract at thebeginning of the year (see attached) that spells out our expectations that the students willtake care of the iPods, that they won’t put their own videos or music on them, and thatthey assume responsibility for the replacement cost if the iPods are lost or damaged.

Future projectsBefore the video iPod, there was a revolution in portable video capture with the ubiquityof cellular phones and digital cameras capable of capturing video. For the first time,video went truly portable from the content creator’s perspective. The iPod is the flip sideof that equation. Now, with its online connection through synchronization with iTunes,the iPod is a truly portable video content viewer.

What’s in the future? iPods with wireless connectivity? iPods that also take video? Cellphones with video quality rivaling the iPod?

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Some possibilities:FM Transmitter/FM ReceiveriPods don’t have wireless capability yet, but with the Griffin iTrip, an iPod can broadcastits feed over an unused FM channel. With Apple’s FM remote, an iPod can act as an FMradio. Classroom games might use this ability to send a chosen sound file from one iPodto one or more iPods who are acting as receivers.Griffin Technologies: http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/

Audio recordingsGriffin makes a product called the iTalk that allows iPods to record audio like a handhelddigital audio recorder. You can also download iPod Linux(http://ipodlinuxinstl.sourceforge.net/), which will enable sound recording on the iPodusing anything plugged into the headphone jack (even the standard earbuds will act as amicrophone.)

Griffin also makes a LapelMic that plugs into the iTalk. This works great for on-the-spotinterviews.

Admissions ToursiPods could be useful even outside the classroom. Applicants might view slideshows ofthe campus, hear about the school’s history, and see examples of student artwork, allwhile waiting for their interview.

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Lesson Plan Examples:

Virtual iPod MuseumClass: Spanish

Goal:To get students to practice listening to audio narrationTo develop students’ working vocabularyTo engage students’ visual observation skills as well as listening skills

Tools:Video iPodsPrintouts or reproductions of famous artworkGarageBand

Process:In the lab, students are given a piece of art to describe in Spanish. A separate vocabularysheet with common art terms can be helpful.

Students work together to create a script of 30 to 45 seconds in length and practicereading aloud. Using GarageBand, students record their verbal description of the paintingand bring it into iTunes, where they save their sound file as an MP3 file and submit it.

The teacher collects all of the sound files and places them on the iPods in random order,assigning each a number.

The paintings are hung on the wall and the students walk around the room, listening tothe audio descriptions, trying to guess which description goes with which painting.

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Blinded Me With ScienceClass: Science

Goal:To allow students who have been absent to view science experimentsTo assess students’ observation and note-taking skillsTo provide a way to review science experiments in preparation for exams

Tools:Video iPodsVideo camcorderiMovie

Process:Science experiments can be set up and filmed either in the lab or with the help of studentsduring the class.

Using iMovie, add captions that explain what is going on, or that provide questions toguide students in their review of the material.

A collection of videos can be placed on each iPod so that students can review the entiresemester of experiments. iPods can also be set to subscribe to a feed so that as eachexperiment is made available, it is automatically downloaded.

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…And the Oscar Goes To…Class: Visual Arts

Goal:To showcase student artwork and filmsTo provide a way to view three-dimensional pieces

Tools:iMovieKeynoteCamcorderHandBrake software

Process:Student films, if produced on DVD, can be ripped using HandBrake right into the iPodformat. iMovie can export directly to the iPod. For our recent student-produced filmcontest, faculty judges were each issued an iPod to take home to view all of the entries.

Student photos are placed in a folder in iPhoto and synchronized to the iPod. Students canthen browse this “online gallery” or images. Title slides can be inserted using Keynote.

For three-dimensional pieces, such as pottery or sculpture, use a potter’s wheel to rotatethe piece smoothly around a central axis. Using a camcorder, film two complete rotations.Import the footage into iMovie, and crop the clip. Export the movie as a series ofsequential images (we use 10 frames per second).

Place these images into a folder in iPhoto and synchronize with the iPod. Now, you canselect the folder in Photos and scroll through them smoothly with the scroll wheel.

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Video PodcastsClass: Civics

Goal:To get students to listen to current news stories.

Tools:Video iPodsITunes Music Store

Process:ABC World News Now is a free video podcast available through the iTunes Music Store.Every night, a new broadcast is made available.

When you subscribe to the podcast, it will automatically download each night and updateon the iPods in the morning. You can configure the settings to only keep the most recentnewscast available.

Students can be asked to view the most recent newscast, pick a story and write areflective piece about it. Or, they might be asked to analyze a specific story. Either way,they will always be working with a current newscast, in a format that they can pause,rewind, and fast-forward at their own pace.

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What’s Cooking?Class: Japanese

Goal:Give verbal directions on how to bake a favorite recipe.Follow verbal directions and use visual cues to make a different recipe.

Tools:Video iPodsCamcorderiMovie

Process:Students are divided into pairs. Each pair writes and rehearses a cooking show, duringwhich they demonstrate how to cook a particular dish. It might be helpful to showexamples of cooking shows in class, or provide samples on the iPod for students to view.

Students’ presentations are filmed with a camcorder, edited in iMovie, and distributed onthe iPods.

Students each take an iPod home for the weekend, with the assignment to watch one oftheir classmates’ cooking shows, copy down the list of ingredients, and then try to followalong in their own kitchen. Make sure to caution them about putting the iPod too close tofood or an open flame!

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The Case of the Missing MascotClass: Forensic Science

Goal:To listen to audio of witness statements and take written notesTo compare written notes and look for discrepancies in witness statements

Tools:iPod with Griffin iTalk and Lapel MiciTunesGarageBand (sound editing)Video iPod (or regular iPod)

Process:In order to solve a mystery involving the theft of the school mascot, students needed tocome up with questions to ask the “suspects”, who were supposedly students from otherschools.

Using an iPod equipped with a microphone, we got student actors to read the 60-secondwitness statements into the microphone where they were saved as digital audio files.Because video was not used, it did not matter what the students looked like, and it wasnot evident that they were reading from a prewritten script that provided all the necessaryclues. The recordings were then opened in GarageBand. Where necessary, they werecropped, and the volume was maximized. We found photos of these students andembedded them in the sound files as if we were creating a video podcast. The digital fileswere then saved as MP3 files and imported into iTunes.

In iTunes, you can attach text files to music files. We selected the MP3 files and choseGet Info. We clicked on the Lyrics tab, and pasted in the text of the witness statement.When we moved each MP3 file over to the iPod, we now had one file with spoken audio,an embedded photo, and relevant text, all enclosed within a single file!