Texas university giving freshmen iPhones and iPod touches
By Justin Berka Published: February 26, 2008 - 04:57PM CT
Schools and universities are often big fans of Apple products, which usually translates to labs and laptop carts full of Macs. Educational institutions across the country have also started to provide students with personal laptops. Louisiana recently launched a program to distribute MacBooks to elementary school students, and now Abilene Christian University in Texas is getting into the act as well. But rather than handing out MacBooks, the university will be distributing iPhones and iPod touches to all incoming freshmen.
ACU began exploring uses for mobile devices in the summer of 2007 and ran a pilot study with faculty and and educational technology developers to determine how the iPhone could be used by students. The group came up with quite a few uses for the devices, devising more than 15 iPhone applications that they hoped will be useful to students. These applications include homework alerts, in-class surveys, directions to classrooms and offices, and meal balance information, just to name a few.
The iPhone and iPod touch program is a direct result of the study, and the usage patterns of the incoming freshman class will shape future mobile device programs at ACU. The school is also considering other ways to integrate technology and education. CIO Kevin Roberts made a recent presentation to Apple and a number of other institutions (including most of the Ivy League) about the iPhone programs, so perhaps more schools will follow suit in the future.
******Can I re-enroll as a freshman????????*******ha! Vanessa
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3 comments:
Sure could have used those when I was a kid, but would have beenplaying games on them instead of what they should have been used for.
love ya
dad
Childress handed out Apple laptops to every student 6-12 this year. It is amazing! I still remember being a freshman in high school and talking about the "possibilities" of internet in my typing class! Man...I feel old, but it is such a blessing for our children to have such a great resource!
I'm with ya, can I enroll as a freshman? Jason is dreaming of an iphone right now!(And secretly praying for Kenna to drop his Sliver in a bathtub full of water!)
Let's sign up!!!
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