by Z. Blake

Created on: February 15, 2009   Last Updated: March 08, 2009

Should iPods be permitted in schools? If not in class rooms then certainly they should be allowed in the hall ways and at lunch and break times, maybe even in study hall and free classes. In many schools iPods are strictly banned and if seen they are confiscated. I fully understand why many people feel that iPods are inappropriate in a class environment- teachers want full attention on what they are saying or are worried they will be used them to cheat in tests. However, I see no just reason why they shouldn't be used in the student's free time while in the school grounds. However I also feel that iPods could be integrated successfully into everyday classes- a point which I will develop further later.

Listening to music or watching a podcast is a good way to unwind between classes and at breaks and is a creatively enriching activity that many young people enjoy. Doing this before, between and after classes does not harm the student's education in any way and since people wear head phones it is not in any way disruptive to the rest of the student body or teachers. I strongly believe that there should be no rule against this in schools and that it should be the pupil's choice whether or not they wish to bring their iPod to school.

Furthermore, as I already mentioned I also believe the use of new technology such as iPods should be introduced into class rooms. We as a race have evolved substantially and our teaching process has not adapted. At home students can avail of educational websites, word processors, educational pod casts and videos etc. They can use their iPods to study languages and to listen and watch revision material. I find all of these things to be incredibly beneficial when trying to learn material and I think it is ridiculous to ban things that enhance learning from schools- especially in favour of dated, traditional methods.

Introducing technology to classrooms could prove to make them a far more interesting place for teenagers today and help people who struggle with picking up a subject by showing them the material in a new way. Not alone could it make learning easier but it would also prepare teenagers for the modern world where almost everything is done on a computer or using technology. Why teach students to do things that will be done for them by technology when they leave school? Is that not a waste of their time and the teachers?

On a simpler note many teenagers find they can concentrate better when they are listening to music. This may not

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