I knew I couldn’t be the first one to capture this, but the following video might be one of the first to capture a one year-old (dark hair) teaching a two year-old (blond) how to use the iPhone/iPod Touch photography feature. You’ll notice the blond watching the younger, dark haired child scroll, double tap, and drag pictures around the simple touch screen. By the end of the video the blond tries applying the skills she’s learned, only to conflict with the other user.
I suppose what intrigues me so was witnessing a one year-old, who just learned to walk and has limited verbal skills, use an expensive piece of technology. If nothing else, this and other videos available on You Tube (this video is private, sorry) demonstrate how intuitive Apple’s touch screen is. However, the other videos I’ve viewed only demonstrate a child interacting with the iPhone/iPod Touch alone or with their parents. In this video we witness a child learning from another child.
I’m not well read on how children learn from each other, but after witnessing this teachable moment, I’m intrigued. Children often mimic what others say or do. As an experience educator, I have witnessed students teaching other students how to use technology quite often. Inevitably this same situation would occur when I would take our class to the computer lab to create PowerPoint, PhotoStories, or MovieMaker products. One student might ask another how they were able to create an effect or they would simply watch and mirror what a neighbor has done.
Confident teachers who are cognizant of this, welcome the student leader and use them to help the class. Not only does this recognize their strengths, but it increases their self-esteem and confidence at the same time helping the class progress.
It also reminds me of a TED Talk I watched recently. During Sugata Mitra’s 2007 presentation, “Can kids teach themselves?“, he places automated, internet kiosks in various towns around India where students haven’t surfed the internet before. He found that without English language skills, inexperience with technology, and only using trial and error or peer teaching techniques, students learned to surf the web effectively. Through his “hole in the wall” experiments, his hidden videos found that students picked up basic English (typically web browsing words) and began teaching each other in groups.
The other day my principal called me down explaining how she wanted to do something on our district portal, but didn’t know how. After she finished explaining the ideal, she asked if I knew how to make that happen. I simply replied, “Not yet, but if I can borrow your computer, I can try.” My curiosity, the challenge of the task, and my background of experience using a variety of user interfaces helped me to reason through the process. A few minutes later I explained to her how I had accomplished the idea she voiced. “I don’t understand how, Josh. You just get it!” she exclaimed.
Honestly, I’m just like the blond. I’ve had experience with technology since my extreme youth. I watch and learn, try…fail…try…fail…try…succeed, and consider how other pieces of technology I’ve used might help me reason through the current problem. Maybe that’s all you need?
When I began working with iPods at my school, I had little knowledge and many people helped me along the way. After the presentation this May, I wanted to give back. It’s taken three months and hours of work to fine tune my production. Most of my time was working diligently to follow copyright guidelines and be a model for other educators. Unfortunately, my interactions with Apple were less than productive (see timeline below).
Regardless of this rough patch, I feel confident that this video will inspire others to the possibilities of using an iPod Classic in education. Please feel free to comment and stop by the iPodject Wiki (currently under construction currently) to expand the collective knowledge on how iPods are bridging the gap between school and home.
May 2008 – My NEF Breakfast presentation was composed of student video, student presentations, and inspirational PowerPoint put to last 1:40 of Vanessa Carlton’s Home (permission from Universal Studios granted for one time use only).
Early June 2008 – Reworking and expansion of the inspirational portion begins. Two weeks of searching for copyright friendly music yields nothing viable. Eventually a piece is found off of the open source page of the Internet Archive. I wrote the artist and was granted permission for this educational video.
Late June 2008 – Classes start up again and progress on the video slows. I refer to Apple’s Legal page and follow their guidelines on copyright and trademarks. I then asked the musician and my district public relations department to look over and critique my production using a private wiki.
After trying just about every email available at the Apple Legal page and only getting automated responses, I call Apple Corporate and describe my frustrations. The switchboard operator put me in contact with Sue Carroll (Marketing & IP Legal). Our initial interaction on June 26th (phone tag ->voicemail ->emails) are positive. She promises me that direct my “…request to the appropriate teams at Apple for their review” (Carroll, 26 June 2008).
Early July 2008 – Classes continue and I near my comprehensive exams (don’t pass ‘em, don’t continue with the doctorate). My lead with Sue Carroll has led nowhere. I email her once(7/5) and call her twice more (7/1 & 7/9). We finally connect late on July 1st. During this conversation she again promises to pass me onto the proper departments and also says she will email me with Apple’s response. While she cannot give me a “blanket approval”, she says she will put this noncommittal response in writing.
Mid-July 2008 – I never hear from Sue Carroll after our July 1st phone call and I don’t receive the email statement she promises. On July 12th, I attempt one more email, complaining about the misplaced hope from her initial June 26th promise. Without any help from Apple, a mutual decision is made to distance this production from my District and release it independently.
Late July 2008 – I finish my last required class and pick up my comprehensive exams. Two-thirds of the way through my son is born. I work nights in our hospital room to finish my comprehensive exams and finally get to spend time with my new family member.
July 28, 2008 – I’ve already reserved myself to the fact that I won’t be celebrating my birthday this year. I’m thankful for my wife’s healing, my daughter’s adjustment, and my healthy, six day old son. While this is enough of a present, after all this work, I thought I might give myself a present. Thankfully after a few minor adjustments, the video is ready for release this evening.
References
Carroll, Sue. “Re: RP3463.” E-mail to the author. 26 June 2008.
