Bringing Ipods to School

Some learning styles perform better when they are allowed to listen to music. My daughter's class regularly plays music in the room. As long as the use of the ipod is promoting better work, rather than distracting, I think it is a very child-centered way of approaching it. I wish more schools would do that.

I agree with others below...as a former trainer (adult work force training) learning is not a one size fits all environment. For many quiet time is require, for others like me background noise actually does help me accomplish my goal.

I listen to my iPod, Pandora or iRadio everyday while I work. It tunes out the other distractions for me. Conversations going on around me in particular distract me more than the music/podcast does.

If the teacher is suggesting it and she has set times for its use and only to be used when working, then I would see no issue with it if one was available. With the condition that if grades/marks are go down on the work they child would no longer be able to use.

As far as interacting, I would think the teacher may be trying to avoid interaction while the students are doing busy work. This may lesson her need to discipline those who are not doing the work.

Actually there is research that says white noise stuff can enhance the brains ability to retain stuff. If the Ipod is on they are not listening to the shuffle of footsteps in the hallway, the ticking of the classroom clock, the cough of another student, they feel the rythm of the music and they start to sort of sync up with it.

Haven't you ever been cleaning the house listening to music blaring on the stereo and when it was time to go put another CD on you realize the whole room is finished? Sort of the same concept.

The brain does wonderful things when it hears music. Think of that country singer who had a severe stutter but when he sang what he was saying instead it was perfect. His brain was compensating and using different wiring to sing instead of speaking it.

There is some good basis for this. You might try it at home. Not anything visual, only music.

Not allowed at our school but I wish they were. My daughter would greatly benefit from listening to music rather than being distracted by all the sudden and random noises around her, especially the chit chat of her friends.
I was the same way. I CANNOT study in silence, my minds starts chattering, imagining, etc. I have always needed background noise, music, TV, whatever, to keep me focused. My husband and I argue about this sometimes when it comes to our kids doing their homework because he needs total silence to study so he just doesn't get it!
Sounds like your son's school is being progressive to me.

What is more distracting, music, or paying attention to what their peers are doing. I would guess peers.

If I have projects where I can't be disturbed I bring my iPod to work because it really is an effective way to tune out everything around you.

I probably wouldn't care about them allowing the kids to listen to music. For some kids it helps them focus. For example, my son gets easily distracted by "innocent" noises made by people around him. He is overly aware of noises from another room when trying to do homework, or someone tapping a pencil 10 feet away, or someone rustling paper... whatever. So earbuds and music could be a huge benefit to a student who has trouble with such distractions. Many classes now have time for reading built into them (the last 15 minutes of language arts class, for example, might be used 3x a week for reading AR books).

BUT, ipods don't just carry music. They also have calculators, movies, games, etc.... lots of ways to distract students FROM their work. And ways to cheat, too.

So... depending upon the usage, I think it should be up to the discretion of the teacher to allow those who find it helpful to bring and use them.

ETA: Just wanted to make a note-- the note says it is optional. So opt not to, if it doesn't work for your kids. Or if you are concerned about loss (theft or otherwise).

My daughter is in 6th this year and she can work fine with or without noise/music. My son is in 9th and he does better with it. His Literature teacher actually plays music in the classroom. (And he isn't playing Bach). Could I complain that it is old 80's rock music? Yeah... but why? My son prefers stuff other than Muzak when he is working. It works for him.

The thing is, what you have posted about is OPTIONAL. Your kids don't have to participate and any other parent that thinks it won't help their kids don't have to allow them to participate either. And I don't see how an ipod being listened to by a neighboring student is more distracting than a bobble head or Kooky pen or whatever. It is just a thing. Maybe I live in an affluent area (not) but by middle school MOST kids are exposed to and have devices like this. There aren't many kids who will be entranced by someone having an ipod or MP3. It's old news for them at these ages.

Not allowed in our elem school. A few days per year, IF the kids have earned an electronic day party.
My son is allowed to take his for the bus occasionally the it stays in his backpack.
However, I use mine at work when I have a large data speeadsheet type of project and it HELPS my concentration.
Our school allows gum for state testing, and water.

It is an option so if this is not a good thing for your child, YOU tell your child No..

For kids like our daughter she has always done better with her music going or the TV on..

In high school she studied with the TV, her laptop and her cell phone all going on at once. .

She was a National Merit Scholar..
Even in college she and many of her classmates worked best this way.

Walk into any college library and I guarantee you most of the students are studying with ear buds listening to music.

Teachers do not willy nilly just come up with these ideas.. You all do realize they over all do know what they are doing.. And if you EVER have questions, just ask them..

I learned so much by just asking, why is this done this way?

Wow, this sounds odd to me, what is the deal?.. They always had a good reason.

Some kids (and adults) work much better with music. I remember always having the radio on when I did homework and when I really need to get some work done in my office, I put on my headphones and tune out the chatter around me. Many of my colleagues wear headphones while working at their desks. My husband has ADHD and when he works at home, the TV is on behind him all day for noise. He can't attend to things in a silent room.

Our high school allows this. My oldest kids are Freshmen so this is now to us. They listen to music on their phones anyway so it's a moot point but if either of them want to try it, we may dust off an old iPod and add some new music to it for them to try. My concern is them losing it, which is even a bigger concern for 5th/6th grade. In high school I'm not super-concerned about someone stealing an old iPod (because the kids all have phones and other music players that are newer and better) but it would be a shame to lose a device by accident or theft.

Studies do show that listening to music enhances brain activity. For me, I love listening to music while working, my husband hates it... he can't think. So it depends on the child.

Don't bring an iPod, if you decide your child will benefit, go out and buy a MP3 player. You can buy kid versions for about $20 and all you do is drag and drop music into it once you connect it to the computer. It's kind of like using a USB (jump drive). So you don't use iTunes to move music to it but just regular Windows folders.

My son's in 5th grade. During curriculum night it was decided that as long as games/ internet/ call/ texting was shut off kids could bring their iPhones/ tablets/ etc. to use for eReaders and music as a privilege and on a trial basis. If it goes well, then they'll be able to use them year round.

My son's ADHD... he does MUCH better in school and concentrating when there is music (fast, loud) playing in the background. It tunes out all the other distractions and lets him learn and focus exponentially better than in silence (or with quiet 'soothing' music). For him it's the opposite of distracting.

Actually many children learn better with "background noise", especially those in the Millenial generation. You may be distracted by music, but for many learners having something to block-out classroom noise increases their focus and attention.

If it's not right for your child, then don't send one in. Before you decide, though, try having some quiet music on while your child does homework and see how it goes.

1st graders aren't allowed our school.

But yes, let's slowly allow more "toys" to be used freely on school property during school hours. Just another distraction to enhance the country's stellar academic reputation, esp with the growing number of kids at risk, and more things teachers have to monitor in the classroom and take their attention away from more important things, like their students' progress. More power to the US educational system!

Our teachers' policy last year (5th grade) was electronic devices were allowed only about two days a year -- kids could bring in iPods or pads or other things only for two specific parties. It was considered a reward and kids could show each other games etc. But not ever during any regular school day.

I do get that some kids learn better with music going, but sorry, that does not trump the fact that other kids will be distracted by the mere presence of an iPod in the room. Can I hold it? Can I see it? Can I borrow it at lunch? Plus not all kids have them and it sets up a "haves and have-nots" situation. And finally, kids will have them so loud that other kids will hear music or at least noise from those blasted ear buds. Teachers can say "turn it down" but the volume will creep back up again.

Distracting, creates an economic wedge between kids, not appropriate, in my book. Especially in elementary school.

Nope - not allowed in my girls' school, which is a K - 8 school. Any phone/iPod has to stay in a backpack all day if it's brought to school. Some kids can concentrate much better if there is music playing, so this might be really helpful.

We are in Katy, Tx (west of Houston), the middle school and high school encourage digital tablets/ipods/iphones and the such for 'school' purposes only. Not for the music aspect.

None of my sks' schools ever allowed them to listen to anything while they worked and while they took ipods to school in HS, if they were caught using them, the item was confiscated til a parent showed up to get it. There are studies that show that sometimes listening to music can help people concentrate. My mom never understood how I could read my homework and listen to a radio. For me, it was better than silence. If you have more questions about it, ask the teacher and also talk to your son. How does HE best study?

Now, all that said I agree that even a $70 ipod is no fun to lose, they can have other services on them (games, wifi) and can be distracting in other ways.

Here, no electronic devices are allowed to be in the classroom at that age. Not sure about the middle and high.

I would be highly annoyed with that notice as not all students have iPods, therefore leading the ones who don't have them being distracted by the kids who do have them.

I'm all for technology in the classroom as long as it's monitored by a teacher, and they are learning from it. Listening to an ipod while working is not necessary. And to top it off, that's an expensive item to lose, have stolen or get broken while at school.

It depends on the person. Me, I like silence if I'm trying to concentrate. My oldest daughter, an excellent student, spaces out when it's too quiet. She often does her homework in the living area of our house with music and LOUD family chatter around her. She says it helps her to focus.

I say whatever works for each child is what's important. Anytime a school acknowledges that people are different and learn in different ways that's a good thing. Just be sure it's benefiting him and not distracting him, pay attention and ask him how he's feeling about his work the first few weeks of ipod use.

Some schools are allowing them while others are banning them.
The problem is they are easy to use to cheat.

Our school only allows e readers under certain conditions.
Cell phones may be on school property if they are powered down and kept locked in lockers - so they can be carried to after school activities.
Cell phone use BY STUDENTS on school property and at school functions is prohibited.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,268903,00.html

I can understand that some kids do better when listening to music, but I would be afraid my daughter would lose hers or it would get stolen! She loses her gloves all the time!

I think it would also be hard on the kids who do not have mp3 players. Not all of my daughter's friends have them, and some of them were told (like she was) that she needed to be responsible before she could have such an expensive piece of equipment.

As a rule our local school allows them to be used during breaks, same with phones but not in class.

My oldest has learning disabilities and actually had in his IEP that he could use his anywhere, anytime. The discovered, like I already knew, that it helped him focus and keep his anxiety down.

Our middle school, they can bring electronics, but they must not be seen or heard during the school day. Not allowed at lunch either. But at lockers before first hour and after dismissal, they are allowed to be used. During the day, they must be in lockers turned off, or carried silenced hidded in pockets now because some people, like my DD last year, had her Ipod touch stolen from her locker.

Our elementary school does not allow cell phones or personal electronics without special permission from the principal (I know of no one who has that privilege). The kids all share lockers, and they don't lock. There are zero safeguards against theft, so valuables of any kind are discouraged. Some of the upper grade teachers have "electronics parties" quarterly as classroom rewards, but I'm thinking of being "that mom" and boycotting it this year. My reasons are number one security, even though the teacher will offer to lock items in her desk when not being used, many kids have had things stolen. Number 2, not all kids can afford or have access to these things. So all the well-off kids play with their Ipads while the kids who don't own expensive toys all gather around to share a class computer? Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but that just doesn't seem right to me.

Well, my son's school handbook requests that electronic devices be used ONLY for class purposes (could we get any more vague)...

That said, the kids' lockers don't lock, and an iPod is an expensive piece of entertainment equipment. In fifth grade, I'd likely ask my child to keep it home. I want his ears open as he walks to and from school. Even if he took the bus... yes, that's a time for learning and interacting. I agree with the multi-tasking problem-- (even as a kid, I had to have absolute quiet while I worked, and still do. I can't even 'do' Mamapedia with the radio on.)

Our school allows Ipods and phones but they have to be put away during classroom hours. Their lockers also do not lock, so you are taking a big risk having them there.

The school 10 miles down the road from us just issued their entire elementary, middle and high school with either Ipads or Apple LapTops (depending on the grade level.) All text books will be electronic. Not only are they embracing technology but they are giving hands on practice of the proper usage of it. And no, this is not a 'rich' school district. Very rural and about 40% of students get free or reduced lunches.

My son is in high school, and all students were issued ipads (not ipods). They don't listen to music in most of their classes, although one of my son's teachers allows it.

He uses it for taking notes, creating PowerPoints and other projects, and typing and emailing assignments to his teachers (and other creative ways, as well). At first I thought it was a huge waste of the district's money to buy all of those ipads for every student in every high school in the district, but now that I see how they are using them, I'm undecided. I still wonder how much students are wasting time, how often they are cheating with them, and how many students will lose or damage them. Parents only had to pay a $50 deposit. There are 2000 students in my son's school, and 5 high schools in the district. That's a lot of students with ipads.

I teach high school in a nearby district, and we don't allow any electronics, but I do play music in my classroom frequently.

Sorry. This doesn't relate directly to your question, but it is related.

My kids schools don't permit them and I have two that just graduated high school this past June and one still in highschool.

My child is in 6th grade and is allowed her smartphone in school, but it has to be put away during classes. I would be annoyed if she were allowed to have it during work b/c she's already distractable enough!