Should iPods be Allowed at School?

I think it's fine if kids took their iPod to school..... but I just can't see how that scene you've painted is nice. Everyone eating lunch, sitting at their tables, with iPod in their ears????????????? What the bleep do you go to school for? Might as well ask your mother to homeschool you!
If I were to carry my iPod to school, it would probably get stolen. I remember we used to sneak our cellphones into school in cut-out books. Seriously! I'll post a picture one of these days of "The Jungle Book and other tales from the forest" with a huge hole in it. And my friend's then super-cool Nokia 3100 got flicked! It was so bad... she couldn't tell anybody it was stolen, because she had brought it to school when she wasn't supposed to.
If teachers think that kids in a certain school are smart and responsible enough, then it's fine to let them (officially) bring their Pods into the pond.

I am a teacher in Altamonte Springs, FL where iPods are not supposed to be used or seen on campus. I teach webdesign students and would not mind if they listened to their music while doing their work independently. (As long as it did not interfere with my instruction time). I think they should be able to listen in between classes, before and after school, and during lunch. Why not? Also, why not use the ipod for its educational value and use appropriate podcasts in your curriculum...

KBrosch, I wish there had been teachers like you at my school. :-)

On a pre-college level, the argument against such expensive instruments in schools is this: What happens when it gets stolen? These are devices that cost several hundred dollars and schools have enough problems without dealing accusations that person x stole a $450 iPod video from person y.

Of course, the classic example would be for the schools to simply state that they don't want students using the notes reader to keep test answers stored in it. Honestly though, I think the administrators don't want the responsibility of dealing with a stolen/broken machine that cost from 200 to nearly half a thousand dollars floating around when they can prevent it.

Also, in a time when the RIAA is filing suits as stupid as the one against a woman who has never owned or operated a computer in her life for using a distribution client, I can't imagine too many admins wanted that many kids roaming the halls with a bunch of illegal songs. God forbid that the RIAA slap the entire school with some asinine fine for condoning the enjoyment of possibly pirated music. I know it sounds stupid, but if you've been following the RIAA lawsuits, you know that it's completely possible.

I teach 6th, 7th and 8th grade technology, and every Friday in my class has the potential as Music and Game day. Each class has the chance to earn the right to use their iPods, CD players or headphones (with CDs in my computers) during class. The kids love it, and it keeps them focused on their design work or keyboarding assignments while they are here. It also provides an incentive for the kids to moderate each other throughout the week. They will remind each other that if they don't "cut it out," they will lose music privileges for the entire class. Our school has a rule that they are not to be used. At the beginning of the year, and every Thursday, I remind them they are not to carry their music players with them during school. I allow them to drop them off to me first thing in the morning and they can pick them up after school. I CONSTANTLY REMIND THEM THEY SHOULD NOT BE SEEN DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. However, I recently received several complaints from my colleagues who have seen kids with their music players during the day, but do not have the guts to take them away. That's where the problem lies. There is a rule, kids break it, and I wind up with the fallout from my colleagues because they don't want to make any waves. So I have to be honest, I am considering doing away with Music Day in my lab because of the grief I am getting. I may just suspend it this week and tell the kids why. I haven't decided exactly what to do yet!

When I was in High School, we were not allowed to bring CD players to school (Diskmans)

the issue is that it creates problems. Kids steal from other kids, fights, liability for lost items, etc. It is easier to just tell people they cannot bring them.

Interesting that a few teachers have responded to this article.

I too am a teacher and we have a district wide policy that no music players are allowed on campuses; it is NEVER enforced where I teach, so kids wander the halls plugged-in.

The problem, as I see it, is two fold.

#1. In addressing iteachyoucomputers's problem, students have a tendency to "take a mile" when given an inch. Because of the de facto allowing of music players, I spend too much time telling kids to put away headphones and taking players from kids trying to hide the fact that they are using them during my instruction. Yes, I do take them, and yes, it makes students and parents unhappy.

Now, when I have a parent conference, and Mom yells at me about the fact that her little angel's iPod has been sitting in my desk for a week, at least I have the rule to fall back on. - "Mrs. Mom, are you aware that little Suzie isn't allowed to have this on campus?" - This is usually the end of the conference.

However, students are expressly allowed to have cell phones at our school. (It baffles me too. I think it's the result of some wealthy, naive parent suing for student rights.) When I take away a phone from a student texting in my class, or some other cell phone related incident that shouldn't happen, I get hammered in the conference by a parent who knows his kid is allowed to have the phone at school, and "how could I take away little junior's life-line?" These conferences go on forever with me sitting quietly and the counselor or administrator trying to explain to the parent appropriate phone use at school.

Give an inch; take a mile. - That's number one.

#2. Students need to interact with each other, not avoid interpersonal contact.

I watched a group of six or seven girls all sitting on the stairs after school. From a distance they all looked like they were having a nice conversation, laughing and joking. As I got closer, I noticed a strange silence. Although the girls looked like they were talking with each other, not a single one was interacting with those sitting with them. All of them either had an iPod or a cell phone attached to their ears.

I watched a kid almost get trampled by a fight (a rare occurrence) on our campus. He had his earbuds in and was facing away from the moving crowd of students. He was lucky.

I watched a young man get angry with his girlfriend because she made him wait while she addressed some questions with a teacher. When the girlfriend finished with her questions, the boyfriend grabbed her hand, flipped open his phone, dialed, and proceeded to ignore her all the way down the hall, presumably to her next class.

I've spoken with students about email and MySpace, and I can't even count the number of kids who've told me they'd prefer to ask someone out via the internet. If asking someone out in person is difficult, what is the date like? Weird.

We have too many kids who simply don't communicate well, online or in person. I've been teaching for just under a decade, and in this short time I've seen interpersonal skills really dive.

Kids need to unplug and be aware of the life around them. - That is number two.

Just my thoughts,
-Rob

I agree with the stolen comments.

But another thing about the ipods is that they can make someone antisocial. In the scene described above, no one was interacting they just sat there listening to Ipods.

To me the most important lessons to be learned in school are how to interact with others, its the strongest point against homeschooling.

In the work place those that excel are the ones who are able to network and communicate well. If you learn how to interact with people at school and how to be a leader and when to listen and when to ask questions etc. you will be much better off in the "real" world.

I can't imagine a scene so sad and boring as a bunch of students, sitting around the cafeteria listening to their Ipods.

That being said, I hated chemistry and sat there with a discman in my backpack and the headphones routed through my sweatshirt through the entire year. So kids are probably going to listen to music whether or not it is allowed.

Also no one has brought up the data drive capabilities of the ipod... I think every student needs to have some type of USB harddrive, why not have a 20 gig Ipod?

I work in a school who just recently created a pilot program to allow students to use audio devices in study halls. They currently have the ability to use them in the cafeteria. We also have a no cell phone policy that is ineffective since all students have their cell phones on and text throughout the day.

1. I personally have no problem with students in study hall having access to their music, I am sure many of them listen to their music while doing their work at home.

2. Since the policy has begun I have observed a gradual movement of audio music devices to other areas beyond the study hall. As of day one, many students asked if the policy now extends to the hallway. They have begun to walk into class with the devices still in their ears. As for the comment about giving and inch, this seems to be playing out in my school. Gradually these devices are making their way into classrooms.

3. As for the comment earlier about lack of attention could be a simple paper. Students in todays school are increasingly having more difficulty staying focued on their school work. The ability to easily listen to music while in class would add to this distraction. I still think the cafeteria and study halls are fine, but students need to understand the importance of classrooms for education.

4. Could these devices be use to store data. Sure, but what student needs 20GB's of space. A simple and inexpensive flash drive would be perfect.

Could these devices be use to store data. Sure, but what student needs 20GB's of space. A simple and inexpensive flash drive would be perfect.

Any student doing any sort of graphic design work could use more than nearly any flash drive allows. Research papers are tiny, true, but a lot of high schools offer classes where regular backup of relatively large files/projects is quite necessary.

Theft would be the only thing I would be concerned about. I had a CD player stolen my senior year of HS.

I think Rob has the most common-sense and correct comment in this thread.

To me the most important lessons to be learned in school are how to interact with others, its the strongest point against homeschooling.

That is utter poppycock. It's also a complete tangent to the thread so I won't go into detail. Just google pro-homeschooling and you'll get the standard retorts.

Have you met anybody who was homeschooled? They have no social skills. I think with good parents they probably could get a better education then at public schools, but for the most part they can't interact with others. But that is just my opinion from the people I have met who are home schooled, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Any way the point I was trying to make was schools teach more then just the class room subjects schools teach social skills at lunch, recess, halls, classes, games, dances etc. And if you turn kids into ipod listening zombies they will not have they the chances to interact.

Another thing poppycock is rarely used in today's vocabulary...But that's just part of the social skills you might learn from interacting with others.

Although you're pointing out a lot of positives about this issue, there certainly are more negatives. I'll explain a few, as many other negatives have been stated. What is the cost for an iPod around today, about $300? If iPods were allowed, and CD players and other mp3 players and such, there would be a higher chance of those highly priced items being stolen. If I'm right, about 99% of the people whose iPods would be stolen will not have them replaced. I'm more than sure that the school you go to does not want to take liability or responsibility for that many items at that price. I now come to the people who turn their earphone levels so high that they do become disruptive. Say you're still taking your test or quiz when another person who has finished suddenly turns their iPod on and blares it to as loud as their ears can stand. Then at that point it becomes obtrusive.

At my (high) school, Cell phones and iPods/mp3 players are banned during school hours. i.e. If they are seen between 7:30 and 2:30, they are confiscated (in theory), but after the bell rings, everyone pulls them out, and every other person in the halls is talking or listening. The rule is rarely enforced though. After tests, lots of teachers let you listen to music.

It is really only a liability issue. If you were allowed to bring the stuff to school, they would get in trouble if you lost it.

There is a rule, kids break it, and I wind up with the fallout from my colleagues because they don't want to make any waves.

Sounds more like your colleagues resent being put in the position of having to clean up the mess that you created by allowing kids to bring music players to your class.

What I find remarkable about this article is how well the original author articulates his writing. I wish I was so well spoken/written when I was in grade 8!

I'm a little surprised nobody has mentioned the socioeconomic side of this debate. Whenever something expensive was banned at my schools, part of the reason was that expensive devices and fads led to economic stratification among the student body. When the cool kids had state-of-the-art stuff, that left the poor kids terminally uncool. This acted as a great temptation to conflict and theft.

I've been out of the Los Angeles school system for a while now, and it's one of the only arguments they made that still makes sense to me.

jk,

Anti-social homeschooled kids are the exception to the rule. Do you know of any kids that are deprived of socialization in all areas of life except school? Maybe we just have different standards. I find the apathy and delinquency kids learn with that public school socialization to be abhorrent. Such socialization lends itself to complete lack of respect for differences. Which leads me to my next paragraph...

As for poppycock, I think it's a delightful word regardless of its frequency. I s'pose individual taste is just another aspect of non-government-issue socialization.

everyone has ipods at my school. if the teacher said "ok you can listen to your ipods while filling out this 10 page survey" then everyone had their white buds on.. only a couple would have those weird sandisk or something or other players. even poor people have ipods, it's just that the rich people have better ipods.

Patrick I liked the end of your post.

I'm gonna disagree with almost every now and say I think that kids should be allowed to listen to iPods at school as much as they want. First of all as to the liability argument I understand that people say that but this needs to be stopped. It is in no way the school is at fault, I can be walking down a street with my iPod in my hand and someone can rip it out of my hand. Although a way around that would be to just have parents sign something saying they will not hold the school liable in the event of an iPod/cell phone being stolen. Now I do think you should be allowed to listen to them whenever you want but when you turn it up loud enough that other people can hear you you need to turn it down. As long as no one hears your music I think you should be allowed to listen to it whenever you want. The reason? If you are going to listen to your iPod while the teacher is teaching you probably aren't going to pay much attention even if they aren't because there are plenty of things you can do to not pay attention anyways, including spacing out. Anyways you can usually still hear people talking when you have your iPod on, I always pay attention in school but if they would let us listen to our iPods while teachers were teaching I would but I would have it at a volume that I could still hear at, I am a TA for a class that I took last semester and I listen to my iPod in there every day but I can still hear the teacher. You can't force people to pay attention to you no matter what you do so you might as well let them not pay attention and still enjoy themselves. I also wanna throw in here that if possible they need to make it so that it doesn't show iPod/iTunes as misspelled words.

My daughter's video iPod was stolen from her at school after having owned it for about 3 weeks. She had saved for months to buy it. The day it was stolen she commented that it felt as though someone had taken her favorite pet animal. She persists in taking her replacement iPod to school. It seems to be very important to her despite the risk.

I did buy a little alarm that is attached to the iPod and if it gets more than about 20 feet from her the alarm goes off. It has a matching alarm reciever that she keeps on her person. So far, so good.