SolveYourProblem eLearning Series
iPods & MP3 Players

Ready For The "i-Spod" Generation
by my-tech-guide.com

Pupils are taking millions of pounds worth of personal equipment to school every day - spawning a new band of teenagers labelled the 'i-Spod' generation. Gone are the days when all a satchel would contain was a couple of exercise books, some pens and your crumpled PE kit - total worth only a few pounds. Research has discovered that one in four school children in Britain now take an iPod, MP3 player or other personal audio equipment to school, equating to a total of pounds 54m.

And not only do they lug about pounds 20 text books, stationery and today's must-have pair of branded trainers, often worth pounds 100, their bags are also home to items such as the latest camera mobile phones and games consoles.

With all this technology weighing heavy on children's shoulders, Halifax Home Insurance says the contents of each school bag can add up to more than pounds 400.

But traditionalists and technophobes fear not, because at least one piece in a modern-day school bag - the iPod is not just an entertainment tool. The digital music player can also be used for education purposes. And the survey found that this advantage appeals to school children.

Thanks to podcasting, teachers have a new way of distributing educational materials to pupils, and several British schools are now pioneering the use of digital music players for learning in class.

It could turn a generation of young iPod owners into i-Spods - those who use their iPods to Study too. The survey showed that pupils approve of the technology with 80% keen to become a so-called 'i-Spod', saying that using an iPod at school makes learning both more interesting and fun.

It found that 55% of parents are also in favor and would willingly buy an iPod to help improve their children's education. However, as these items are high value and - due to their size - relatively easy to lose or steal, it's important that parents ensure the correct insurance is in place to protect their children's belongings.

It's also important that parents ensure that their children take utmost care to protect their high value belongings in order for them to be covered against all eventualities.

Where iPods, or any other portable memory devices are concerned, we would recommend that back-up files of any music or data are always saved on a home PC so, in the event of your iPod being lost, stolen or damaged, all is not lost

Taking such equipment to school does have its drawbacks however.

Teenagers are being targeted by criminals, knowing they are potential to provide easy pickings. A14-year-old at Llanishen High School in Cardiff was the victim of an attempted robbery when a man attacked him and tried to take his mobile phone.

Last week pupils at Cardiff High School were advised not to walk to school alone after two armed robberies in a week. They had mobile phones and iPods stolen in the attacks.

Most schools have policies on what electrical equipment their pupils can take each day. Many have banned pupils taking expensive equipment to lessons, although others do allow older students, such as sixth formers, to take their iPods and MP3 players to school - as long as they only listen to them outside class time.

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007

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