Agricultural Science and Technology Teachers' Perceptions of iPod and MP3 Technology Integration Into Curricular and Cocurricular Activities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe agricultural science and technology teachers’ reaction to iPod and mp3 technology use and potential use in both curricular and cocurricular activities. A total of 112 unique respondents provided written responses to open-ended questions. Study findings reveal that agricultural science and technology teachers see iPod and mp3 technologies as beneficial, yet some teachers find this technology to be unusable due to campus restrictions and student abuse. Teachers provided a multitude of possible applications for iPod and mp3 technologies: contest preparation and team training, general classroom enhancement, specific classroom content areas that could benefit, applications for absence/make-up work and homework support, use with substitute teachers, assisting special populations, use for organization of content, and additional creative applications. Overall, teacher reaction to the use of iPod and mp3 technologies was positive and yielded findings that can be useful to teachers, researchers, and providers of educational content. This article strives to give voice to the individual teacher.