MP3 Homework

Knapp’s MP3 article was very informative and I was interested to see an example of technology changing the way students study and learn. The traditional classroom is changing and educators need to know when to embrace new technology as a teaching aid.  Some students just put off their reading assignments because they don’t want to sit still for that long. If using a MP3 player means actually listening to the chapter assigned, then it can be a very positive impact on a class. The article pointed out that technology trends are changing the way people are educated. Teaching methods need to be constantly evolving to keep up. Using MP3 players can enhance students study practices and make learning more fun.
As a future library media specialist, I realize it is going to be an important part of my job to bring the newest technology to the school.  It will also be important to encourage teachers to implement the new technology if it would be useful in their subject.
As others have mentioned, students' ability to multi-task is pretty impressive. I do think that doing so many things at once can mean you are not necessarily doing the task as efficiently as you could be. This could just mean an increase in time spent studying, a student might have to study 3 hours for something if they are listening to music checking email and Facebook or going back and forth between different assignments as opposed spending less time completely focused on the one task. While reading the article I was getting concerned that reading less would result in poorer reading comprehension skills, but the article claimed that listening to books encourages reading. I think that MP3 players can be a great tool for educators.