Air Pods

If you want to know any details about the latest technology, just ask a middle schooler! After Christmas break, air pods could be seen sticking out of many ears within the hallways and classrooms of our middle school. I didn't think much about it until I started taking a closer look and asking questions. Students can get permission from their teachers to listen to music while working online if that helps them to focus. I require students to use earbuds if they are watching and listening to video clips from any of the databases they use for research. Rather than pulling out and untangling colorful wires with earbuds at the end, students are reaching for a small white container the shape and size of dental floss. They pull some newfangled-looking earbuds out of the container--a charger, actually--and put one in each ear. Students have synced these with Bluetooth on their laptops, iphones or other electronic device so that they can listen without it being attached to wires. Very cool! These coveted devices sometimes hang from lanyards or fit nicely in pockets. Maybe these ubiquitous earbuds are not the newest technology anymore, and I'll probably splurge for a set of my own one day, but I'm still learning about them--from my middle schoolers. Did I forget anything students? If so, send a comment to let me know!