You better be listening to your Ipod!!

Have you ever been utterly lost trying to help your child tackle homework at night? Well if you haven't had the experience yet I can guarantee you it will be coming in the not too distant future. But what if we could turn homework around? What if the lectures were the homework and homework was done at school? Well that is exactly what a couple of innovative teachers at Woodland Park, Colorado are attempting to do.




From a parent's perspective this is an amazing idea. My children haven't hit the "homework nightmare" age but many of my friends are right in the thick of it. They thought their math nightmares were long since gone and now they find themselves up late at night learning "new math" so they can help their child get through whatever problems have been sent home. Now turn that scenario around and the parental responsibility becomes having their child view the lecture and help them formulate a list of points they need clarified. Whew -- now that would be easier -- no need to learn "new math"!!

Kids will benefit as well by having timely help instead of struggling and getting increasingly frustrated at home. Children that have trouble concentrating on a lecture in class may find it easier to comprehend when they can listen/watch in a quiet, distraction free environment. Lessons can be viewed at an individual pace, paused, and replayed for review before an exam. It is a service I know I would have enjoyed when I was student.

It seems the world is continually shifting under our feet. Where once we yelled "Take the ipod off and get doing homework" we may have to change our refrain to "You had better be listening to that Ipod". I think I can make the change -- it beats learning math all over again.