Today was going to be the roll out…again…I only needed 5 iPods for the small group work, so I figured we would be okay. I could update the iPods during the school benchmark testing, I have seniors who do not take them. I pulled the cart out of the secure location when I arrived at 6:45 AM and plugged it in to make sure the iPods were fully charged.

Things started well, the iPods started to sync when I plugged in my computer, then something happened. All of the newly downloaded apps I pulled into my account for my daughter Arianna began to sync on the iPods. That was a bit of a problem, I figured my seniors did not need the “Curious George Dictionary” or ” Bright Puzzles Puppies Light,” so I went in and began taking those apps off of each iPod, one iPod at a time.

Next, each iPod needed an update to the software. This update process bogs down the system. I had to go in a approve each iPod update. I have since made sure the automatic update is enabled on each iPod. This takes some time and even though I was using the cart, you can only manipulate one iPod at a time when updating…major bottleneck when trying to work with 25.

On top of all of this, iTunes recently came out with version 9. I did not know this, I thought I had the most recent version. The new version went to my Macbook, which required a restart, then we started the entire process over again. I like the new iTunes version, sharp looking easy to use, you can even see how the apps are arranged on your iPod screens.

I eventually worked through all of this and had enough units to use in class. I planed on 1 per group, using five iPods at the most. I went to put the iPods online through our wireless network and…nothing. They would not connect. They found the wireless network, I typed in the correct password, but they would not connect. We ahve been having these issues as of late and cannot figure out why it is happening. I texted our Tech Director, we have a fix on the way, but i was dead in the water. We ended up in the pc lab…

I did learn many things from the experience. First and foremost, keep the iPods updated even if they are not being used. It is vital to sync them often even if they are not being used. I had to get my students logged in and acclimated to the web-based programs I will be using before I put them on the iPods. This kept the iPods locked up in a super-secret location until we begin using them regularly. This includes checking for iTunes updates daily with my Macbook, I do not want to be blindsided again.

I believe it would benefit me to create an entirely different iTunes account for the school iPods, which was my plan. However, I purchased the update for my iPod and I needed to keep them all on the same account or pay a second update fee. To save ten dollars, I will deal with the inconvenience…call me cheap. This will be addressed by updating the iPods more often.

All in all, the iPod project is delayed a bit, but I would rather wait and roll it out properly than to rush things and screw it up. This means I am leanring the most important lesson I will need during this project, patience.