Ipod: The Cheater's Best Friend?by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 29 Apr 2007 04:41 AM Among it's many functions, it seems that the iPod had recently added one more, as a portable cheating device. Schools across the country are placing bans on student use of an iPod in the classroom, not because of the possible distraction, but because of the possible cheating. It seems that savy students quickly figured out how to use the devices to hide test answers, and crib notes to score higher grades on their exams. While many schools previously allowed students to use an iPod to quietly listen to music after completing a test, the rise in using the devices to cheat has caused schools to react; they are outlawing iPods. "I think it is becoming a national trend," Shana Kemp, spokeswoman for the National Association of Secondary School Principals said in an interview with CNN. "We hope that each district will have a policy in place for technology -- it keeps a lot of the problems down." Students can use the iPods to cheat in several different ways. Crib notes can be hidden in the lyrics section of an iPod. Students can use a voice recorder that is compatible with an iPod to record audible answers to a test. They can also use old audio recordings of "Schoolhouse Rock" to help them get through their tests. Schoolhouse Rock is a collection of songs that seek to teach, using music to cover many different basic points of student knowledge, from the parts of a sentence to the preamble to the constitution. Playing one of these songs could just give students the answers they need on their exams. The iPod's small size makes it easy to use to cheat. The ear buds can be threaded up through a shirt sleeve. Many students hold the ear bud to their ear with one hand, making it look as though they are simply resting their head on their hand. The recent school bans generally include not only the iPod for all portable media devices. Does your school allow iPods in the classroom? Mary Ann Romans writes about her family's money saving secrets in the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com Related Articles: The Beatles Are Coming! The Beatles Are Coming! Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantcomputers tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags cheating, education, iPod Discuss this article
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