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 iTunes has become known as the proverbial music giant. Almost everyone has heard of it, been to the Music Store and purchased a song or at least sampled a few. What many people don’t know is that iTunes is not just a giant in the realm of music, but educational content as well. Yes, iTunes has many educational podcasts, but Apple has gone a step further and created iTunes U eLearning in her shining glory!
iTunes U is where users can easily search, play and download course content just like they do music, movies, and TV shows, but for FREE. The content is accessible on a PC or a Mac. Teachers and students can sync iTunes U content with any iPod, iPhone or other MP3 player taking anytime/anywhere learning to a whole other level. This form of eLearning means class is always in session. iTunes U delivers 24/7 access to educational content from hundreds of universities, colleges, and educationally-focused organizations across the country. It is learning on-the-go, made obtainable for those looking to find higher education content and now, K-12 content. iTunes U K-12 is a resource for K-12 schools and districts throughout the United States. Currently, there are 7 states providing content: Arizona, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah and now Tennessee. Several museums and educational institutions like the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Edutopia, the National Science Digital Library and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center contribute as well. The resources vary from languages to biology to history and technology. iTunes U K-12 is made possible in part by several state education agencies and the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA). The idea of the initiative, according to SETDA, is not only to bring state and district resources to K-12 educators within their own states, but to provide nationwide and global access to educational content, curricula, learning materials, news, best practices, and other resources. The new K-12 resources on iTunes U address the significant need to engage students through technology-based resources in core curriculum areas, further building on the Partnership for 21st Century Skills Framework. Several states like Michigan have provided their content to be readily available through its MI Learning  . Their sub-portal offers a wide array of professional development content and curriculum that is full of informative material. A real treasure token is “America’s Marketing High School.” This section provides many podcast episodes on business and marketing curriculum aligned with national marketing educational standards. Another sub-portal is Arizona’s iDEAL eLearning Platform . This portion of the University provides audio and video content covering all of the core subject areas as well as career technology resources, professional development courses and a wonderful display of student work through the Conexiones podcast. Additional K-12 sub-portals within the iTunes U K-12 portal include:
- Maine Department of Education – providing digital content in Math, Science and the Humanities.
- Utah Electronic High School – providing safety and counseling tips on bullying, news for teachers, a section for parents and a very interesting podcast on the Navajo language.
- New Jersey schools and districts comprised of East Orange, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Montclair Public Schools, Perth Amboy Public Schools and Union City Board of Education – providing information on Early Childhood, the Arts, Middle School lesson plans, self-image of girls, Mandarin Chinese and much more.
- Tennessee State Department of Education – providing differentiated instruction workshops, study skills, counselor training, and state standard workshops.
iTunes U K-12 offers something for everyone. All you need to do is open the treasure chest and pick your gems. The K-12 destination can be accessed directly via the iTunes Store by clicking here or accessing it through the iTunes software application on your computer. If you don’t have iTunes, it can be downloaded for free on Apple’s Web site.
Want to find out about some the hottest podcast episodes on iTunes U? Visit the iTunes U Spotlight Webpage and be prepared to be wowed! Resources:
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Cathleen Richardson is an Educational Consultant and eLearning Specialist. 
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