It's summer and you're basking in technology heaven -- playing your iPod and reading blogs to your heart's content. If professors have their way, you'll be doing the same thing (and getting graded for it) come freshman year. You read correctly: With every entertaining tech development educators are on the hunt for new and exciting ways to add scholastics to the mix. Fortunately for you, it's not about removing the cool factor, but adding the knowledge you need by embracing it.As a learning tool and as a resource aid to simplify your high school-to-college transition. Whether it's creating your own LiveJournal community, or maximizing the music on your iPod, college campuses are blazing the trail for mixing techno-tainment with education. Find out more on these innovative learning tools, then get ready to join the technology explosion. iPod, uPod, We All Pod Before you transfer that new CD to your iPod, remember to leave room for classnotes. With schools like Georgia College and State University (Milledgeville, GA) leading the way, the iPod is poised to take its multimedia capabilities to an educational and interactive level. "The iPod is the icon of the generation," says Jim Wolfgang, the school's chief information officer. "[It's] a bridge between our teachers and students." While some schools have only recently begun using podcasts, which allow students to play lectures back at their leisure, Georgia College began integrating iPods into every facet of the campus in 2002. The school now offers more than 30 courses that incorporate iPod-related materials into the lessons. Anything from historical videos to study abroad travel guides can be stored on the tech tool previously reserved for jam sessions only. Last year also marked the establishment of "The iVillage" a.k.a. "McIntosh Township" (named as a nod to the Apple Macintosh company), in which Georgia College freshmen studying the same subjects were connected through the Apple program iChat. And it's not merely a big buddy list. According to Wolfgang, the virtual community eases students' transition from high school to college by providing them with "the ability to be there before you're there." Starting the summer before their freshman year, students move into The iVillage and are able to form friendships as well as get to know their professors. Plans to continue the program have already been approved, and include connecting each new generation of iVillagers with mentors from previous programs. Boast Your Brains on Blogs These days, a blog can clue you in to celebrity gossip, news, even the private thoughts of the kid down the street. But can it get you a 4.0? According to professors, it might. More and more college profs are ditching old-fashioned paper assignments and instead requiring students to design, update, and promote their own blogs. "This is another way to do projects that require writing," says Anu Sivaraman, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Delaware (Newark, DE). Blogs provide groups of students with an "e-meeting place," she adds. The lure is simple and beneficial. Instead of grading students on a few papers and attendance, professors can now watch how they apply their knowledge through interactions on the Web. Classmates can post and comment on each others' blogs, enabling them to break new ground in group discussion, plus show off their debating and discussion skills. "Blogs are the X-factor, but they also have to teach," adds Sivaraman, whose students are not only exercising their marketing skills, but learning some tech tips as well. As students and professors are finding, blogs aren't limited in what or whom they can teach. Whether it's reading discussions, designing a blog through computer codes, or introducing your professor to a new angle on an old subject, blogs are as educational as they are entertaining. Click Into Campus Wish you could peek into your dream college's inner world? Or get current students' uncensored opinions of it? Instead of basing your college decision entirely on a glossy brochure and your guidance counselor's opinion, let your fingers point and click around a virtual campus tour. Thanks to blogs like LiveJournal (LJ), college students are able to create and maintain their own online communities where they can discuss anything. Signing up for a free LJ account allows you to post comments on most of these communities and ask questions. Of course, there is some netiquette involved. According to Lyn Nelson, a junior who maintains the LJ community for Binghamton University (Vestal, NY), you should always check the school's "Memories" section first where noteworthy discussions are archived to see if your questions have already been answered. Also, think before you post. "Asking 'Will I get in?' is very annoying," says Lyn. "We get a lot of questions that are unanswerable." Open-ended posts like "Will I make friends?" or "Will I be homesick?" ask current students to make predictions rather than give opinions. Lyn suggests that high school students post questions on specific topics. "It's helpful to ask about departments and programs because those are questions people can jump on," she says. Whether it's blogging to the limit or upping the ante on your iPod, college educators know that the latest technologies can be great school tools as well. And believe us, what we've told you is just a taste of the tech goodies you'll enjoy (and learn from) once you hit campus. With companies constantly creating new spins on old gadgets, the days of dusty chalkboards and dog-eared textbooks are numbered. Blogging Bonds Sites like Xanga.com feature blogrings that link college students' blogs based upon school standing. You can even start your own to connect with prospective students. CollegeConfidential.net allows high school students and their parents to interact with both college experts and newbies at the college admissions game. Podding Potential Sometimes colleges find uses for iPods that go beyond taking class notes. This year Fitchburg State College (Fitchburg, MA) informed prospective students of their acceptance using their own iPod technology. Instead of ripping into the traditional envelope, high school students received e-mails that sent them to iTunes, where they were directed to downloaded a podcast from the school's president, who confirmed their admittance. Digital Discussions The Wiki, an online, interactive encyclopedia, is becoming the new learning tool for the exchange of research. Wiki server software allows anyone to create a Wiki site with ease. Many students find it offers more freedom than conventional blogs since members can edit and add to its resources. Students at certain schools like New York University (New York, NY) have a Wiki informing peers about everything from which study abroad programs require knowledge of a second language, to where to get the best breakfast. Check it out at http://nyuwiki.org.