March 3 Class
I’ve been living between two different handhelds the past month & it’s time to get everything on my new one. I have a lot of useless stuff on my old handheld & wanted to clean it up before I beam information. I removed the Palm software from my desktop computer in an effort to delete all of the information that had been synchronized from my old handheld. However, when I loaded the new CD, my old information appeared. I was hoping to use the same user name, but couldn’t figure out a “work-around” to accomplish my goal. Anyway, I am now able to sync my new handheld & hope to enter more info…especially my calendar & many repeating events.
I am very busy at school these days, our website consumes a lot of my time, not to mention teaching & so many meetings. I am working with my staff in planning our next technology purchases. Our school is still using the original AlphaSmarts. The students enjoy the mobility of them and the teachers consider these limited word processors to be a “hook” to keep students interested. I’m excited as we plan for handheld computing in the classrooms. Our students & staff will be amazed at the mobility and versatility of handheld computing, especially the variety of applications.
David Warlick’s podcast is thought provoking. I think that comparing handheld computers to even wireless laptops is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both very good, but they serve different needs. Handhelds are more flexible and can be turned off and on…no waiting to boot up. Work is saved automatically and beaming is a wonderful way to share. The students stay focused in the classroom & the small size allows for usage on field trips and outside the classroom. Cost is a factor, too. Digital natives are very comfortable with small gaming devices and handhelds are an easy transition. The fact that handhelds have cameras and are getting more sophisticated makes handheld computers a great learning tool and “hook” for students. We will continue to use our computer lab for appropriate projects and hope to explore many kinds of technology.
I am very busy at school these days, our website consumes a lot of my time, not to mention teaching & so many meetings. I am working with my staff in planning our next technology purchases. Our school is still using the original AlphaSmarts. The students enjoy the mobility of them and the teachers consider these limited word processors to be a “hook” to keep students interested. I’m excited as we plan for handheld computing in the classrooms. Our students & staff will be amazed at the mobility and versatility of handheld computing, especially the variety of applications.
David Warlick’s podcast is thought provoking. I think that comparing handheld computers to even wireless laptops is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both very good, but they serve different needs. Handhelds are more flexible and can be turned off and on…no waiting to boot up. Work is saved automatically and beaming is a wonderful way to share. The students stay focused in the classroom & the small size allows for usage on field trips and outside the classroom. Cost is a factor, too. Digital natives are very comfortable with small gaming devices and handhelds are an easy transition. The fact that handhelds have cameras and are getting more sophisticated makes handheld computers a great learning tool and “hook” for students. We will continue to use our computer lab for appropriate projects and hope to explore many kinds of technology.
posted by Sue @ 9:43 PM
2 Comments:
At March 20, 2005 8:54 PM,
BK'sbits said…
Wow! I am impressed with your organization Sue! And I managed to check out your school's website. You have a lot of super information on it that I am sure is great resource for your parents.
In your discussion of David Warlick's podcast, I liked your comment about how "comparing handhelds to laptops is like comparing apples to oranges". I feel you are right on target with this statement as they each are beneficial in their own ways, and it really depends on what your end educational goal is along with school's budget that will determine what technology you can utilize.
At March 23, 2005 12:54 PM,
Becky said…
I so agree with you, Sue! I wouldn't trade my laptop for anything! But, I'm getting to the point where I probably wouldn't trade my Palm for anything, either. They are such different tools. I do love the way kids interact using their Palms. They are so into it that they seem to pay more attention and "take it all in" when it's something connected to their handhelds. I love the enthusiasm - and it makes me want to find more and more opportunities for music activities and projects. Don't you wish we had more hours in the day? Or at least more time to explore additional learning opportunities that would really appeal to kids...
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