 Handheld Computers Revisited
By Rebecca Nassar, Educational Technology Consultant
In the November TechKnowledgy Newsletter, I "belittled" handheld computers as a cure for the digital divide. Now, I am suggesting that you ask for a handheld for Christmas. If you already have a handheld computer, and you do not use it, I am pleading that you make (and keep) a New Year's resolution to try it.
I began to use a handheld computer as part of my mission as an educational technology consultant not as part of my mission to become better organized or more informed. Two days after I popped the batteries in the handheld, I was hooked: my handheld, my personal assistant, my data lifeline, my portable novel, my portable games. I began to worry about my handheld attachment. Then, I perused an ISTE publication titled Palm Handheld Computers A Complete Resource for Classroom Teachers, where I read this: "There is a bond between handheld computers and their owners that carries over into enjoyment with use. For students, this can translate into motivation."
No longer concerned about my overactive bonding with my handheld computer, I decided to explore why a teacher would want individual handhelds for all students. Here are some "did you knows?" from the Palm Handheld Computers book:
- The handheld computer used in your classroom is in many ways similar in power to a good desktop computer from just ten years ago, but costs just ten percent as much and is a fraction of the weight!
- You can store page upon page of text on a handheld computer. How much? You could have a copy of the Bible, a textbook and more than a dozen of your favorite novels stored on a handheld.
- A handheld can hold a charge for days.
- You can connect a handheld computer to a traditional (desktop or laptop) computer and share information, including Internet information.
- With a little bit of practice using the Graffiti method of entering text, you can write almost as efficiently as you do on paper.
OK. These are some "whys," but where are the "hows"?
Tell you what. Try using a handheld over Christmas break (while you are doing everything you didn't get finished over the summer). Learn to use the Graffiti tools; play a game or two; start entering your social events.
When you come back to school in January, I'll be ready with a series of "how-tos" in the TechKnowledgy Newsletter: how to acquire handhelds; how to manage handhelds in the classroom; how to use handhelds to enhance your curriculum; how to find more education handheld shareware. I may not share my handheld, but I will share my information.
|
