Educational Technology in the Palm of Your Hand

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Educational Technology (in the Palm of Your
Hand)
SouthEast Initiatives Regional Technology in
Education Consortium
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Overview

• Introductions
• SEIRTEC and upcoming NewsWire publication on
  handhelds
• Why handhelds?
• Why not handhelds?
• Handheld basics
• Leadership and planning issues
• Educational applications

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Read All About It NewsWire
SouthEast Initiatives Regional Technology in
Education Consortium

• NewsWire---newsletter from SEIRTEC
• Topical issues
• Next Handheld Technologies
• Publication date August 2002
• Available at www.seirtec.org
• In print from the SEIRTEC e-Store
• Downloadable in pdf format

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Read All About It NewsWire
Handheld Technologies
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Read All About It NewsWire
Handheld Technologies to include....

• Handheld Devices in Education
• Glossary
• Considerations for Buying a Handheld
• 101 Great Educational Uses for Your Handheld
• A Sampling of Projects
• Using Handheld Technologies in K-12 Schools

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Read All About It NewsWire

• Experiences in the schools
• Beaufort County Schools, SC

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Read All About It NewsWire

• Experiences in the schools
• Johnston County Schools, NC

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Read All About It NewsWire

• New Hanover County Schools, NC
• University of NC--Wilmington

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Evolution of Handhelds

• History Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and
  the PalmPilot
• Now Handheld computers
• Powerful devices capable of a variety of
  computing functions
• Thousands of software applications
• Single purpose devices vs. multi-purpose devices

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Why Handhelds?

• Low cost
• Mobile, anywhere anytime use
• Convenience
• Flexibility
• Expansion capabilities
• Easy to use
• Potential solution to equity and access issues

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Why Not Handhelds?

• Screen size
• Compatibility issues
• Ownership issues
• Obsolescence
• Replacement/damage issues
• Security/theft
• Cheating
• Distraction for students

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Handheld Basics Hardware Decisions
Operating system -- Palm vs.Pocket PC

• Palm
• Palm, Handspring, Sony
• Simpler operating system
• Lower cost devices
• More software available

• Pocket PC
• iPAQ, Casio, HP Jornada
• Scaled down version of Windows
• More built-in multimedia features
• Shorter battery life

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Expansion

• Different handhelds have different expansion
• Visor handheld expansion -- Springboard modules
• Palm m series expansion -- MMC/SD cards
• Software expansion vs. hardware expansion

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Expansion (cont.)
Examples of expansion modules

• Extra memory
• Backup cards
• Graphing calculators
• Data probes
• Game cards
• eBook cards
• Dictionary/Thesaurus
• Travel cards
• Language translator cards

• Keyboards
• Modems (land line and wireless)
• Digital cameras
• Wireless Ethernet LAN module
• MP3
• GPS
• PowerPoint projection
  device

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Data Input/Output

• Handwriting recognition
• External keyboard
• Syncing and desktop use
• Beaming
• Landline modem
• Wireless
• Cellular
• Wi-Fi (80211b)
• Bluetooth
• Printing

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Purchase Considerations

• Intended use
• Available software
• Available expansion and peripherals
• Memory
• Operating system (Palm vs. Pocket PC, Windows vs.
  Mac)
• Form factor (size, weight, appearance)
• Capability and ease of use

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Purchase Considerations (cont.)

• Cost
• Batteries vs. rechargeable
• Screen display
• Color vs. black and white
• Resolution
• Readability

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Leadership and Planning Issues Budgeting

• Handhelds
• Palm OS handhelds
• B/w display 140
• Color display 270
• Software
• 0 (avg. 30 for single user apps)
• Accessories
• Keyboards 69 - 99
• Expansion 39 - 289

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Implementation Models

• 11 Ratio
• 12 Ratio
• Class set of 5-10 devices
• Mobile lab
• Classroom management issues with shared devices

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Curriculum Integration

• Who is the intended audience?
• Teachers -- Productivity gains
• Students -- Academic gains
• Software and applications decisions
• Alignment of handheld use with overall
  instructional goals

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101 Great Educational Uses for Your Handheld
Computer

• Moving beyond the organizer!

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Types of Educational Applications
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Administrative Toolsfor Teachers and
Administrators
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Administrative Tools - Grade Books

• The following grade book programs have a Palm OS
  version
• Easy Grade Pro
• Gradebook2/Pinnacle
• GradeBusters/Making the Grade
• Grade Quick
• Learner Profile

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Administrative Tools - Grade Books

• Example Teachers PET
• Offers grading, attendance, contact info, and
  more
• Supports up to 10 classes
• Integrates with an optional desktop program

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Administrative Tools

• Example SIS Tool
• Tracker and Seeker
• Makes student information instantly accessible
• Helps reduce tardiness and unexcused absences
• Allows bar code scanning of student ID cards for
  tardy sweeps or discipline referrals
• Seeker component gathers and organizes
  information in an emergency crisis situation

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Tracker and Seeker

• Interfaces to your SIS
• Includes student photos
• Scan student ID cards to access info
• Integrates with Visor Phone for instant emergency
  contact

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Assessment Tools

• Example LearnStar
• Offers real-time assessment that provides
  critical feedback to teachers and students
• Allows teachers to adjust instruction based on
  student mastery
• Easy to use
• Classroom-based

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LearnStar

• Individual or cooperative use
• Over 4,000 activities across subjects
• Content aligned to state standards and tests
• Content can be edited to match your lesson plans
• Works with a variety of wireless handheld
  platforms

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Assessment Tools

• Example Learner Profile
  to Go
• Offers authentic observation-based assessment
  tools
• Provides a systematic way to evaluate and report
  on student performance
• Supports planning, observation, and reporting

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Assessment Tools

• Example Wireless Generation
• Reading diagnostic tool
• Works with running records
• Easy recording powerful analysis and reporting

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Wireless Generation
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Teaching and Learning Tools
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Teaching and Learning Tools

• Example Scientific Data Probes
• ImagiWorks ImagiProbes and ImagiLabs
• Expansion sensor interface
• Connects a wide variety of probes to handhelds
• Includes a rich investigation-based curriculum
  with discovery-oriented activity sets

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Scientific Data Probes

• Supports various learning experiences
• Data collection
• Annotation with notes, sketches, etc.
• Calibration
• Collaboration with teams
• Analysis of data

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Read All About It NewsWire

• Experiences in the schools
• Johnston County Schools, NC

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Graphing Calculators

• Examples powerOne graph, ImagiMath
• Comparable functionality to TI-83
• Advantages Handheld device can be used for other
  purposes as well

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Read All About It NewsWire

• Experiences in the schools
• Beaufort County Schools, SC

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Teaching and Learning Tools

• Example Word Processing, Spreadsheets, and
  Databases
• Allow files to go back and forth between desktop
  programs (Word, Excel, FileMaker, Access, etc.)
  and the handheld

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Read All About It NewsWire

• New Hanover County Schools, NC
• University of NC--Wilmington

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Curriculum Uses

• Collaborative student writing projects
• Data tracking and graphing
• Field study notes
• Research paper notes
• Database of endangered species
• Journal writing
• Stock market simulation tracking
• Portfolio of student work

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Teaching and Learning Tools

• Graphic Organizers
• Can be used for concept maps, timelines, K-W-L
  charts, story maps, etc.
• Students can create their own or you can supply
  templates.
• Use for brainstorming, note taking, idea
  classification, research, and more.
• Can be beamed from student to student, printed,
  or transferred to the desktop.

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• Examples PiCoMap, Idea Pad

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Teaching and Learning Tools eBooks

• Many ebook readers and ebooks available
• PalmReader, TomeRaider, iSilo, etc.
• Variety of formats
• .doc is a generic format
• Others are specific to the reader
• Lots of FREE ebooks available
• You and your students can create ebooks as well.

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eBook Special Features

• Mobility, storage capacity
• Built-in dictionaries and thesauruses
• Ability to bookmark, annotate, and hyperlink
• Control of display

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MemoWare

• www.memoware.com
• Over 10,000 FREE reference and literature ebook
  documents
• Many educationally appropriate books, stories,
  and historical documents

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Teaching and Learning Tools Web Clipping

• AvantGo
• Free application
• Provides interactive, personalized content and
  applications
• Downloaded to your handheld device real-time via
  wireless connection or desktop synchronization
• Web site www.avantgo.com

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Great FREE Resources!

• University of Michigan, Hi-Ce
• www.handheld.hice-dev.org
• AvantGo
• www.avantgo.com
• PalmReader
• www.peanutpress.com
• Memoware
• www.memoware.com
• K12 Handhelds
• www.k12handhelds.com

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• Thanks for coming!
• SEIRTEC K12 Handhelds
• email seirtec_at_serve.org email
  info_at_k12handhelds.com
• web www.seirtec.org web www.k12handhelds.com
• phone [phone] phone [phone]