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[Technology 952] Re: Subject: RE: handhelds day 2Mike Moyle Mike.Moyle at prin.eduThu Apr 19 15:54:30 EDT 2007
My Palm stopped syncing with my tablet computer so I switched to an HP with a Windows platform. I'm not sure how much education software is available for this PDA platform. -----Original Message----- From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Denis Anson Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 2:48 PM To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List Subject: [Technology 951] Re: Subject: RE: handhelds day 2 I've also gone through a number of Palm devices. My experience is that they have a life expectancy of about two years, and then you need a new one. I also read a rumor that Dell may buy Palm, so your Palm will be a Dell, or something like that. I would buy a smart phone today if they didn't have those silly little keyboards using up the interface. My fingers cover about half a dozen buttons, and I don't think I could even dial one, much less type on it. For note taking on my Palm, I use a universal, full sized keyboard, which allows full speed typing. Denis Anson McNutt Jr, William R wrote: > > I just had an experience I thought I would share with ya'll. Recently, > my beloved Dell Axim X51 handheld had a stroke, and I had to replace > it. I ordered a new one from dell.com and got a better screen and more > memory in the new model. Adding the network capability that I use, it > came to slightly more than $500.00. My wife bought a Treo smartphone > that does just about everything my Axim does for less. > > Two weeks later, announced that they were dead-ending the Axim line. I > can no longer find my brand-new handheld on the dell web site. > Subsequent looking around reveals that the conventional wisdom among > the technorati is that handheld computers have had their day in the > sun. The smart money is betting on the smartphone, like the Blackjack > and the Treo replacing the handheld for most functions. > > Bill McNutt > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > *From:* technology-bounces at nifl.gov > [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] *On Behalf Of *Mariann Fedele > *Sent:* Thursday, April 19, 2007 2:26 PM > *To:* The Technology and Literacy Discussion List > *Subject:* [Technology 945] Subject: RE: handhelds day 2 > > *The following question is submitted on behalf of Mike Moyle:* > > Marilyn, > > Thank you for sharing with us. Our fifth grade has used Palms for > several years. They are used primarily for writing but also for math > facts, organizing assignments, drawing with Sketchy, and understanding > tessellations. The teachers are about to use them with paam.goknow.com > Internet so the student can sync with that site when their homework is > done, and the teacher can instantly see it. > > Our school is considering 1-to-1 technology with tablet laptop > computers for grades 7-12. The teachers were each given a tablet and > four days of training this summer. > > I'm trying to decide whether handhelds or tablets are the better way > to go for Lower School. You've identified the cost factor. If that is > the primary driving force, the handhelds probably are the best bet. I > do worry, though, about not having access to the connectivity with the > web and the ability to create through programs like PowerPoint, Movie > Maker, etc. It seems that the handhelds have a very narrow focus of > abilities compared to a laptop or tablet. I don't know, however, if > this is a completely accurate view. I'd love to hear more about that. > > I was interested to read about your project with creating governments. > I keep thinking that the technology is only a tool, and it's extremely > important to make sure we are using it in a way that is helping > students think at higher levels, make connections, and be creative. > > Mike Moyle > Lower School Director > The Principia > > -----Original Message----- > From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] > On Behalf Of Marilyn Williams > Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 9:19 AM > To: technology at nifl.gov > Subject: [Technology 936] handhelds day 2 > > Hi all, > Thanks again for participating in the discussion today. Please send me > any comments or questions as I'd love to establish a dialogue with you! > > As it closer to school starting and despite two full days of training, > I was still feeling apprehensive about starting the Palm project. > Nonetheless, students were back at school a week later and I had to be > ready to go. > Our first day, I introduced the fact that we had the opportunity to > use the handhelds and explained that everyone would need to take home > the permission form and have it back before we would begin to use the Palms. > I thought this would give me a week or so of breathing room! > Of course, they all came back the next day! So, taking a deep breath, > we jumped in. > Those first few days were a little chaotic! I did have some basic > plans developed but, for the most part, we played. We experimented > with different functions and sent messages to one another. We also > saved our work and set up categories (or files). > > One of the most helpful pieces of equipment I used was a FlexCam. This > is a camera that has a flexible neck that can be bent to show whatever > the teacher is working on. They are often used in science classes so > all the students can watch a teacher do a dissection or other > experiment. > This allowed me to demonstrate which buttons or icons to tap and how > and where to enter information on a screen. It really was (and still > is) invaluable. > > Our first lessons were basic how to enter information. We played with > writing Graffiti, using the built in keyboard as well as the external > keyboard. A fun game to use when learning Graffiti is called Giraffe. > > As we all became more proficient, I started using the Palms in 'real' > lessons. At first, it was a stretch to think of how I would use them > but as they became part of my repertoire, it was second nature. One of > the earlier projects we did was on government. I divided students into > groups and their task was to create a society. Each group had a set of > categories to address such as school, laws, justice, economy etc. Each > student worked on their section then everyone beamed their portion to > each other so the entire group had everyone's work. This was a great > way to keep them organized and if anyone lost their work, they could > easily retrieve it. > > Daily, we used our Palms for silent reading responses as well as a > unit on word parts. We kept a list and definitions and examples of > literary terms and devices. We wrote poetry which worked great as I > beamed everyone a template and instructions and then they could work > independently. > I know I keep mentioning beaming and I should perhaps explain this > function. This allows a person to just point their Palm at another > Palm, tap 'Beam' and the data is transferred from one to another. > After a bit of practice we got so we could beam a piece of data to > everyone in the class in the same amount of time it would take to pass out papers. > I would beam to one student, they would beam to another while I got > someone else started etc. > > It was important for us to organize the Palms in a way that they were > easily accessible so I set up a series of small drawers which > contained each person's Palm and keyboard. Students were responsible > to make sure their Palm was charged and available and, for the most > part, this worked well. If someone forgot theirs at home, they ended > up having to use paper and pencil and that was usually enough > deterrent that it wasn't left at home again. > > The biggest advantage of Palms, for me, was the way it leveled the > playing field, so to speak, for all my students. I had taught some of > these students since sixth grade in a resource (pull > out) block and had never been able to get them interested in writing. > Now that they had this tool and the example of their peers, they > became much more engaged and I was so pleased with the progress they made. > They felt much more positive about themselves as learners as well. > > Fortunately, we had a class set of Palms so everyone had access. In a > setting without a class set, I might establish a 'Palm learning center' > as part of a rotation. At that center, I'd probably have assignments > listed and have students work in a more individual way. It certainly > is more difficult to incorporate any kind of technology when students > have to share. > > So far, we've lost only 1 handheld over 3 years! > > Marilyn Williams > 6th Grade Language Arts/Social Studies Kennedy Middle School Eugene, > OR > ---------------------------------------------------- > National Institute for Literacy > Technology and Literacy mailing list > Technology at nifl.gov > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/l > <http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology> > > Mariann Fedele > > Associate Director, > > NYC Regional Adult Education Network > > Literacy Assistance Center > > Moderator, > NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List > 32 Broadway 10th Floor > New York, New York 10004 > 212-803-3325 > mariannf at lacnyc.org <mailto:mariannf at lacnyc.org> www.lacnyc.org > <http://www.lacnyc.org> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > ---------------------------------------------------- > National Institute for Literacy > Technology and Literacy mailing list > Technology at nifl.gov > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology ---------------------------------------------------- National Institute for Literacy Technology and Literacy mailing list Technology at nifl.gov To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology
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