Handheld Learning - learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies

A rather worrying report - more so because it states that the iwbs were being used interactively and creatively. My observations in school suggest that with a few exceptions you could replace the iwbs with a low cost projector screen or even a painted wall and there wouldn't be a noticeable difference - ie interactivity isn't happening! Is there some strange myth that you cannot have a projector without an iwb?

Something I noticed when I started to use an iwb was that lesson preparation took a lot longer. I seemed to spend hours copying and pasting from lesson plan documents then realising that the iwb opened up different opportunities for lesson delivery. Finally the penny dropped and I realised that I should use the iwb presentation software directly to prepare lessons but.. there were times when although I transferred the presentation files to the PC attached to the projector, on occasions I forgot to transfer all the relevant files!

We also need to remember that standing in front of an iwb has Health and Safety implications. I find that I can use one for 2 consecutive lessons then need to take a break. To get round this I also use a gyro mouse and keyboard - they enable me to teach with the iwb from anywhere in the room. Since pupils can also use these I wonder whether there's more "interactivity" taking place than with an iwb.

david

"mobile learning" could be replaced by almost any other area of ICT activity
I recall a bizarre discussion where management needed to be convinced of the benefits of a whole school network at a time when they were standard practice elsewhere.
With PDAs it's different - if the development is not driven by management then it will be driven by pupils and students. A growing number of pupils (all male!) bring PDAs into school and are expecting to be allowed WiFi access to the network. One teaching colleague is somewhat baffled that every time he teaches a particular group his TV/VCR constantly mis-behaves. I have spoken to the pupil concerned who accepted that his behaviour could well set back the use of PDAs! (Time to re-write the Acceptable Use Policy)
Try using diversionary tactics - get a core group of staff to use PDAs for their own use  - sit back and watch what happens.

Regards
david

Found on the TechRepublic website!
http://techrepublic.com.com/2300-10877-6056647.html?tag=nl.e101

Enjoy 

David

John - could you expand on "session theme" please?
I am exploring Moodle at the moment!
Regards
david

The latest Jessops catalogue lists the Nikon Coolpix P1 as having built in WiFi technology.
£330 for an 8.0M pixel camera.

Also the Coolpix P2 at £230 for a 5.1M pixel camera
I could be tempted!
David

I'm hoping that someone has got a solution!
Have just bought 2 PDAs for staff to use for department administration and am planning to buy some additional software. As far as I know the only software I can buy with a school purchase order is Inspiration from TAG. This means that I need to buy anything else personally, with a credit card, download from a supplier and then claim a refund when my credit card statement arrives. I don't object to this (well perhaps slightly!) but school practice is to generally reimburse small amounts and then there's the question of VAT which schools can reclaim.
I suppose the simplest solution would be for school to have a credit card - but we don't.

David

 BECTA published a report within the last couple of years - this could be a useful starting point
David

The program that comes close to meeting my requirements is FlexiPad Pro.
DC

I've decided to cut down on the paper work and use a PDA for recording attendance and assessment. Having looked at a number of possible solutions I'm thinking of buying Flexipad Pro - just up to V3. I would welcome comments and recommendations. Just one problem, the system has to cope with a 2 week timetable.

Regards

Before I download and read the article here's an initial response 

I nearly replied after reading the first sentence - but got to the end!

"the impact of computing technology on K-12 over the past 25 years has been, to a first order approximation, zero."

Glad to hear it's that high in the US. In my more sceptical (or should that be sane moments) I find myself wondering whether in the UK the impact has been negative. The education versus training debate has never been satisfactorily resolved - all parents seem interested in is that school trains their offspring in using core business applications. What's happened to creativity and imagination.

I will now pack up my soapbox, download the article and read with interest.

PS slightly off topic. It seems that  UK and US software developers have swapped roles. The most imaginative/creative software I've bought recently has come from the US - but for desktop computers.

Infrared - I've kept an old HP printer in an IT room at school. Printing from a T3 (using program from Bachman) works very well.

Bluetooth - tried this at home. set up a Bluetooth connection to a PC - sort of worked but not for printing! Then discovered that I was unable to print from the PC. I contacted the supplier of my Bluetooth dongle who suggested re-installing Windows - ouch! (Long term solution will be to replace the PC with a Mac)

For fun I set up a Bluetooth connection to an Apple  Powerbook - no problem - but the Powebook can't print to my laser printer. . .

I've now got a WiFi card for the T3 perhaps I should try printing via this connection.

David

Hi folks - I'm a Head of ICT in a High School in the West Midlands (UK) When my head is spinning from dealing with Key Stage 3 Strategy, National Strategy, TLR changes and all the other stuff we're constantly bombarded with in UK education I retreat to a quiet place with my Palm Tungsten T3.

My affair with PDAs started about 3 years ago when I got fed up with trying to manage 3 diaries, a filofax and endless pieces of paper. My first PDA was a Sony Clie. Once I used it for a few months I was surprised to find out how much software existed. Needless to say my Sony was quickly upgraded to a T3 (hopefully I will upgrade again in the Summer)

After familiarising myself with Docs to Go, ThoughtManager, Smartlist to Go and several others I set myself the task of finding applications that were equivalents/replacements to the PC apps used in schools. Extreme delight when Inspiration was made available for Palm. Yes I know there's something sort of similar that's free - but one of my "soapboxes" relates to buying hardware then not investing in software. (for 4 years I was an advisory teacher and was puzzled to find schools that spent 1000's on hardware then begrudged spending money on software)

Last year I spent time investigating useful classroom/education management software. Most seemed great if I was teaching in the US or Canada, but not really geared to the UK market. "Markbook" from Asylum Software in Canada (and who wouldn't look at a website with a name like that) comes with a PDA client that can be used for attendance registration. Unfortunately it only records absences or lates (tardies for our US guests!) However at BETT a rep from Asylum agreed that this needed to be changed. Actually I think this is one area that a UK developer could investigate (Ninelocks perhaps?)

My other main interest is in sound applications - key programs from Chocpoolp, Microbe and Bhaji's loops and from Minimusic.

Enough of this ramble! I find the developments with PDAs refreshing and challenging - it seems as though we are challenging the tradition of spending more and more for our pupils to achieve less and less. (That's another soapbox)

Regards

David

I have tried to use the Astraware program on my T3 - but it crashed!
Have spent time looking at several timetable programs, but this is complicated by the fact that I work a two week timetable.
Current solution is to use ThoughtManager which I also use for class lists. TM is probably an example of a must have program!