Handheld Devices Making Their Way into the Classroom

Dan Fendler, AT Specialist, Sussex County ATRC

After presenting a session on assistive technology to a group of teachers studying for their master’s degrees, it became very clear to me that many of them really understood the importance of technology in the classroom. The teachers recognized how important technology can be to all students, and particularly those with special needs. However, many were frustrated with their school’s slow acceptance of some technological advances.

Technology is becoming integral to many professions. This is particularly true in education. Arguably, the potential impact of technology in the classroom is enormous. There are many promising examples, not the least of which is the increasing availability of digital textbooks. Because of the potential importance of technology related to education, it is more important than ever to get comfortable with these tools.

In my experience as an Assistive Technology Specialist, I have seen the reluctance of many educators to use technology in the classroom. I understand this reluctance. Many times, technology can be fickle and uncooperative. Wrestling with some device that doesn’t work is one of the last things that an educator wants to deal with when teaching. But for those of you who are receptive enough to consider that there may be tools available that can truly help your students, I would like to give you a better understanding of some of the potential classroom uses of some small handheld devices.

Handheld computers, also known as PDAs, or personal digital assistants, are commonly available in either Palm OS or Pocket PC formats. These are the two predominant operating systems. Currently, there is a bit of controversy regarding which platform is best. Personally, I have no opinion about which platform is better, but I find myself more familiar with the Pocket PC format, because of its similarity to Microsoft Windows. My advice to anyone considering either platform is to figure out what you want to accomplish with the device, and then see what software is available to meet your specific needs.

PDAs made their biggest initial impact in the corporate world. The devices were used primarily as schedulers because the calendar could easily be shared with others. One of the key tools of the calendar function of a PDA is that it includes a notification system that reminds the user of a pending appointment. While not the inventor of the PDA, (Apple Computer, Inc. coined the term PDA for one of the earliest versions—the Newton) Palm, Inc. is commonly recognized as the company that brought the PDA into the mainstream.

Some of the features that make PDAs useful in a business environment work effectively in a classroom setting as well. Some examples are:

• The schedule function can be very useful to students struggling with time management skills.
• The use of a calendar function with alarms can help students with their organization skills.
  
• Timers can be used to keep a student on task.
  
• Devices can be used as note takers, either with or without an external keyboard.
  
• Most devices have some sort of handwriting recognition program available (Grafitti in Palm OS, Notes in Pocket PC).
  
• Curricular content in digital format can be processed and converted to an MP3 format, then downloaded to the PDA so the student can listen to the material. This is helpful for those students with reading difficulties.
  
• eBooks can be downloaded and read on PDAs.
  
• Built in calculators and hundreds of software applications are available, many at no cost.

PDAs are not for everyone. Due to the small size of the screen, students with a visual impairment may not be able to effectively use a PDA; however, newer PDAs may have a version of DECtalk speech capability, allowing content on the screen to be read to the user. Also, the small controls may be difficult to manipulate for students with fine motor limitations.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local ATRC.

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