9

9-19-05

For informational purposes only,

I attached a report by netday.org that utilized kids' ideas and wishes for the future of education with technology. The report is called Visions 2020.2 and is available by clicking on

http://www.netday.org/

It is on the right column under "student voices" at the bottom (download the visions report).

It is rather long (30 pgs!) and I have to admit that I mostly skimmed, but what impressed me most is how many of the areas we are addressing or have the power to address with handheld computers. Take a look and see what you think!

katie

9-18-05

As we discussed last week, we will not have class this Tuesday, but look to make up the time as the year continues with the "grant" work/training nights, etc.

For this Wednesday night's class (7:00-9:00p.m.) come prepared to teach an app. (Something we have not already learned about, but that you think would be beneficial in teaching or learning.) You can use the models I gave last week, or develop your own, but I am sure a handout of some kind with similar questions answered would be beneficial to participants.

Please email me before Wednesday and let me know which app you want to share-- or if you can' t think of one, I'll give you one to play with and share with the class on Wednesday.

Other items of business for Wed. will include collaboratively creating a survey (probably in email format) that we can each send out to a teacher outside our area who currently uses handhelds. Before next Wednesday (28th) I would like each of us to try and gather info or answers to these questions via email.

Looking ahead to the end of this course makes things seem urgent! I would love any input on possible mini action research projects that you think you could conduct in your classrooms with handhelds... (for example, unit 1 without palms compared to unit 2 with palms; or last year's Civil War unit without palms compared to this year's with Palms; or something even simpler that is somewhat measurable in your area that could support handheld use in the classroom). Obviously you would not be able to complete this "research" until the class is over, but even if you have an idea, I would be willing to analyze whatever data you collect later in the year.

The final big project on the assignment/scoring rubric for the class is the integrated lesson. This should not be just an app, but rather an instructional unit with its goals directly carried out through handheld learning activities. We need some time to put our heads together on this (as Kelly mentioned last week). I would love for everyone to have an idea of a unit in mind by our Oct. grant training night. We can then use the resources given to us (each other, the books on handhelds with sample integrated lessons, emails with Mike Curtis or our interviews, the grant work/training night in November, etc.) to develop the unit,and make it a goal to actually teach the unit before Christmas. We won't necessarily have to meet to share the units, but through the website I could post them and use them as models for when other teachers not in this class have to come up with ideas later in the year. (I'm sure that I won't have to hand in grades for this Doane course until Decemeber).

It has been a whirlwind September, hasn't it? I know that possibly we aren't as far as I would have hoped in some areas (troubleshooting, line-of-command when troubles arise, standaridized software and PAAM, for example), but in other areas I think we're doing really well (student tech team initiated, all 5th and 6th graders can do basic operations, and no one has quit their job because of the Palms, YET!) You guys have been so great about letting all this new stuff come fast and furiously, and doing the best you can with it. Hopefully we can all continue the learning journey at our own pace, use each other as resources, and not let the end of the Doane class be the end of trying ot do new and better things with technology FOR KIDS!

Thanks for reading my long email!
Katie

P.S.: To Jeanne, Kevin, and Kathy: You three are now officially designated the "Contacts" for 7th grade Palms. They are in, as you may have heard, and are being charged as we speak. Maureen will install basic apps with a Deploy card and do an initial hotsync on all of them before she delivers them to the high school to "check out". You guys need to let her know what hot sync names you wish them to have (Maybe a 7th grade class list with hotsync names listed beside it?) You can email this to her at hccomputer@quest.net. Also, if you think about it, would you email me copies of any documents you create for use with 7th graders (the revised contract, policies and procedures, etc.)? Thanks a bunch!

9-11-05

Are everyone's brains "spinning" from last week as much as mine? The plan for this week is not completely finalized but I will send a rough outline. We are still planning on Wednesday night from 7:00 -9:00 p.m. for this week's session.

1. Discussion on protective cases for transporting Palms.

2. Review what we learned with Mike... in particular the GoKnow suite and PAAM.

3. Sharing of some current struggles- small and large.

4. Example of teaching an app: I'll demonstrate, we'll learn that app and see a sample lesson plan/objectives with the Palm

5. Explore already-created lesson plans with Palm apps (books and websites)

6. Assign/sign-up for apps for demonstration for next week.

7. Begin to think about interview questions for teachers outside the district who currently use handhelds (Field Experience). We can search the web for email addresses of "victims" if we have extra time.

Finally, sometime before class, think of the first Palm app or lesson you will try with your students for your content area (i.e. not just Giraffe or beaming a business card, but maybe "Silly Sentences to teach parts of speech" or "Quizzler to review unit 1 vocab" or "MathAce to review basic math facts" or "eReader to distribute a short story for class." Some of you have actually already done this, others are still waiting on student Palm access. What will be your first goal to tackle? I would like you to post this decision on the Class Blog: http://handlinghandhelds.blogspot.com . THANKS!

Let me know if I'm forgetting anything,

Katie

9-5-05

Handheld (Doane) class probably won't get started until 4:00 tomorrow night as there is a SAT mtg I have to attend at 3:35 p.m. Feel free to come and get started whenever, but I'll start the teaching part of "talking between the handheld and the computer" at 4:00. After I demonstrate several things I'll have an activity list that you can choose from .. Some of you may wish to work on the activities at your classroom or home computer as to really see if you can get them to work or not. Some may rather stay close and use a computer nearby in case of questions. No matter what, let's try to wrap it up by 5:30 p.m. Mike is here Wednesday and Thursday morning. I know I need to start writing down the questions I have for him so I don't forget them while he's here to show us!

Here's to a 4-day week!
-Katie

8-28-05

The plan for this week for "Palm class":