handheld technology: changing the way we teach & learn carolyn staudt the concord...

Handheld Technology: Changing the Way we Teach

& Learn

Carolyn Staudt The Concord Consortium/KidSolve™,

Inc. [email protected]

http://www.kidsolve.com/presentation.html

Copyright © 2003 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.


The Concord Consortium is a nonprofit educational research

and development organization based in Concord, Massachusetts.

We create interactive materials that exploit the power of

information technologies. Our primary goal in all our work is digital equity -- improving learning

opportunities for all students.

http://www.concord.org


Modeling Tools -- Enabling students to visualize the unobservable

Online Learning -- Democratizing education with anytime, anywhere learning

Probeware -- Developing new tools for data collection and analysis

Handhelds -- Moving closer to the promise of ubiquitous computing

Sustainable Development -- Confronting global issues with decision-making tools

Assessment Research -- Improving methods for measuring deep learning in science

Top Five Reasons to Use Handhelds


Reason #5: Seamless interactions…less expensive replacement for the desktop

computer in education

Reason #4: Networking…shared group collaborative whiteboard

Reason #3: Ubiquitous portability…replaces casual disjointed use of institutional computers

Reason #2: Intuitive…amazingly short learning curve

Reason #1: Digital equity…no child left behind without informational, computational, and

communication tools

Where is the value added?


Does ubiquitous technology empower students?

How can technology be an enhancement tolearning and not an intrusion?

How are we preparing students to face theproblems that they will encounter in the future?

Student Needs


• personal and portable device• ability to create, invent, imagine• useful outside the classroom• be a tool, yet feel like a toy• work is private/shared/published• promote reflection • multiple representations (graph, tables, animations) • multiple inputs (touch screen, optional keyboard, voice, camera, sensor)• multiple outputs (web page, paper, projection)

Teacher Needs


• total class participation• ease of use• no down time• inquiry-based activities and

applications• richer meanings of concepts and

student models• tight coupling to curriculum, standards• record process and end product• evaluate performance and response• reliable data transfer

Administrator Needs


• access instantly to student informationincluding schedules, medical and home records

• facilitate collaboration and productivity• provide pervasive, cost-effective

technology with no special labs or wiring

• enhance teacher assessments and evaluations

• improve organization and note-taking• evaluate and improve student

performance and response

Successful Integration


Technology• comfort with the technology• reasons to use technology• familiarity with the functions• trouble shooting skills

Classroom management• integration into existing

curriculum• group versus individual settings• changing the focus in the

classroomConceptual understanding

• making sense of data collected• improving understanding of

concepts• identifying misconceptions• promoting student questions• development of additional

activities


USight

http://www.concord.org/usight

• research• articles• Palm IIIc tutorial• bibliography• curriculum• application database• suppliers

USight

by Carolyn Staudt

The recent explosion of handheld computers - small, personal, portable computers with touch screens - has made its way into the education market. As part of the research of the Center for Innovative LearningTechnologies (CILT) Ubiquitous Computing Project, several initiatives at The Concord Consortium have started to study the grade-appropriate use of these computers with K-6 students.

A pilot study conducted this past summer was designed to see if younger grades would benefit in note taking and data collection on the Palm™ handheld computer. Using this type of computer with young students is untested ground, so we selected two classes in Massachusetts to pilot their use: a second grade at Morse School (Cambridge Public Schools) and a fifth grade at Farley School (Hudson Public Schools).

http://usight.concord.org/ Copyright © 2002 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

Classroom Management


• Students are engaged in inquiry by exploring their own environment.• Students are engaged in real research.

• Students learn contextual-instruction and work as part of learning community.• Students collect and analyze data or solve

problems of real use to themselves and others.



Ten Commandments of Technology Implementation 1 Inventory the computing needs

2 Focus on student learning

3 Honor the existing pedagogy of your teachers

4 Select a small pilot group of teachers

5 Provide ample time and money for professional development

6 Integrate into the existing curriculum

7 Supply meaningful technical support

8 Openly address classroom management concerns

9 Assess and communicate progress on a regular basis

10 Build an on-going support network(http://usight.concord.org/new/tcti.html )



• Tracking • Storing

• Insuring • Charging

• Contracting • Student Training

• Transporting • Updating

• Setting-up • Networking

Charging Cradles: (http://www.portsmith.com/products/index.shtml )

Concept Integration


Models and Data(http://www.concord.org/data-models )

TEEMSSTechnology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science

(http://www.concord.org/teemss )

Palm database In Education (PIE)

Share the excitement of using handheld computers in your classroom with

experienced teachers that are actively integrating Palm OS applications into their

curriculum.

http://pie.concord.org

Criteria for Reviews:• General Description/ URL• Subject Category• Recommended Users• Overall Opinion and Rating• Project Starters• Companion Applications• Correlations


Palm database In Education (PIE)

Presently posted:

• Astro • Children's Illustrated eTale• Convert-It!• Documents To Go• ImagiCalc• ImagiGraph• Peanut Reader• Pocket Express dBNOW• PowerOne Graph• PowerOne Scientific• praestoGRADE• QuickSheet • QuickChart• QuickWord• NoahLite• MobileDB


• ImagiSolve• Quizzler• ImagiLab• PrintBoy• TealPaint• NoahLite• Thesaurus• Thought Manager• Cooties• dbNow• Herbert’s Math Time• ImagiProbe2.0• FreeWrite• Student Assistant• WordSmith


USightOrganizing and Planning

* create a daily log and calculate per cent of time per activity* planning a team project including individual tasks, work dates, and presentation duties* organizing the bibliography for a research paper by scanning the ISBN bar codes* design a world trip that includes a schedule of different times zones, expense account,

distances covered between countries, etc. * track daily activity and exercise (heart rate, food intake, etc.) for a week* create diversity inventory of local trees, critters, etc. using bar codes

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reference Information

* compare and analyze topographical maps of your region* plan a field trip with a local street atlas* search a library of famous quotes and sayings* translate an e-mail or letter from a foreign pen pal* research web pages that pertain to the solar system or the Civil War or...* use a thesaurus and word spell to enhance your writing

http://usight.concord.org/


USight

Referencing Information

Organizing and Planning


USightData Gathering

* create a personal field guide of familiar locations * design and perform a on-the-spot survey * map your location with portable GPS during a field study* record bird sounds throughout the day* compare real-time graphs of a low-g accelerometer while

on a roller coaster in the front and back seats* collect your pulse rate while bicycling up and down hills* track local athletic events and statistics* record and graph changing light conditions with a solar cell and voltmeter throughout the day

* collect a time lapse video of movements of ants during the day

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Data Manipulation and Display

* display functions on graphing calculator* use a document reader and editor to create a report * gather interview information, chart it, and view percentages* scan bar codes of products in local stores and find the cost of a

standard market basket* sketch and paint your local stream during different seasons* create a photo album of your siblings as they grow up* chart local weather conditions as they change with the seasons* annotate sketches or photos of an investigation* create a timeline of events during World War II



USight

Data Gathering

Data Manipulation and Display

USight


Individual Learning

* design and use a self-evaluative student checklist for assessment* create self-quizzes with flashcards or multiple choice or true-or-false questions* read a book below a tree in the park or on a sail boat or...* keep track of questions or thoughts throughout the day to explain your own thought models * share progress reports between your teacher and your parents* produce a student portfolio of your best achievements during a year

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communicating and Collaboration

* beam activity notes to partner or group members* control relays (IR) for robots or appliances in greenhouses or fish hatcheries* moving unwanted fish in your simulated pond to your partner's pond* transfer homework and assignments to your teacher* jointly write a story with team members* read and share ideas about selected articles from the web* become a historical figure and share clues about a historical figure

between group members until they guess who you are* share graphs and charts of an investigation


USight


Individual Learning

Communicating and Collaboration

Wireless Communications

DataGotchi

• student ownership

• student responsible for their own learning

• student sharing with others (classmates, classes, schools, community, countries)

• student comparison

• student evaluation


http://www.cilt.org/images/DataGotchi.pdf

Concept IntegrationProbeSightProvides research, articles, links for data collection deviceshttp://probesight.concord.org

ImagiWorks (Palm)Provides suite of math tools, note-taking and sensor (probe) interfacehttp://www.imagiworks.com

DataHarvest (Pocket PC)Provides EasySense Flash sensor interfacehttp:///www.dataharvest.com

Cutting Edge SoftwareProvides spreadsheet and data visualization for importing datahttp://www.cesinc.com


ProbeSight


• research• articles• sample activities• bibliography• curriculum • suppliers

http://probesight.concord.org/

Successful Integration


Technology• comfort with the technology• reasons to use technology• familiarity with the functions• trouble shooting skills

Classroom management• integration into existing

curriculum• group versus individual settings• changing the focus in the

classroomConceptual understanding

• making sense of data collected• improving understanding of

concepts• identifying misconceptions• promoting student questions• development of additional

activities

The bottom line is...


Will technology tools help us make the kids think? Do they help to empower students?

Can teachers and students become researchers?

Does the handling of technology need specialized skills?

If so, are we learning and teaching them?

Ubiquity in technology changes the focus in the classroom...

Handheld Technology: Changing the Way we Teach

& Learn

Carolyn Staudt The Concord Consortium/KidSolve™,

Inc. [email protected]

http://www.kidsolve.com/presentation.html
