Handling Handhelds

Isn't it wonderful when the network is down and we try to have a technology night? Let's hope things go a little more smoothly next week. To help prepare for our Palm basics training night, let's plan ahead on how to best use our 2 hour time slot to help the teachers participating leave feeling confident in basic handheld skills.

I'll start the basic plan for the session:

• Power On/Off
• Stylus
• Navigation into apps and back home
• Notepad and beam notes
• Three ways to input text: Grafitti, wireless keyboards, and on-screen keyboard
• Contacts
• Calendar
• Tasks
• Beam apps
• Reset options
• Synchronization

What else do we need to make sure we cover before Mike Curtis comes? What things do you think are most helpful in making you feel like a confident handheld user in a short amount of time? Share your ideas by posting comments to this blog.

By the way...
To access additional information about Quizzler after tonight's exploration of the app and quiz-making possibilities, visit our "Handling Handhelds" website and click on links. This should help it make more sense.

http://www.esu8.org/~oneill/km/handhelds/links.htm

1. ALL:
Tell me one use you would have in your classroom for each of the following "Can't Live Without" Apps:

• Docs to Go
• eReader (or Palm Reader)
• Sketchy
• Quizzler

2. NOVICE: Tell me one additional app that you explored this afternoon that you especially were excited about:

PROS: What do you think will be our biggest challenge/struggle with the management ideas we brainstormed together this afternoon?

3. ALL: If you could only choose one or the other between Avant Go and Fling it, which one would you choose and why?

O'Neill Elementary is a public K-6 school in rural northeast Nebraska. We teach over 350 spectacular students each day and pride ourselves on many strengths...one being technology.

Comment on one thing you learned or one goal you have after completing our first Handhelds class session.