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February 15, 2002
A Report Card on Handheld Computing
By Jean Shields and Amy Poftak
Due to an appealing confluence of power, portability, and price, handheld computers are gaining momentum in schools. We've gathered reports from pioneers in the field to help you explore the pros and cons.
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| Today's handhelds support a number of educational applications, from graphing calculator software to SAT prep programs. |
More powerful than that first Macintosh or Windows computer now propping open the janitorial supply closet, more functionally agile than a graphing calculator, and less expensive than a laptop but offering the same one-to-one computing ratio, the handheld computer may just become the technology that revolutionizes the face of learning.
Or not. Banned in some districts as a threat to classroom order and student integrity, a harbinger of electronically enabled cheating, the handheld computer is not universally enamored by educators. Many are casting a justifiably jaded eye on what they see as a business-world technology being somewhat uncomfortably forced into service as "the next big thing" for education.
Yet the potential of handhelds for K-12 education is intriguing. Svelte devices, with weight measured in ounces, not pounds, handhelds offer portability while at the same time packing enough computing power for writing, crunching numbers, and surfing the Web. Unique technical characteristics such as infrared beaming offer opportunities for real-time student collaboration, and with pricing near half the cost of a laptop, the days of one computer for every student may be tantalizingly close at hand.
But while pioneering efforts proceed in pockets around the country, the issues surrounding handhelds and how well suited they are for education continue to be debated.
Next: A Short History of a Small Device
Potentials for Schools
Integrating Handhelds into Instruction
Still a Few Kinks
Read other articles from the February Issue
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