Free Games

Part of the allure of handheld computing to both kids and adults are games. There are some great puzzle, logic, and strategy games for both Palm and Windows Mobile. I think the educational value of these types of games are underestimated (take a look at some videos my students did a couple of years back).

While on break, you may be looking for games that are less educational. The best known software company for handheld games is Astraware. Astraware makes addicting games like Bejeweled, Fish Tycoon, Text Twist, and Bookworm, Although you can demo any Astraware game for free, these applications cost between ten and twenty dollars each.

Astraware does off some of their older Palm games for free! Currently there are five free titles offered. Bang! Bang! is a game where you shoot targets to win ammunition and points. Biplane Ace is another shooting game where planes attempt to shoot each other down. Round Up is a strategy/puzzle game where you try to move marbles to their proper places in as few moves as possible. TacTic is similar to Tic Tac Toe. Instead of getting three in a row to win, you are given a larger board and your goal is a get as many points as you can by making the most lines before the board fills up.

The fifth free game may prove to be the most useful in classrooms. T-Blaster is a lot like Giraffe, where you enter Graffiti or type on a keyboard. The objective is to enter the falling text before it hits the ground. This is great for practicing text entry or keyboarding. Like all Astraware games, this one has great graphics.

There is a catch to this free software. You must register the software by supplying Astraware with your handheld's HotSync username. This is easy enough for registering software on one handheld. However, if you plan to use this on a class set of handhelds, be prepared to enter lots of names and registration codes.

Unfortunately, Astraware does not yet offer any free Pocket PC games. So here's a page from PocketGear with lots of freeware games. Enjoy!

Animation Software

The above animation is by Richard, a student in Jason Jaffe's sixth grade class at Mill Creek Elementary School in Warrington, Pennsylvania. Richard used NoviiAnimator to create his amazing cartoon. Novii sponsored a Christmas Drawing contest, and Richard's was picked as the winner. Mr. Jaffe's class is starting to dabble in podcasting so you can listen to a minute-long interview with Richard, recorded on a Palm Zire 72. View or download all of the animations entered into the contest from NoviiAnimator's Gallery page.

NoviiAnimator is a great alternative to GoKnow's Sketchy. It is packed with features and you can try it for free. Right now it's on sale for $13.95 per handheld. I'd suggest contacting Novii and asking for a classroom quote. There's a Windows program that will convert the animation into GIFs that can be used on web sites and slide shows. To get an idea of how NoviiAnimator works, check out the tutorial. Sorry Windows Mobile users, NoviiAnimator is only for the Palm OS 3.5 and above (and, unfortunately, cannot be installed with a Macintosh computer).

For Pocket PC users, there's a Windows Mobile version of Sketchy. There's also Pocket FlipBook ($19.95) and Flip It! ($4.99). I could not find any free animation programs for Pocket PC, but you can demo each of these programs at no cost.

For Palm users, there are free alternatives to NoviiAnimator and Sketchy. Schools are using AnimateMe! and Animator. However, these free applications do not have nearly as many features as the commercial programs (and tend to crash on newer handhelds).

Whichever software you choose to use, animation applications allow students to express themselves and the curriculum in fun and creative ways!

Congratulations Curtis Family!

Great news! Mike Curtis, my Soft Reset co-host and fellow handheld enthusiast, is now a father! Mike and his wife Beckie have been pregnant with twins and the boys have finally arrived. Look at how many Palm applications there are about babies that Mike can now put to good use! Mike writes:

Greetings everyone,

Beckie and I had a wonderful weekend bringing our twin boys into the world. I've put together a simple website with more information and photos, but the basic info is that they induced labor late Wednesday night and the babies didn't arrive until Friday morning. It was a long and painful time, but in the end, everything worked out and all are healthy. We spent the weekend in the hospital getting a crash course in parenthood, and we’ve really been enjoying these initial days.

Colin MacIntyre was first (6:40 am) and weighed 6 lbs and 10 oz and was a little over 21”
Owen Parker was 6 lbs, 2 oz. (6:52 am) and measured a little over 20”

We want to thank you for being a part of our lives. Our door and hearts are always open.

For a little timeline of photos and captions, see www.michaeljcurtis.com/babysite.htm.

Happy Holidays!
Mike and Beckie

Soft Reset #7: Podcasting Workshop

Soft Reset Show #7 is about podcasting. Tony conducted a day-long podcasting workshop for a group of eager educators at the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania. Workshop participants created segments to be included in this podcast. Some segments are reviews of educational podcasts while other segments are about other topics. They are fun to listen to and give you a small sampling of the variety of things that can be done on podcasts.

Show Notes:

• Cory from Winnsboro, Louisiana introduces the show. His computer science teacher, Debbie Lyles, is diving into podcasting. Students in Cory's class are using their Palm Zire 72s to record podcasts about historical events.
• Tony's Tip: Help combat the liquid you by having students practice saying, "can't you, won't you, don't you."
• ShakespeareCast.
• Lansing Library Youth News.
• Learn Out Loud podcast directory.
• Radio WillowWeb.
• The Tech Teachers.
• LMSD Podologue.
• Thanks to Apple for sponsoring this workshop.
• My apologies to those whose segments did not get included. I had technical troubles with at least one recording.
• Leave a voicemail for us to play on the show! 206-333-1942
• Email Tony and Mike at softresetpodcast@gmail.com.

Enjoy the show! Click an icon below to listen or subscribe.

Read All About It!

This weekend the Associated Press released the article Gradeschoolers Learning on Handhelds. The article was reprinted in dozens and dozens of newspapers around the globe, including USA Today, Winnipeg Sun, and BusinessWeek Online. The article mentions handheld use in Olathe, Kansas, Yankton, South Dakota, and Eugene, Oregon. It focuses on Regan Veach's sixth grade classroom in a Kansas district where handhelds are being used with 4,000 students.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the article:

Worded well: "As school districts scout ways to engage students already accustomed to instant messaging and interactive video games, they're buying up the kind of tech tools once reserved for jet-setting corporate executives."

Extremely interesting statistic: "Last year, a survey by Quality Education Data Inc. found that 28 percent of U.S. school districts offered handhelds for student and teacher use."

It's not all about tests: "Studies show that when used regularly, such media-rich instructional tools can work well to assess student performance."

Positive principal: "The overall achievement is rising and the Palms have been a piece in keeping our kids engaged."

According to the article, Robin Raskin, from FamilyPC magazine, worries that "students need to have some opportunity to digest material serially, like reading a book from end to end. A tiny screen might stop you from being an analytic thinker 'cause you just can't see enough of a thing at once." We know that as part of a continuum of classroom tools, ranging from pencils, to books, to desktops and laptops, handhelds are not always the best tool for the job. But, I do read plenty of eBooks and web sites on my own handheld and the smaller screen doesn't affect my comprehension of the material...

Since this article has been widely published, there are many blog posts written about it. I typed in the article title into Technorati, which searches blogs and displays the most recent entries first. Putting in "Gradeschoolers Learning on Handhelds" yields some results. For instance, one blog gives the article a humorous subtitle: "Gradeschoolers Learning on Handhelds: PDAs like handholding still forbidden."

Handhelds were also in the news in Australia. Handhelds On Trial in Australian Schools appeared in December 8th's Sydney Morning Herald. Students in hundreds of Tasmanian and Victorian schools will be using Palm handhelds as part of a three-year study by the University of Tasmania. Andrew Fluck from the university is quoted, "I think there have been a lot of schools that have toyed with using laptops, but the idea of schoolkids carrying laptops around doesn't really work. These handhelds are pocket size and more appropriate to learning needs."

A teacher at one of the participating schools says that one of the key challenges will be preventing the students from using all the storage for music downloads. Well, unless the students are also provided with an SD card, the Zire 31s used in the study won't be storing any MP3s. From Palm's website: "MP3 playback requires an expansion card (sold separately) on all models except the Palm TX handheld, the Tungsten T5 handheld and the LifeDrive mobile manager." I personally think the key challenge is providing ongoing professional development for teachers.

It seems that handheld computing in schools is only becoming more popular. It's great that newspapers are educating the public about why schools want handheld computers!

December Mobile Learning News

Check out the December issue of Mobile Learning News from Western Illinois University. This issue is all about handhelds and science. You'll find information and links to probeware and software to support science instruction and inquiry. Watch for the January issue; it will be dedicated to handhelds and math. You can access the archives of Mobile Learning News, including the November issue dedicated to little old me.

Soft Reset #6: Economics

Soft Reset Show #6 is all about teaching economic concepts. Tony and Mike discuss three kinds of handheld applications for economics: calculators, games, and simulations. Dance with Tony as Mike plays music for us and listen to find out how Mike lost $11,000 worth of fish.

Show Notes:

• Robert, a second grader, from Lexington Elementary School in South Carolina introduces Tony and Mike. Thanks Robert!
• Tony's Tip: Pay attention to the included documents when downloading software, they could provide some useful directions--maybe even something you can copy and give to students.
• Mike's Tip: Perhaps you can put some commercial software on SD cards and have students share them. Make sure you check the license agreement and keep in mind that not all software can run from an SD card.
• Calculators: Inflation Master (Palm), Loan Calc (Windows Mobile), Mortgage Calc (Windows Mobile).
• Games: Lemonade Stand (Windows Mobile - $6), Lemonade Tycoon (Windows Mobile - $20), Fish Tycoon (Palm & Windows Mobile), Day Trader (Palm), Solar Wars (Palm), Space Trader (Palm) and Space Trader (Windows Mobile).
• Space Trader Lesson Plan & Other Lesson Plans
• Simulations: Sugar & Space (Palm).
• Music from The Freesound Project.
• Leave a voicemail for us to play on the show! 206-333-1942
• Email Tony and Mike at softresetpodcast@gmail.com.

Enjoy the show! Click an icon below to listen or subscribe.

Oh, The Irony!

Time's Up: Put Down Your iPods appeared in December 5th's Philadelphia Inquirer. The writer, Melanie Burney, explains how teachers and students in the Philadelphia area are using handheld technology. The article tells about the use of "Palm Pilots," iPods, blogs, and podcasting.

The Inquirer article is a fairly short read, but has some great ideas I can't help but quote:

• "With gadgets that students typically use to hear music or play games, educators are changing the face of education, starting with the youngest. They believe that with the technology, they can better engage students and boost achievement."
• "Technology 'should make teachers' jobs easier and learning more meaningful,'" according to Ken Hartman, director of academic affairs for eLearning at Drexel University.
• "Some teachers have found unexpected benefits in handheld computers. Students help one another with assignments, improving interpersonal skills and helping introverted pupils thrive in group settings."
• "'It's very challenging to keep their attention these days. The days of textbooks are over,'" says fifth grade teacher Domenick Renzi.

The article mentions that the Lower Merion School District has started a podcast for teacher professional development called Podologue. The first episode explores the role of technology in differentiated instruction. I've listened and the host has a genuine and professional sounding voice, so it's pleasant to listen to. [Click here to listen or subscribe to Podologue in iTunes.] Oh, and what a cool district to teach in--they are starting a project where some teachers will be given video iPods!

Five-hundred-eighty miles away, the Indianapolis Star ran iPod Popularity Stirs Tech Debate in the Classroom a day after the Inquirer piece was published. Lisa Renze-Rhodes' byline for the article is "Many metro-area schools bar the device, but others tolerate or even tout its use." The newspaper did a survey of 70 public schools in the area and and found that more than 50 have banned electronic devices during the school day. The Star gives a sampling of polices, ranging from confiscation of handheld devices to leaving up to teacher discretion. I worry about teacher discretion because too many teachers don't understand how the devices can be used for learning. The middle school where my former fifth graders attend leave it up to teacher discretion. Unfortunately, teacher discretion tends to be "you can use handhelds in other classrooms, but not mine."

At least one principal gets it. The Star quotes Robert Albano: "Part of our professional responsibility is to understand what each generation brings into our school building. Utilizing electronic devices (is) appealing to this generation. Our responsibility is to be on the edge, to take risks." Robert's school allows some use of MP3 players.

What's the big deal about allowing music players? High school student Michael Farah told the Star that listening music at school mirrors how he studies elsewhere. He is quoted, "If you want to get something done and you have your headphones on, it's pretty unlikely somebody will bother you."

Again, some adults just don't get it: another administrator says, "Study halls are to be used for studying. Students are not allowed to sleep (or) listen to music." It sounds as if he thinks listening to music is the same thing as sleeping! Hopefully this administrator reads the quote from Michael, the multi-tasking high school student.

iPod Popularity Stirs Tech Debate in Classroom goes on to say that schools are concerned about theft and about keeping order--that's why they ban electronic devices. It's certainly ironic when some schools are exploring ways to fund projects that give handheld devices to students while other schools are taking them out of students' hands.

New Discussion Forums Are Here!

After pressure from several readers and conference-goers (you know who you are--and thanks for the nudge), I have added Discussion Forums to learninginhand! Different from a blog, discussion forums are a public place where users can post messages and where they can reply to messages. That means you can start the topic--you don't have to wait for me to blog about it!

What kinds of things can we expect in the discussion forums? I'm hoping to see things like:

• success stories
• software recommendations
• implementation questions and answers
• podcast reviews
• conference session summaries
• software wish lists
• veteran users coaching less experienced ones
• sharing of online resources
• connections among educators in different school buildings
• lesson and activity suggestions
• conference and workshop annoucements
• posts relating to material discussed in the Soft Reset podcast

Click here to visit the new Discussion Forums! Since we're just starting out, there aren't many posts...yet. So take some time to register and post. You'll be glad you did.

For Your Reading Pleasure

There have been a few short articles on TechLearning.com this month about handhelds. TechLearning's PDQ (Professional Development QuickTips) has a page for setting up your handhelds. Since it is a QuickTip, there isn't much detail, but the page does offer good delimitations of freeware, shareware, and commercial software for handhelds. Another TechLearning PDQ is PDAs in the Classroom. This QuickTip discusses handhelds as a solution to one-to-one computing. It specifically mentions one of my favorite learning applications, Quizzler. Check out three years worth of QuickTips on the Archive page.

The IT Guy is another regularly updated section of TechLearning.com. The most current The IT Guy is by Wesley Fryer called iPods in the Classroom? It gives reasons why iPods are a viable platform for content delivery and creation in schools. iPods in the Classroom? is also a short article and gets its point across quickly.

Also published this month is Smart Technologies' Interactive Educator. Like Edutopia and Technology & Learning Magazine, The Interactive Educator is a free publication that can be snail mailed to your home or school. Check out pages 38 and 39 for an article written by gadget guru Kathy Schrock. "All the Rage for a Reason" gives reasons why handhelds are a great solution for education. This article may give you some helpful talking points (as if you didn't have enough already) for convincing others to fund putting handhelds in your school. Kathy suggests top-of-the-line handheld hardware like the Palm LifeDrive or HP's iPAQ rx3715. (Unfortunately, my school could never afford such luxuries--and we like our Tungsten Es just fine.)

Happy Reading!

Blog Reading Tips

There's over a year's worth of blogging in nearly 200 posts on learninginhand.com! You may not have realized it, but all of those posts are archived. When on the main blog page, only the most recent posts are displayed. To access the archived content, simply click the links on the right. For instance, clicking October 2004 will bring up blog posts about using flash cards in fun ways, a site for using Excel for unexpected tasks, and more. Clicking April 2004 will bring up a post with a link to pictures kindergartners were so kind to draw of me.

Beginning in June 2005, I switched to using the free Blogger service for this blog. This allows readers to add comments to posts. In orange below each post, you'll see a comment number. If there are comments, click the orange link for the date the the entry was posted; the comments will appear below the entry. The readers of this blog are so very insightful, so take some time to read their comments. Many times the comments include incredibly useful tips or great software suggestions.

Selecting Search from learninginhand's menu will search all pages in the site, including blog posts. Try searching for the terms "Soloway" and "pose" for a really entertaining blog entry.

Thanks for continuing to read my blog week after week. I can only hope it is as much fun to read as it is to write!

More Than Just Palm & Pocket PC

Handheld computing is certainly not limited to just Palm and Windows Mobile computers. Let's look at some other handheld computers for students...

With podcasting and add-on voice recorders, iPods and other mp3 players (here's one for $50) are finding their way into classrooms. Apple provides lesson plans and resources for using iPods in education. iPod use is not limited to just audio–iPods can store calendar items, an address book, and text notes. Apple even has instructions on pushing these notes out to other iPods. I didn't realize it, but these notes can contain links to other text or audio files. Very cool.

Not yet released is Fourier Systems' Nova 5000. Fourier calls it a "learning applicance" that fills the gap between laptops and handhelds. It has a 10" color LCD display, USB ports, a card slot, built-in ports for data loggers, and runs a version of Windows Mobile. It's built for students and has a sturdy, rugged design. Supposedly the Novas 5000 will cost around $400 when finally released.

How about a laptop for $100? That's the goal of MIT's Nicholas Negroponte. The ultra-cheap laptop is green with a yellow hand crank (for recharging). It's being designed for ownership by children in developing nations with the hope of providing a laptop for every child on Earth. It has a 7 inch screen that swivels like a Tablet PC. It runs all open-source software to keep the costs very low. Andy Carvin has posted an 8-minute video online. He talks with the chief technology officer of the MIT project. Read more about this idea in A Laptop For Every Kid on Wired.com.

Leapfrog has been producing the iQuest Handheld for about two years. Retailing for $50, the iQuest Handheld is for children ten years and older. There are various game modes for students to use when studying subjects in school. In fact, LeapFrog has correlated content for the iQuest Handheld with major textbooks. You'll need to buy subject specific cartridges at $15 each.

Last month LeapFrog released its FLY Pentop Computer. It's not a desktop, laptop, or palmtop–it's a pen! The FLY uses special dot matrix paper ("FLY Paper") to read what a student writes. For instance, writing a "C" and then circling it starts calculator mode. With its built-in speaker (or optional ear buds) the pen will then instruct you to draw a calculator on paper. After drawing the calculator, just tap the buttons with the pen and then the FLY will tell you the answer. The FLY also has a scheduler and various games you can play. You can even draw a set of drums and keyboard and then play them! With additional cartridges ($25-$35), students can enter their own spelling words and practice them, translate words to and from Spanish, and work through multiplication and division problems. The FLY Pentop Computer is $99 and a 60 notebook of FLY Paper is $10. You've got to check out LeapFrog's online demo of the FLY. It really is an amazing piece of technology. However, for $99 you could get a Palm Z22.

There are so many ways to put learning in the hands of students. Heck, there's even a cell phone that lets kids earn extra minutes by playing learning games. Currently, Palm and Windows Mobile computers seem to be the most versitile since they have computing platforms where anyone can development software. However, task-specific handhelds can be great learning tools as well. Whatever the "handheld," students are able to interact with content, organize information, and communicate with powerful devices that can fit in their hands.