Handhelds
are an affordable way for classrooms to achieve one-to-one computing!
As you can see from learninginhand.com and GoKnow there
are countless ways teachers
can use available
software for
teaching and learning. However, there are so many applications
teachers wish they had but don't. Below I've listed Willowdale Elemetary
School's software wish list. Some of the applications
are simple
drill
and skill, while others are more complex.
I
know there are many developers and programming enthusiasts out there
ready to create educational Palm applications. I don't know much
about programming, but I'm willing to help in any way I can. Willowdale
students would be more than happy to test the applications and give
feedback. These
new applications could help handheld-toting students
around the world learn things like parts of speech, long division,
and grammar.
Some
of the applications on my wish list might already be available but
not as freeware. In order for classrooms to afford one-to-one computing,
the software should be free or inexpensive. My classroom and many
others are lucky enough to have the handhelds; we're not lucky enough
to have a large budget for software.
If
you're a programmer please consider helping out my classroom and
many other classrooms by taking a stab at developing free software
from the wish list below. Please send me an email if you decide to
work on
an application: learninginhand@mac.com.
Teachers, email me your ideas! They just might turn into real Palm
applications!
I'll
add more to the wish list periodically. I've made mock-up screens
in a graphics program to give an idea of what some of the application
might look like. If you're programming an application below, feel
free to develop your own application name, features, and screens.
The wish list is just a collection of suggestions. All the time and
effort on any educational application is so very much appreciated!
Wishlist items are also posted in this forum:
http://learninginhand.com/forums/viewforum.php?id=9
Click
here to see some of the applications that have been developed from this list!
Tony
Vincent
Technology Integration Specialist
Willowdale Elementary School
Omaha, Nebraska
   Polling
Place
Polling Place is instant polling software. Here's how it works:
a student inputs a polling question with up to six responses.
The question is then beamed to other students' handhelds. The
other students select a response and beam the response back to
the original student. He or she can then view the results of the
poll. This will be useful for both students and teachers. This application is currently under development. |
Fractions
and Decimals Applications
Janine Winkler, a fifth grade teacher in Traverse City, Michigan
sent in this recommendation for any fraction or decimal software:
We use
Percent
Table, which I found at Freewarepalm.com, to explore relationships
between Percents and fractions. I am looking for a more
visual program which will draw both shaded shapes and groups
of items to show half, one third, etc. Students could
select a numerator between zero and 10 and a denominator between
1 and 10; then the handheld would produce a visual representation
to correspond with the fraction. Another thought is
that tenths and hundredths could be represented with graph-paper
type shapes. Four hundredths, .04, 4%, or 4/100 is prompted
by the handheld. The student responds by tapping four
tiny squares out of the hundred on the screen to represent
the given quantity.
|
 Roundster
Many students need practice with rounding all place values.
This application would present students with a random number
and place value to round to. It would be great if students could
select which place values they will practice (millions, hundred-thousands,
ten-thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens, ones, tenths, hundredths,
thousandths, ten-thousandths). Roundster should let students
go to the next problem until they answer the current problem
correctly. Also, keeping a score (that can be reset) would be
helpful for teachers and students. This
application is currently being developed!
|
 DivideIt
With DivideIt, students practice long division. With
randomly generated problems, students not only fill in the answer
(with remainders), but also the step involved for the problem.
A students taps each box to enter a number. In order to get the
problem correct, all the boxes should be filled in with correct
numbers. DivideIt shouldn't let students proceed to another problem
until the current problem is answered correctly. There could be
a reset score/get a new problem functions for students who get
stuck. This same idea could be used for MultiplyIt to
help students with large multiplication problems. |
 Geoboard
Geoboards are a tool that are used to help teach area. It's a
pegboard and students put rubber bands around the pegs. They can
make a variety of shapes. This Palm application is a virtual geoboard.
Students can make various shapes using a virtual rubber band.
Geoboard calculates the area. An interesting option could
be for students to calculate the area and then check to see if
they calculated correctly. Geoboard could be modeled
after the Java geoboards on this
page. |
