Personal Digital Assistants and Online Surveys

Personal Digital Assistants
What are Personal Digital Assistants? How do you use them in classrooms?

Personal Digital Assistants, more commonly known as PDA’s, are portable handheld computers. They offer a variety of organization tools such as calendar, task list and memos. They can either run on a palm operating system of a windows operating system. Some of these devices have features such as: digital cameras, audio recording, USB ports, GPS, wireless internet and bluetooth. Applications can also be downloaded onto the PDA’s from the internet and can also be shared with others through bluetooth. PDA’s can be used in the classroom by using the educational applications such as “Count It” to teach students new skills. PDA’s can also be used in the classroom as an easy and quick way to record and share information. They can be used in scientific experiments to record and save data. The GPS function can be used in geocaching which is a real life treasure hunt that utilizes students’ problem-solving skills, mathematical thinking and mapping abilities. My mom actually uses a PDA in her kindergarten classroom to assess the student’s knowledge on the material. The students record their answers in the PDA and the information is sent to a computer. This ensures that the information is gathered quickly and accurately and that it is safely stored
Online Surveys
Why do we use online survey tools? How does it help us in our classrooms? What are 2 good rules for writing good surveys in your opinion? 

We use online survey tools because they are easily accessible and they reach a large audience. The first rule for writing good surveys is making sure that each question is stated clearly so that the person taking the survey understands the question and answers accurately. The second rule I would give for writing good surveys is to remain objective when creating survey questions and be careful to not word the questions in a way that will produce your desired answer. Providing clear and unbiased survey questions will result in more accurate data.
Conclusion

Using the tools listed above in the classroom will ensure that your students will be engaged in learning. PDA’s give students a chance to explore and use hands-on experiences to strengthen their problem-solving skills and help other students. Online Surveys allow teachers to get the opinions of students in a fast and efficient way. Students are given anonymity which gives them the comfort to respond truthfully to the questions asked. The use of PDA’s and Online Surveys in the classroom can be very beneficial to both the teacher and the student.

Reference

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Mara, R. M., & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education. Print.

Inspiration & Webspiration Classroom

The Inspiration program is truly amazing. It provides both students and teachers with the resources to improve the learning and teaching process of writing. This program allows students to take notes, organize information and structure their writing by using a hands-on approach. The visual diagrams help students formulate ideas and organize those ideas. Teachers can modify the diagrams and use them as a visual aid for their students. I would use Inspiration in my classroom because I know first hand how helpful outlines and idea webs can be. Every time I sit down to write a paper I brainstorm some ideas and put them down on paper. Inspiration would allow my students to brainstorm their ideas and apply them to a diagram. It also makes learning fun because it allows students to create and share. I think that Webspiration Classroom is also a very helpful resource because almost everybody has access to the internet and it allows the students and the teachers to be connected 24/7. Webspiration has some of the same concepts as Inspiration but it is based online. The projects made by the students can be shared with other students which is great because the students can learn from each other. Webspiration Classroom also allows the teacher to provide feedback in a timely manor. 

The type of writing activities that would make the best use of technology are the planning, organizing and peer editing activities. Programs like Inspiration enhance the planning and organizing steps of writing by allowing students to jot down their ideas and add them to a visual diagram. The peer editing process can be greatly improved by implementing technology such as Webspiration Classroom. Students can post their ideas online and have other students view their work and critique it. This can also be done through blogs, online discussion boards and email. Technology allows students to share information where ever and whenever. Teaching or presenting a subject to others not only benefits the audience but it also benefits the presenter. In high school my geometry teacher left to go to another school so we would have substitutes and replacements almost every week. It was very hard to learn from all of the different instructors so I taught myself out of the book then taught my classmates the concepts after class. After explaining each step to my peers several times I knew the material better than I had before. 

Technology can be very helpful when teaching and learning about the writing process. There are programs designed to engage students in their writing and allow them to create something that will help them learn and also help their peers learn. Web based programs like Webspiration allow students and teachers to interact with each other even when they are at home. Technology has become prevalent in our society and it is important that we use it in a positive way that will encourage learning and educate our students. 

Inspiration Software (2011, February 2). Inspiration videos and webcasts for
    using visual learning in your classroom [Video file]. Retrieved from 
    http://www.inspiration.com/videos/Inspiration

Inspiration Software (2011, February 2). Webspiration classroom service: 
   Improve writing and thinking skills [Video file]. Retrieved from 
   http://www.inspiration.com/webspirationclassroom 

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D.(2008). Meaningful 
    Learning with Technology (3rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson.