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.