09-23-2003, 05:00 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Schools Set Rules On Classroom PDAs
Here's a hairy situation if there's ever been one, especially as handheld devices get more powerful. 
"For better or worse, handheld devices and laptops are now seen as essential back-to-school supplies for students across America. And many schools have only begun to weigh their educational benefits against their potential for text messaging, photo swapping, cheating and chatting. In the heart of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto High School junior Anna Luskin freely uses her cell phone in between classes. Senior Sean Slattery taps notes into his personal digital assistant as his teachers give lectures. And like many other students, senior Stav Raz has memorized her cell phone keypad so she doesn't even have to look at it while quietly messaging friends during class."
Of course, back in my day, we didn't have cell phones and PDAs -- the little Sharp databanks were about it. What do you think schools should do regarding PDAs and other potentially connected, virtually-infinite-store devices?
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09-23-2003, 05:27 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,049
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I think it is great that the technology is being used at schools. There will always be situations where students dont use it for notes, etc, but that is to be expected. If they attempt to keep out the technology from the school it will only hurt them. I think in the long run it is good for the students to have access to technology to improve their life styles I wish when I was in high school there would have been a big push for all of this. I was out in 87
__________________
"Do not try. Do or Do Not. There is no try"Yoda, Empire Strikes Back
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09-23-2003, 05:32 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 192
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Wirless PDAs will take hold in schools probably even more than graphing calculators, cell phones and pagers. An I think it's great.
In my high school days we had slide rules (I'm not kidding!). The first HP pocket calculator (RPN) was released when I was a senior. The big question in college...did you wear your TI calculator on your belt or keep it in your backpack? (Mine was in my backpack next to my backup slide rule).
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09-23-2003, 05:49 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 28
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It is defenitely obvious that there will be people that use the PDA for other things during school. I use mine during computer science lecture (talk about boring, lights dimmed in a comfortable lecture hall seat with the prof going through pages of C code on the projector...ugh) to surf the web in order to stay awake. I'm just glad my school has a wireless network. I do however use my PPC to take notes and keep track of my schedule as well as other appointments. It's a great all around tool which will inevitably find it's place in public schools. In about 5 or 10 years people will probably be saying "I remember when all I had was a TI-83 graphing calculator" much like people now are saying "I remember when all I had was a slide rule" (sorry Terry). By the way, my graphing calculator is in my backpack right next to my 5455. I think i'm finished now.
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09-23-2003, 06:20 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 593
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Don't see a problem with it, in high school and below, good teachers will spot those who are disrupted by technology and know when they have cheated on a test. As far as University studies, as long as the student isn't disrupting others they should bear the responsiblity of paying attention or not (just as they have the responsibility to even show up).
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09-23-2003, 06:27 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 47
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Cheating
As the technology moves forward so does the cheating. A guy sitting next to me in my physics class in coledge was using his Pocket PC (after showing the teacher the calculator program on it) in order to take a test. He then proceeded to use MSN Messenger to ask a friend for answers for all of the questions that he didn't know.
He got caught and expelled.
The teacher now is afraid of anything PDA related. She has been turned off to the whole idea of them and thinks them nothing more than cheating machines.
There has always been cheating, there always will be. People used to pass notes on paper and they didn't ban that from schools.
I agree that schools need to embrace the technology, but they also need to be aware of the possibilities and enforce the strict penalties.
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09-23-2003, 06:57 AM
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2000 Posts And This is All I Get?
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,017
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Ok, I am imagining a student wearing a contact lens equipped with a mini camera to capture and transmit test questions via GPRS/UMTS to a friend at home, and the friend send back the answer, which is directly displayed on the student's contact lens.
That will be awesome.
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09-23-2003, 07:11 AM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 150
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Of course PDAs will be used to do other things than take notes. However, pen and paper is also used to doodle, and to write notes to friends. I have a PPC in college and I think that its great. I'm organized, and I don't forget to do things, especially with all of my bills (CC, rent, cell phone, electricity, wow that just part of the list  ) I think that most would benefit from having one.
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09-23-2003, 08:34 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 734
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I read that article on Avantgo two days ago. It's a good piece.
I grew up with these devices. Back when I was starting high school.. this must've been.. 1995 or thereabouts, we didn't even have proper PC's, let alone PDA's. I grew up programming BASIC on a C64 or something like that 8O
Not long after I went to high school, I got my first "organiser" - and that was all it did - it was one of those Sharp databanks, a 10kb one. 10KB! I grew up to a Psion Siena, and got a Palm Pilot Professional somewhere in 1997 I think. I used it all the time, and teachers didn't mind. Most of them had trouble grasping the workings of a full size computer, and here was a thing with a touch screen, that could read books, track my appointments, and store a thousand adresses! Pure magic. This was like something straight out of Star Trek.
I had teachers and students come up to me and asked me what it was.. they were amazed!
Two weeks ago, I started my study of Journalism. Nowadays, I carry around something a bit beefier: an Ipaq 1915. And I still get those looks from classmates and teachers! And I absolutely love that, being the geek that I am
Yes, there is some cheating potential when it comes to always on devices which can wirelessly transmit data.. but then, there will always be cunning students. You can't stop it, and I for one think PDA's are a valuable tool in any classroom - they certainly are when I use mine!
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09-23-2003, 08:40 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 593
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TI calculators will always remain a powerful tool for cheaters. With a Pocket PC you can't even find a good program to do funcations you need to do when you deceide not to cheat.
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