District Administration - Education In Hand - June 2006 - (Page 26)

CASE HISTORY: THE TEXAS PANHANDLE 1:1 Computing at the Elementary Level in Texas Handheld program for reading and math includes 3,200 third- through fifth-grade students in Amarillo BY J.D. SOLOMON ne-to-one computing $2 million to pay for the units, The biggest benefit from using O may be a goal at software and training. Palm handhelds appears to be in many schools across When comparing the Palm practice tasks. We've had students the country, but it's operating system with other consistently getting perfect scores a way of life at 22 systems on other devices, we chose on the spelling tests with the elementary campuses in the Texas Palm hands-down because there handhelds, as opposed to much Panhandle, where students are is so much more Palm-related poorer grades with the old system using Palm handhelds for reading educational software out there, of flashcards and worksheets, and math instruction every day. Baumgardner explains. Voran says. The initiative to bring Palm- We're in the digital age with The Palms have been a great based instructional technology to these kids, says Heather Voran, tool to help reinforce lessons schools in the Texas Panhandle an instructional technology by using hands-on activities to was spearheaded by the Amarillo- specialist at Region 16 Educational enhance learning in both reading based Region 16 Education Service Service Center. They grew up and math, says Jim Knight, Center, which provides training with electronics and a lot of these principal of Baker Elementary and other centralized services to programs are in a game format, School in Canadian, Texas, in regional school districts. but they're very instructional. The a report posted on his school's In Texas we are mandated to children are so busy having fun, Website. The vocabulary building move to a one-to-one computing trying to win or beat the machine, has been tremendous as well as the environment, but it's just too that they don't realize how much math speed games. expensive to do that with laptop they're learning. Although the grant for acquiring computers, says Paulette Region 16 uses, among other new Palm computers and software Baumgardner, coordinator of handheld applications, Beret's has expired, Baumgardner says that instructional technology for the Study Buddy: Vocabulary , the Region 16 Education Service Service Center. With handhelds, Herbert's Math Time , Fraction Center will continue to support you can have computing Math Time and CrossWord participating districts with ongoing technology on a one-to-one basis Time www.beret.com . professional development and without a horrendous expense. Although it is too early to technical help. The Service Center's program determine if the Palm computing We're now starting to see to bring Palm handhelds to the program in the Texas Panhandle other school districts in the region region's elementary schools has contributed to higher scores getting on board with Palms, as dubbed PAALM, for Panhandle on standardized tests, Voran says well, she notes. As far as I can Academic Advancement in Literacy that feedback from teachers and see, the future is just beginning for handhelds in the classroom. and Math was initially funded principals has been favorable. For in 2003 through a technology the majority of teachers, who are grant from the Texas Education using the Palms consistently, we The author is a freelance JUNE 2006 Agency. Over the life of the three- have seen a definite change in writer. He can be reached at year grant, the program received student learning, she adds. jdsolomon@marketerinabox.com 26 E D U C A T I O N IN H A N D TexasFINAL.indd 26 5/12/06 12:59:55 PM http://www.beret.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - Education In Hand - June 2006

Contents
Palm Rings Up Treo 700p Smartphone
Cover Story: Itâs the Principal of the Thing
Conquering Cyberphobia, One Staffer at a Time
Spreading Success Using Palm Handhelds at Florid PreK-5
Palm Handhelds Touch Students with Autism
Reading, Writing, and Podcasting
1:1 Computing at the Elementary Level in Texas
Solutions Product Guide

District Administration - Education In Hand - June 2006