Handheld Educators Leadership Program: Handhelds in the Hands of Learners

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Handheld Educators Leadership ProgramHandhelds
in the Hands of Learners

• Lynn A. Elder
• Marsha Gladhart
• WSU College of Education

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Project M3

• PT3Preparing Tomorrows Teachers to Use
  Technology
• Models, Mentors and Mobility
• Handhelds evolved as key component

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Project M3

• Faculty, staff and student use
• Handheld lab
• Graduate level workshop
• Handhelds for all COE faculty

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Wichita Public Schools

• Personal use by technology support providers
• Student models at conferences and workshops
• Aligned with Instructional Technology Department
  Mission

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Wichita Public Schools

• Palm Users Group
• initiated September 2001
• meet monthly
• Handheld Advisory Group
• initiated January 2002
• teacher, administrator and university
  representation
• study use of handheld computers in classroom

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Handheld Computer Learning Proposal

• Product of Handheld Advisory Group
• Finalized June 2002
• Framework for implementing handheld computers
• Included budget, timeline and participant
  selection parameters

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How we got started

• Technology Integration Projects (TIPS)
• Project M3 activity
• Teachers met regularly with Project M3
  instructors
• Web-based units aligned to standards
• Focused on subject areas and grade level
• Model for handheld integration project

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Why handhelds?

• 11 equitable access
• Conveniently available 24/7
• Low support requirements
• Easy to use
• Real world tool
• Improve learning

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H.E.L.P. is born

• Partnership between Wichita State University and
  the Wichita school district
• Both organizations provide support
• Both organizations responsible for managing the
  project

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H.E.L.P. mission

• Cultivate teacher-leaders
• Develop standards-based lessons using handheld
  technology
• Integrate handheld technology into content
  learning

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H.E.L.P. design

• 4 classroom sets of 25 handheld computers
• 4 full day workshops
• Funding for substitute teachers
• Biweekly 2 hour workshops
• Budget to purchase handheld software
  accessories

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Participant selection

• 2 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high school
• Interest in using handheld computers in classroom
• Strong administrative support
• 3 additional schools selected themselves

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Participant responsibilities

• Attend training sessions
• Implement handhelds in non-technology classes
• Prepare and use lesson plans
• Share experiences

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Participant responsibilities

• Final Showcase presentation in May
• Conference participation encouraged

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How we operate

• No paperinformation online or on Palms
• Technology use modeledBlackboard, wireless,
  videoconferencing
• Teamwork
• Group norms established
• Hands-on exploration

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How we operate

• Self determination
• Classroom deployment
• Student use
• Subject area
• Additional hardware
• Software choices

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Full day training

• Out-of-the-box training
• Classroom management
• Models of deployment
• Resources and web sites

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Full day training

• Downloading software
• Documents to Go
• PEP grant findings
• Collaboration and sharing

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Full day training

• Video conference with Elliott Soloway
• Sharing lesson plans

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Feedback from teachers

• Exhilarating to be among Palm users. I am ready
  to bring in my students
• A chance to meet with colleagues about similar
  ideas and issues using Palms in the classroom.
• Time to play and search for Palm software

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Feedback from teachers

• I want to have more actual software downloads and
  evaluations
• I like the time we have to focus on technology
• These day long workshops are better than the
  two-hour ones

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Challenges

• Disparate skill levels
• Different levels of adoption
• Teaching styles
• Using Blackboard
• Making the meetings
• Technical problems
• Communication

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Where are we now

• Lesson plans are being used
• H.E.L.P. web site
• Developing lesson plan database
• Developing final project action plan

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What we are learning

• Work in progress
• Data
• Strengthened K12-higher education ties
• Model of implementation

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H.E.L.P. http//www.education.edu/m3/help.htm

• Lynn A. Elder lynn.elder_at_wichita.edu
• Marsha A. Gladhart, Ph.D.
• Marsha.gladhart_at_wichita.edu
• http//education.wichita.edu/m3