Elementary School

• Storage
• Charging
• Checkout
• Security
• Setup
• Student use
• Troubleshooting

Middle School

• Storage
• Checkout
• Student use
• Charging
• Inventory
• Tips

Sample Contracts

• Contract 1
• Contract 2

Management

Explore issues related to the use of handhelds, such as how to use handhelds with kids, logistics, and technical FAQs about using handhelds in the classroom.

Handheld Logistics in Elementary School

Michelle Warrington is a teacher at Harrison Elementary school. She provided us with the following ideas for managing handhelds in the classroom.

Storage

Due to the fact that we share thirty Palm 130s with six classrooms, a rolling cart is used at our school. Our Palm m130s are stored in two tool container drawer systems. Each Palm has its’ own drawer. The keyboards are placed in first; a piece of plastic separates them from the Palm, which is laid on top. Each keyboard, Palm and drawer is numbered with color-coded number stickers. We have six charging stations on the cart. This storage system works well because the Palms can be stored in a safe place and saves space by fitting them on a cart. Each Palm is assigned a number 1-30. The user ID for each Palm is Har1, Har2, Har3, etc. (Har for Harrison Elementary). We have the serial number and assigned number in a secure area, separate from the Palms for security reasons.

Charging

Teachers are responsible for charging the set of handhelds after each use. Due to our busy schedule, some teachers receive the class set directly after use by another classroom. If this occurs the last teacher using the set is responsible for charging them. We currently have the capability of charging six at a time and are looking into having more charging stations. If a handheld needs to be charged, a red dot is placed on the drawer (via Velcro). This helps teachers readily see what Palm needs to be charged (see red arrow).

Checkout
School-wide sharing

Currently we have six classroom teachers using the Palm130s. We also have two resource room teachers using them. At the beginning of the year we determined two days and times that each teacher could use the set during the week. We added those times to our schedule as the teachers’ designated times. In addition to those times there is a schedule with extra times and days that teachers can sign up for. We meet monthly to discuss how the Palms are working in our classrooms.

Classroom checkout

Each student is assigned a numbered Palm. The student will be responsible for that Palm during his/her usage. After each usage the teachers check that the Palm is powered off and the stylus is present. The Palm is placed in the drawer stylus side out for easy checking.

Security

Each student will use one Palm the entire year (six teachers mean six students per Palm). Classrooms at our school are using Palms as an in-class checkout basis only. Downloading and beaming inappropriate material is not applicable because no students at our school currently have Palms, and we are not able to hot sync to computers at this time. The only time when Palms will be taken from our school is during outdoor school for the fifth grade students. Usernames are recorded with correlating serial numbers and kept in a secure area.

Setup

A team of three individuals was responsible for loading software and assigning Palms a user name. We had thirty Palms and ten PC’s for the setup process. We installed and assigned a username for each Palm (3 Palms were used for each computer). The process was quick and easy. It took us less than thirty minutes to get each Palm ready to go. We had an assembly line type process, where cd-roms were placed in the computers and each Palm was set into place and initialized. Once the first set of ten (har1- har10) Palms were set, we loaded those in the cart and placed the second set (har11-har20) onto the cradles. Finally, we completed the third round. We saved time by beaming software to Palms when applicable.

Behavior Management

Students were prepped for handheld care before using them. I displayed my Palm and demonstrated its use before students had contact with their own. The first time that I let students work with a Palm it was not even powered on. They practiced safe handling and quiet working strategies. Students learned that a quiet hand raise would get a teachers’ attention and not calling out. I have placed the graffiti alphabet above the front board (see below). We then progressed to using the handheld applications, first with an overhead transparency demonstration of features (see below), then moving to the students using graffiti and giraffe. Now students understand how to use the Palm and what behavior I expect. We have gone through troubleshooting techniques for the students to use before asking questions as well.

Troubleshooting

One unexpected occurrence happened while beaming documents in word to go. When students beam back and forth to each other, the document needs to be renamed if it is being beamed back to a partner is once originated from. For example,
If Juanita beamed “My Funny Story” to Sharon and Sharon reads it and responds, she cannot beam it back to Juanita unless she changes the name to “My Funny Story 2”.

Handheld Logistics in Middle School

Teresa Myers is a teacher at Lincoln Middle School and Cottage Grove High School. Below she describes her middle school's handheld management methods.

Storage

With two classroom sets of 30 handhelds that are shared between 9 teachers, we have a common storage place. We use a secure room in the library that doubles as the media center for our “home base” with the Palms. Each class set is in two plastic Tupperware containers, one for the Palms and one for the keyboards, which we store on a cart.

Checkout
Classroom sets

On the counter of the charging station there is a checkout sheet that each teacher puts their name, room number and the dates that they will be using the handhelds (set #1 or set #2). The purpose of this sheet, which stays at “home base”, is that everybody knows who has the Palms. Each set of Palms also has a checkout sheet that goes with the set.

Student use

On days that I am using the Palms in my middle school math classroom, I check out a Palm to each student at the beginning of the class period. I do this by writing down the Palm number on my seating chart. To return the Palms, each student hands the Palm back to me backwards, so that I can see if the stylus and card are intact. Each student is responsible for their Palm during the time that it is in their possession.

Charging

We have a charging station set up at our “home base” which has 16 cradles for charging. Each teacher puts the Palms on the cradles when they are finished with them and are responsible for having the set charged for the next teacher.

Inventory

We engraved each of the handhelds with our school initials and a number, which we matched to the serial number on a master inventory sheet.

Tips for classroom management

• Use at least one class period to introduce the handhelds.
• Clearly state expectations with regards to appropriate student use in the classroom. (playing games, beaming notes, deleting applications, alarms, etc.)
• Stress that the handhelds are expensive and if something happens students should tell you.

Sample Contracts for Students

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