In researching one of my Wiki topics, I came across an article by Howard Tomlinson in the September, 2003 edition of the T.H.E. Journal about the increased use of PDAs in the classroom. The PDAs are seen as a less expensive alternative to laptop or desktop PCs for each student. They can be used by both students and teachers for a whole range of activities and uses. Included among the applications are educational games that can be played on the PDAs. These include various word and math games. Some allow students to compete against one another what can further motivate students to play the games.
An additional resource I found is K12 Handhelds site, a company in Long Beach that sells PDAs for classroom use. Their website lists “101 classroom uses for PDAs” along with links to other resources and case studies illustrating ways PDAs are used in classrooms at all grade-levels from elementary through college.
While I realize that gaming is just one part of the usefulness of the PDAs, I found the topic interesting because I was unaware of the capabilities of these machines or the potential for their use in education.
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