Minutes of SIUE Student Chapter of NSTA
September 28, 2004
FH 0313
Begin 5:00 – End 6:50

Dr. Melissa Thomeczek on Handhelds:

4 Characteristics of Handheld:
1.) Portability
2.) Accessibility
3.) Mobility
4.) Adaptability

Impact of Handhelds on a Classroom:
 Changes the delivery of instructions as well as how students learn
Some Uses of Handhelds in Education:
notebook sharing ideas
assignment book periodic table
quiz machine graphing calculator
concept-mapping tool scientific probe
web source spreadsheet
word processor camera interface
book drawing/animation tool

Uses of Handhelds in Correlation to Grade Level:

Kindergarten:
Children this young lack development in motor skills and experience some difficulties in using the stylus in addition to some being intimidated by the technology. Although, more often than not kids this age are more focused on the task at hand rather than the tools. Handhelds can be used at this age to make books and practice the alphabet.

2nd Grade:
Mclass is a reading program that can be downloaded onto the teacher’s handheld to assist with assessing a student’s reading abilities.

3rd Grade:
Free Write and Sketchy, are programs particulary that are helpful in this age group. Free Write assists with all kinds of writing including riddles while Sketchy not only allows a student to create animations but also posts pictures on slides and can be presented similar to PowerPoint.
Middle School and High School:
Handhelds can be applied to a broader range of uses as kids get older. Some examples of handheld uses in this age group are personal organizer/planner, games, scientific data collection, note taking, animation, and research papers. Fling it is program that downloads Internet pages and has the capabilities to later display the pages without an Internet connection, which is very helpful when writing research papers. Also, Free Write (see 3rd grade) can be applied at these ages.

Extra Notes on Handhelds:
You don’t have to be a technology guru to use handhelds in the classroom. Children as young as 2 and as old as high school age can use these tools. Some literature supports that handhelds are a distraction. However, those who use handhelds in the classroom find that kids tend to focus on the assignment with more attention than they would normally apply to a regular activity. Over anything else, kids seem to favor the handheld’s beaming capabilities in which they can send messages, pictures, etc… to one another.

Reminders:
+ Dr. Marlette follow-up on central database by way of Joe
+ Christine check on conference information
+ After a couple of meetings, set membership fee to be used for refreshments at meetings, field trips, etc…
+ Goal of Chapter is to have one activity/meeting per month

Possibilities for November (or future) activities
+ Dr. Thomeczek has offered to revisit us with more information on probes if we are interested
+ Science Fair field trip
+ Question and Answer Sessions with area superintendents, principals, and teachers
+ Visits to area schools
+ Technological field trip to Highland
*Contact Christy with more ideas ---- christywoodward82@hotmail.com*

Upcoming Dates:
+ NSTA meeting October 27th @ 5-7pm
     - Featuring Ag in the classroom workshop
       *for more info www.agclassroom.org*
+ Science Olympiad Feb. 12
+ Science Fair (not sure on date)
+ School of Education Open House Feb. 19
      - Possible NSTA booth
+ Madison County/St. Claire County Teachers Institute Math and Science March 05
 

http://www.siue.edu/STACTV/nstasc                                                                                                                                                                                         This page brought to you by the National Science Teachers Association student chapter at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.  For problems or questions regarding this website contact Amanda Pilkington at schoolstuffSIUE@yahoo.com  or Dr. Marlette at smarlet@siue.edu.
Last updated: 11/29/04.