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Small, mobile, portable devices with more processing power than the pricey computer you bought in 1999 are everywhere. Computers that fit in your hand are now commonplace: mobile phones, iPods, iPhones, GameBoys, tablets, PDAs, netbooks, and more. Students are attracted to these devices because they are interactive, mobile, and connected.

Common types of handheld computers being used in schools are: iPods, iPod touch, Windows Mobile & Palm PDAs, and netbooks. These diminutive computers have plenty of memory to hold software applications, electronic texts, various documents, audio, and video. In fact, all of these kinds of devices can play podcasts. Podcasts are audio or video on the web that can be automatically downloaded and are ready to sync to a mobile device. There are thousands of podcasts freely available and they are organized in several different directories on the Web.

Educators are equipping themselves with handheld computers to keep track of their calendars, address books, and tasks. Administrators are using software to guide them through classroom observations, locate student schedules, and to record parent meetings. Teachers are using handhelds for lesson planning, keeping organized, inputting grades, tracking student behavior, and assessing performance.

Handheld computers are a way to have a computer for each student. Some handhelds can be outfitted with an add-on keyboards for text entry, making them even more useful. Instead of taking up valuable time in the computer lab, handheld-using students can word process right at their desks, freeing the lab computers for more complex uses. Likewise, instead of using large, expensive computers to practice math facts, elementary students can cozy up in the corner of the classroom with a handheld and practice their multiplication tables. Handhelds tend to be simple to operate, allowing students to focus on their tasks, not the technology. 

Unlike the original Palm Pilot from 1996, handhelds are no longer just electronic organizers. iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, and netbook devices are computers that can run a variety of software applications. With tens of thousands of apps for iPod touch and thousands of useable web apps for netbooks, there are so many things a small computer can do! Classrooms around the world are using tiny computers to work more efficiently, motivate students, connect with the world, and improve achievement. Explore Learning in Hand to find out more.

Learning in Hand is a resource for educational technology by Tony Vincent. From netbooks and web applications to iPods and podcasting, Tony has put together practical information for educators.