Here are some tips for using the Mobile Web in classrooms:

Make long web addresses shorter using the free service, TinyURL. The address www.bham.wednet.edu/bio/biomak2.htm becomes tinyurl.com/52dao. TinyURLs never expire and take a lot less time to enter than long addresses. Use TinyURLs when referring to sites on the chalkboard, worksheets, and slide shows. SnipURL and is.gd are alternatives to TinyURL that provide exactly the same service.

Most Mobile Web browsers have bookmarking ability. Be sure that once a frequently-used site is entered into the handheld that it gets bookmarked for easy access.

Teachers and students can create their own Mobile Web homepage. Read more....

Preview what a website will look like on a mobile phone or iPhone/iPod touch by using online simulators. There's the mobile phone emulator from dotMobi and iPhone Tester.

Use services like Skweezer or Google to reformat any site into a mobile-friendly version. Because these sites could allow students to bypass filters, the are likely blocked at your school.

Don't have Internet on your phone? Use the free texting services from Google or Cha Cha to turn any phone into a "smart phone." Read more.

The free Opera Mini browser is available for many mobile devices. It's a nice web browser and might just be better than the one the handheld or mobile phone came with. Try out this live demo before installing.