Handhelds Helping Kids (NAPSA)—Handhelds are among the newest technological innovations helping kids get an edge on education. Teachers and students agree that these small, lightweight devices can have a big effect on how youngsterslearn. Says Superintendent Roel Gonzalez of the Rio Grande City Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, which provides over 2,700 handhelds to its students, “From what we have seen, hand- helds increase motivation, reinforce writing and improvespelling. With thousands of curriculum and productivity applications available for handhelds, my goal is for handhelds to replace the heavy backpacks students carry today.” Many students write to palm- One, Inc., maker of the Zire and Tungsten lines of handhelds, to say their own handhelds have helped them stay organized. For example, high school student Scott Erdman from Champlin, Minn. writes, “PDA’s aren’t just for businessmen anymore!” He uses his Zire handheld with a built-in camera to take photos of the overhead projector presentation and study right from the source. What can students do with these handy devices? Here are 10 popularuses: Keep a to-do list and check thingsoff as you go. Take notes in class and synchronize them to your computer. Set alarms once or to repeat once a week, so you know when classes start, papers are due and bandpractice meets. Store thousands of names, numbers and addresses. Track expenses for school supplies, field trips and sports Handhelds help students stay on top of a busy schedule of classes, homework deadlines, events and teachers’ office hours. activities with included applications such as Handmark PDA Money or Splash Money or palmOne’s Expense application. Purchase and download a novel for English class in eBook format with Palm Reader. Purchase 4.0 Student from Handmarkfor coursework managementhelp. With the photo capabilities of some handhelds, document the stages of a science project, snap pictures to illustrate a history paper, or capture pictures for the student newspaper. * Use Documents To Go and a wireless keyboard, to write papers, and create presentations and spreadsheets. Have some fun playing games or listening to music on palmOne handhelds with a built-in MP3 player. (Requires the use of an expansion card sold separately.) The little device, it seems, can help students of all grades have a lot of information and organization slipped in their pocket, purse or backpack.
