Palm Classroom Project
Overview
View QuickTime Movie about the project.
During the 2002-2003 school year the ESD 112 Educational Technology Service Center funded four classrooms with Palm handheld computers to determine the impact of handheld technology in teaching and learning.
The Palm Classroom Project provided 20-30 Palm handheld computers, educational and productivity software and 30 hours of professional development and support to each teacher. Each Palm handheld has a keyboard (provided by the district or ESD).
This cadre of teachers met with ESD 112's Palm project coordinator, Colleen Bellas monthly for staff development and support. The Coordinator visited each of the classrooms to observe and assist students using the Palms.
Profile and Lesson Plans
Each teacher in the project produced example lesson plans which are available for download.
Katherine Baxter
4th/5th grade Teacher | Cape Horn-Skye Elementary | Washougal, WA
Ms. Baxter teaches a blended 4th/5th grade. She uses the Palm handheld for Word Processing in Language Arts, Social Studies and Mathematics. Ms. Baxter's students complete assessments for state reports on free software called Bubble Blaster. This software allows her to use ready made quizzes or custom made multiple choice quizzes to assess the student's knowledge. Students also reinforce their math facts through addition, subtraction, multiplication and division quizzes on Bubble Blaster.
The 4th and 5th grade students have discovered their keyboarding skills increase by working with the Palm keyboard.
Download Lesson Plan: "What is unique about my state?" (MS Word format, 13KB)
Bubble Blaster Matrix (MS Word format, 22KB)
Brian Bellamy
9th/10th grade Science Teacher | Camas High School | Camas,WA
Mr. Bellamy teaches Biology to his 10th grade students. He uses his classroom set of Palms to review biology terms and processes. Students have used a free program from Hi-Ce called Sketchy that allows the students to illustrate the process of cell division known as mitosis. In addition, students have used the Thought Manager program, also from Hi-Ce, for notes for learning biological concepts.
Mr. Bellamy's students recently worked on a project where the Palm was used in the creation of a game to review the basic ideas behind evolutionary theory.
Download Lesson Plan: "Building A Better Mollusk" (MS Word format, 25KB)
Michael Carr
7th/8th grade Language Arts/History Teacher | Alki Middle School | Vancouver, WA
Mr. Carr teaches 8th grade Language Arts and History. His classroom set of Palms is shared among all his classes. Mr. Carr has a two drawer lateral file that houses all 29 Palms and cradles. (The 30th Palm sits on his desk attached to his laptop.) One way Mr. Carr uses his Palms in his classroom is in a Constitution unit. Students have Law Cases to research and they journal their findings on their Palm. They beam their writing to a peer who reviews it and beams it back to the owner for revision. Once the report is ready for submission, the student beams his work to Mr. Carr.
Mr. Carr's goal is to implement a paperless classroom as much as possible. With the use of Palms, students write papers, review information, share with each other, revise and submit work without the use of paper.
Download Lesson Plan: Writing, Sharing, & Revising on the Palm (MS Word format, 38KB)
Butch Lepak
4th grade Teacher | La Center Elementary | La Center, WA
Mr. Lepak teaches 4th grade at La Center Elementary School in La Center School District. He uses an educational program from Hi-Ce, Sketchy to supplement his Science FOSS Kits. Students create illustrations to show how a circuit works with the tools on the Sketchy program. The illustrations became teaching tools for one another.
Mr. Lepak's class also uses ThoughtManager, an outline software tool to learn their vocabulary within context. The students are engaged in each activity when they are using the Palm. Every student is assigned a Palm and can check it out to take home.
Download Writing lesson plan: Using Synonyms (Microsoft Word Format)
Download Science lesson plan: Creating a Circuit (Microsoft Word Format)