Personal Digital Assistants
Your Education in the Palm of your Hand.
What are PDA's ?
PDA's (Personal Digital Assistants) are handheld computers that initially were intended as personal planners or organizers. The principal attributes of PDA's let you input information for a date book, address book, task list , and memo pad. Always on the go? Then get a PDA. This is a wonderful tool to add extra features that are just right for your students -- wireless modems, GPS systems, MP3 players, digital cameras, joysticks, voice recorders, data capture devices, barcode readers, printers and a lot more. Keep your students organized with this new technological advance, This is computing in the palm of your hand.
Educational Benefit
Why are so many schools resorting to PDA's devices in the classroom? With the demand so high on these devices, prices are dropping dramatically and consumers are purchasing them by the dozens. According to CNN.Com, more predominate schools consider this a back to school supply. More and more schools are applying for grants to fund these personal hand held devices because of there versatility, compactness, and efficiency. These things go wireless and can send and receive messages in matter of seconds. What is the relative advantage of using them in the classroom? First off they are digital note takers. With the liquid crystal display screen and unique writing pen, students are able to type, erase, input, output, and much more by the maneuver of one single function. No more loosing notes in your binder, or saying "The dog ate my homework", everything is always in the palm of your hand.
History
Apple Computer was one of the first companies to offer PDA's in 1993. They established the Newton MessagePad. Shortly after other companies saw the potential in these remarkable devices and immediately started duplicating them. The most popular in use today is the Palm Pilot, manufactured by Palm, Inc.
This web page was created as a project in graduate course ETEC 526 at Texas A&M Commerce.
The site is maintained by Kai Dupe, Jack Roddy, and Cendie Stanford.
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