What the Kids had to Say!

Last year we piloted two classrooms using handhelds on a daily basis. Each student had either a Zire72 or a Zire31. They were not allowed to take them home but as their teachers became familiar with the handheld learning environment and the available software they used them more and more in their daily lessons.
In June I asked the students the follwoing question:
Has the use of handheld computers in the classroom this year made a difference in the way you feel about coming to school?
Here are some of their responses:

• Well, actually I’m here (in this country) first year and use handheld technology is very easy. The most favorite thing I like to do on a handheld is to write and play games. I think that this year at school was easier because we used handhelds to write poems, stories, summaries and much more. With out handhelds we would write these things on the paper.
• Yes, it gave me and probably many others another reason to come to school. It is fun but it also gives us a way to work. It teaches us about technology and work. So it did make a difference. Every day we’d learn something new from it. Also try something new.
• No, because sometimes we are so busy that we don’t get to play games or do work on the handheld. If we take the handheld home and maybe do a project on them then share with the class that would be a great thing.
• Yes, but like it’s never changed my attitude about school because it’s still the same. I like school and just because they gave one class out of the whole community handhelds I still care about my education. I give a lot of thanks for those people that picked our class for handhelds. They helped a lot. I loved working with them. Thank you and good luck for next year’s class.
• No, because sometimes we are so busy that we don’t have any time to do fun things on it. Another reason is because I have the Zire31 and I’d rather have the Zire72 because they have better things on it – camera, voice memo, etc.
• No. I have always looked forward to school and the handhelds haven’t made me feel any different. I was so excited though about using them.
• Yes, because I really look forward to coming to school. Sometimes I use “Sketchy” and I really enjoy uses the handhelds.Yes, it’s great you learn without talking. You learn with plain technology. You need to charge handhelds so you can have a really tiny walk.
• No, because using my handheld is the same as doing things on paper.
• Yes, because if we never had them we would have to write everything on paper instead of typing it and you can take pictures with it.