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Hand-held computers coming to fifth grade

Hand-held computers coming to fifth grade: "Far into the future, students will simply beam their projects through infrared rays to classmates and teachers.
Using wireless, palm-sized computers, they'll edit each others' work as they write it, conduct experiments and simultaneously explore the Internet.
All this will happen far, far into the year 2006.

Two fifth-grade classes in Bethlehem are among several schools in Northampton County to benefit from a state Hands On Learning grant that provides handheld computers for each student.

Students will use the computers to write, research, peer-edit papers and practice math, said Robin Lutcher, Bethlehem Area School District's director of information technology. Each classroom gets a storage cart full of 32 handheld devices, each valued at about $370 -- much less than laptop computers.

And the students can carry them anywhere they go, until class is over.

In two Nazareth Area School District grade levels, students will use the computers for science assignments and to write about math -- a recently added requirement that students haven't performed as well on for standardized tests, said Tracy Smith, the district's director of educational technology." (more)

posted by JOlmsted @ 2:14 PM