I posted this message on the Teaching with Technology bb and didn’t get a response, will will repost here.
Since reading a posting on the NLDLine bulletin board on the use of Palm Pilots by students with learning disabilities, I have been doing some research into handheld computers. The one I have been considering is the Springboard Visor. I hadn’t been aware of their capabilites previously, but theVisor looks like it could be a wonderful tool for LD students, particularly with some of the add-ons such as word processing software, a compact keyboard and voice recorder. You can “sync” your Visor hand-held with your home PC, so that students could, for example, edit and store their notes on their PC, and then print them.
My son who has Nonverbal Learning Disability is starting grade 9 in the fall.. A hand-held with a keyboard seems like it could be a great way for him to take notes, so he wouldn’t have to rely on difficult-to-read hand-written notes. As well, the organizer software and the voice recorder look like they could be really helpful organizing tools in and out of school. A hand-held computer would definitely be a lot more portable and easier to use than a lap-top
Has anyone had any comments about the use of hand-held computers by LD students (or any students) that they would like to share?
A couple of thoughts:
Some people really can’t listen to a lecture and take notes at the same time, no matter how easy it’s made. (For most of us, the listening, digesting, and paraphrasing process is an important learning tool… but if you can’t process language that fast it isn’t.) Some kids with handwriting problems also have problems wiht keyboarding, especially if it’s a small keyboard. He might have to take notes and then find a way to recopy them so they’re easier to study from, depending on just how sophisticated the word processing options are. If he’s willing to do that, it would mean he gets that whole “thinking and reviewing” process, which is otherwise known as… studying :-) … in a better way than just reading notes to yourself again and again.
Is organization and losing things an issue? ONly thing more frustrating than not being able to get organized is to have a way… and then to lose it, or break it. (If he tends to break things, get one of those extended warranties :))
Another potential issue is just how complex the whole organizing process is. I’ve watched organized people with their Palm Pilots and realize that I couldn’t keep track of all the stuff they’re doing to keep organized, so it wouldn’t keep me organized. I might if I had a coach to help me develop (gradually) the habits I’d need. So you might have to start small :)