Leah Kirwan

Table PC the wave of the education future

Exploring Tablet PCs by Lyndon Godsall

Exploring Tablet PC?s is about how tablet pc?s work and how they function. Tablet pcs have an ink-enabled application that allows one to use a stylus to write on the tablet screen.  With this application students can practice their handwriting skills, draw shapes to create connections between meanings and write out math problems and homework with the Math Journal program.  Tablets have one hundred programs that perform different functions to make the tablet pc a resourceful tool.  Manufactures of the tablet pc are HP, Toshiba, Viewsonic, Gateway, Averatec, and Fujitsu.  Drawbacks to purchasing tablet pcs is that they are more expensive then laptops and if students will be using them you will have to purchase a thicker screen causing the price to go up even higher. 

Tablet pcs are very useful in the educational setting.  With Windows Journal teachers and industry can write directly on documents and create constructive comments.  In the article it pointed out very useful tools too enhance the learning process and it can also be applied into the business setting.  While giving notes to students on the tablet pc through a projector the teacher/instructor can circle and or highlight information that is of importance to stress to students the key points of a lecture or term.  One can also write on their notes without effecting the original copy so it is easier to teach the same class multiple times.  The tablet pc is also friendly in that it uses the same skills students use everyday and that is writing.  Students are used to writing with a pen or pencil so writing with a stylus is easier to grasp then typing on a keyboard.  This allows some students who are not good at typing another alternative to succeed. 

I currently have a table pc, but it is not used to its full capacity.  Right now it is used as a regular laptop, but for next year it will used in a whole new manner.  It will be used to grade student papers and projects.  In order to do this the students will have to turn in all work through email or a digital drop box provided through Blackboard.  I will be able to pull up their work on the tablet and then start creating comments and corrections with the stylus.  All I have to do is save it and send it back to the student so they can read my comments and see their grade.  This creates the paperless classroom environment that the school system is trying to move towards.  The tablet will also be used in classroom activities because in the Computer Applications curriculum students need to learn about tablet pcs and what they do and actually perform the handwriting recognition process.  Activities can be created in notepad for students to write with the stylus certain information and they can navigation the Internet using the stylus.  Allowing students to come up to the tablet to draw out a problem and solution or circle a correct answer can aid in the education process and it promotes student engagement and having students teach other students.  All of these new technologies are promoting better educational practices and hopefully the school systems will push harder for more technology integration. 

Posted at 12:19PM Jun 05, 2006 by KIRWAN, LEAH in General  |  Comments[0]