Handheld use in K-12: a descriptive account

This paper describes ways handheld computers have been used by students at four different Michigan schools. Regardless of age or environment, our experience has shown that the primary, and most powerful uses of handheld computers have not been for organizational purposes. While students do take advantage of the organizational abilities, handhelds are most often used as tools to aid in research, alternatives to paper-based tasks, group collaboration activities, and much more. In addition to describing student tasks, this paper provides a context as to how much time handheld computers are being used in each classroom. This framework of time use and task use provides a better understanding of what a classroom with handheld computers might look like.