Handheld Computers in Schools and Media Centers »

This resource guides educators through the process of selecting the hardware and software for students to use handheld computers necessary to listen to eBooks, to research websites, and to use videos and audio books. The author's purpose is to help educators teach students to use handheld computers to learn the curriculum and meet national standards. By using these portable technologies in the classroom, students will increase their achievement, deepen their learning, and enrich their educational environment.

VOYA

Written by a librarian and online instructor, this handy reference briefly outlines all aspects of handheld devices in educational settings. Beginning with national and state standards in language arts and technology, the author discusses the appropriate use of handheld devices to support those standards before talking about how to select hardware for electronic books, audio, video and podcasting. Guidelines are provided for selecting software, and technology is then discussed in more detail, including uses in the curriculum and digital media copyright issues. Record keeping and management from the teacher/librarian's perspective closes out this resource. Tables, graphs, charts, and photographs enhance the text, which although brief, is a fine beginning resource for anyone considering such devices in an educational environment. This well-indexed book's appendix includes a list of e-terms, a glossary, and a list of sources. Although a reader needs some prior knowledge to fully comprehend the content, Bell provides an excellent starting point. Reviewer: Laura Woodruff