Give a Hand for Handhelds!

I happen to work with 2 campuses that do not currently have iTouches or iPods for student use. We are, however, chomping at the bit to join the other campuses in our district in the world of handhelds in education!

No handhelds? No problem: you can use anything that has an Internet connection!

Use student cell phones and texting to take a poll on a site like PollEverywhere or Poll4.
Wiffiti can be used as a brainstorming tool that would show the free flow of ideas from the class.

Gabcast (beta) is used for podcasting through cell phones. When you register, you are given a Channel number. The channel used to place each of your recordings (up to 20 minutes each) in the correct place. Each recording is an "episode". When you finish your "episode" press # for options. You can select to make it private or public, to publish it immediately, or to moderate. What a great idea for a Field Trip journal! Or have students assume the identity of a historical figure and create a "Sorry I missed your call" message!

Use camera phones to have the class work on a collective project (Public Service Announcement) by uploading their pictures to a group photo album such as one you create on PhotoBucket. When you set up a Photobucket account, in Account Settings, you get your mobile settings (address) you post to have the photos sent to you.

Its important to note that teachers need to model what is "formal" and "informal" language when using texting in the classroom. Also important is working with students who don't always know the difference between "cheating" and "sharing" to have concrete examples.