This has been a pretty slow blogging week, primarily becuase yesterday we kicked off a full year pilot of about 35 tablet PCs in the hands of teachers from every discipline at our school. I ran a two-hour training that was one of the most fun sessions I’ve ever done primarily because of the kick of having the tablet and being able to walk around the room using the stylus to navigate it, everything being projected via wireless connection to a screen at the front of the room. Amazingly cool technology, I think.
I haven’t written too much about my tablet use, but I can’t imagine life without one at this point. I’ve had my Toshiba M200 for about a year and it’s become attached to me, literally. Ironically, Josh Marshall posted about his use of a tablet yesterday and I think it’s a great overview of the tool.
The best part is that today in the lunchroom a actually heard one of the pilot teachers say “Yeah, and then after I write all the notes on my presentation I can just throw it on my blog so the kids will have it.”
Chills…
We tried a similar experiment with pre-service teachers, and those that could make use of them became very attached in their 9 weeks in the field. We are trying about this summer with a cohort of grad students who will get tablets while they are doing their on campus course work. Likely we will get the same response.
I’ve talked to a few student in the faculty who have them as well and they are all converts to the tablet, they enjoy the fact that they can doodle in their notes.
I know all about the chills. I’ve been blogging with the teachers at the Colorado State University Writing Project (http://csuwp.blogspot.com) for only five days now, but I’ve gone from, “What’s a blog?” to “Hey, I’d like to record a podcast.” We’re not into permanent habits yet or anything, but it is neat to see what happens when you show a teacher the potential, or, as y’all like to say, give them a sip of Kool-Aid.
Way to go! Bob Heiny