Handheld Computer Technology

Eugene 4J School District

Eugene, OR
 

Introduction/Overview
Organizational Change
Budget & Finance
Professional Development
Technology Infrastructure
Outcomes
Evaluation
Contact Information
 

Introduction/Overview

Eugene and South Lane School Districts are utilizing Title IID Enhancing Education Through Technology funds to collaborate with three other Oregon districts to integrate handheld computer technology into K–12 classrooms. By increasing access to technology through the use of handheld computers, teachers are learning technology integration skills and strategies to improve student academic achievement in core content areas, improving technology literacy skills, and increasing effectiveness in integrating technology into curriculum and instruction.

Organizational Change

As a result of Oregon's 2003–2004 Ed Tech competitive grant process, collaboration was born between the Eugene and South Lane School Districts. One outcome of this collaboration was the NW Handheld Project (NWHP) Web site, designed to expand and enhance the districts' handheld computer initiatives and provide an improved model for the three new Ed Tech partners: Springfield School District, Creswell School District, and Three Rivers School District. The NWHP pairs proven practices with new ideas to elevate current participant skills and is a resource for all educators using handhelds in the classroom. Additional support and dissemination has been provided through a partnership with the nonprofit Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum (OETC). For more information about the NWHP, please visit the following Web site: http://www.nwhandheld.org/.

Budget & Finance

Our current school districts’ handheld initiatives are funded by 2004–2005 Title IID Enhancing Education Through Technology funds.

• Creswell—$134,848.
• Eugene—$272,326.
• South Lane—$199,230.
• Springfield—$264,863.
• Three Rivers—$167,169.
  
  These funds are being used to provide ongoing professional development opportunities (workshops and one-to-one, job-embedded staff development), live and virtual access to project mentors, and assorted technology equipment and resources.

Professional Development

Staff development activities have focused on emerging uses of handheld computers in education and include beginning and advanced strategies for integrating handheld technologies into language arts, mathematics, and science. Training for the combined 2004–2005 Ed Tech handheld computer initiatives commenced June 15th and was the first part of a two-part summer institute held at Lane Education Services District (Lane ESD). Summer institute facilitators included: Todd Hamilton (Eugene SD Project Director), Colt Gill (South Lane SD), Kerry Clawson (South Lane SD Project Director), project mentors (selected from the Eugene and South Lane School Districts’ 2003 Handheld Computer Projects), Lynn Lary (Lane ESD, Creswell SD Project Director), Lynne Anderson-Inmann, Ph.D. (University of Oregon Center for Advanced Use of Technology in Education), and other consultants who presented in their specialty areas. Participants included staff from all five partner districts. The 2-day summer institute provided a project overview and introduced participants to project mentors, their handheld computers, and the impact of handhelds on teaching and learning. On August 24th–26th, all participants returned once again to the Lane ESD where they learned how to integrate handheld computers into core content areas and began development of required Ed Tech instructional units aligned to state academic standards. All instructional units are available on the NWHP Web site for use by other educators. Participants continue to benefit from ongoing training in the form of evening workshops, full day workshops, and onsite mini-workshops with the project mentors.

Technology Infrastructure

Project funds are being used to provide the following technology resources to participating students and teachers:

• Handheld computers.
• Handheld computer keyboards.
• Printers.
• Infrared printer adapters.
• Digital projectors.
• FlexCam Presentation Cameras.
• Charging centers.
• Curriculum appropriate software.
• Laptop computers.

Outcomes

Our preliminary and informal data are already showing success in our collective projects. We are seeing:

• Improved student academic achievement.
• Increased student and teacher motivation.
• Increased access to technology.
• Improved staff and student technological literacy.
• Increased teacher effectiveness in integrating technology into curriculum and instruction.
• Improved collaboration between school districts.

Evaluation

As evidenced by this year’s collaboration, we are seeing great success reproducing the 2003–2004 project to meet the needs of our participating school districts. Staff development provided to the new districts was enhanced both in terms of quality and cost: quality because of the experience behind last year’s implementation, and cost because the districts can access internal handheld technology expertise and training. Ongoing consultation is helping the new participating districts efficiently implement their projects, avoiding pitfalls discovered by Eugene SD and South Lane SD during the 2003 project. The current partnership has also encouraged our respective districts to increase networking, offering an opportunity to collaborate that is otherwise difficult to foster. We are excited about the project’s potential to grow beyond this five-district partnership as we build capacity and share current knowledge and skills.

Contact Information

Todd Hamilton
hamilton_t@4j.lane.edu
541-687-3808