Classroom Examples
Many teachers and students in District 230 are implementing classroom projects utilizing handheld computers.

Fitness & Nutrition
As in semesters past, students in Barb Walaszek and Keri Erickson's Fitness and Nutrition class at Andrew High School are developing goals for their individual fitness programs. This year, however, they are using handheld computers and Vivonic™ Fitness Plan software to collect information about their nutritional intake and their physical activity to see if they have met their fitness goals.

Biology
Students in Laurie Ritchey's biology classes at Carl Sandburg High School are studying the effect their lifestyles have on the ecosystem by computing their ecological footprint. This series of classroom activities asks students to collect data on their housing, clothing, transportation, and eating habits. All assignments are being electronically shared between Mrs. Ritchey and her students by "beaming," an infrared exchange of information passed from one handheld computer to another. Students carry homework and record data for their assignments on their handheld computers.

English and Science
Students at Stagg High School are typing journal entries into their handheld computers with standard keyboards and sharing their ideas with their classmates. Students in Dan Dulek's science class have used a handheld based software program to study the speed of sound by measuring the strikes of lightening and claps of thunder.

Hardware
Students involved in the program use Palm™ handheld computers. This allows a much better student to computer ratio than other alternatives. District 230 provides students and families with the opportunity to purchase the Palm™ handheld computer with 8 mb of memory at a cost of $225. This may be paid in full or in nine monthly payments of $25. This includes a variety of education related software packages. Families may also choose a $75 lease program. For parents who are unsure of their student's need for the device, classroom sets of handheld computers are made available for use during the school day.

Software
The handheld computer is much more than a device to maintain personal appointments and contacts. A variety of software applications are available. For example:

• Quicksheet™, Quickchart™ and Quickword™ are the handheld equivalents to Microsoft Office applications. Data can even be synchronized between the PC version and handheld version.
• A handheld Thesaurus provides access to 50,000 alphabetized entries, cross-referenced and indexed for speed, with forward, back, rewind and fast-forward buttons to help find the right word in moments.
• Kaplan SAT Prep software is included which can be "Synced" with Kaplan's Test Prep, Admissions and Guidance.
• Four.Zero™ - Easily organizes student schedules including classes and assignments and can track grades.
• Accounts and Loans - An application making it possible to track the activity of bank accounts and the status of loans.
• AvantGo™ - offline web browsing
• Big Clock - Clock and timers.
• Unit converter - Convert area, length, temperature, time, volume, weight and more between imperial, metric and other units of measure.
• Diddlebug - Draw a map, a picture or scribble a quick note. DiddleBug works just like a notepad-saving anything you write or draw on the screen of your Palm handheld.
• Database - This data base will allow students to store pictures and text.
• Fireviewer™ - Viewer for graphic files.
• Fireconverter™ - Allows transfer of images from the web to the palm.
• Vivonic™ - Fitness Plan software.