Happy Halloween!

The changing world of low-cost mini-laptops

I'm still working on some kind of grid of all the new low-cost mini-laptops coming out, but I have to say that it's a little difficult to keep up!

In particular, Asus seems to be coming out with new models all the time. Many are listed on their web site, though many don't seem to be shipping yet, and a few are already being discontinued. Here are a few highlights of what I see in their product line:

* The 7" models appear to be being phased out in favor of the new 9" and 10" models. (A possible exception to this is the 7" 701SD.)
* The low end pricing seems to be hovering a little under $349, while the upper end models are going as high as $699. (There are rumors of a new $249 device in 2009.)
* Some new longer life batteries are coming out, addressing one of the criticisms of this device.

As it relates to school purchases, I worry about how much this product line is changing. It is difficult to start a one-to-one project with one model and then have to change models repeatedly as the program grows. On the other hand, this is the nature of mobile technology (especially when it's geared toward the consumer market, which is almost always). More features, lower costs, more change ... it's a blessing and a curse.

It is will be interesting to see how stable Dell's Inspiron Mini line is. (They don't even seem to be shipping yet. Anyone used one?) Right now, the limited number of options and the general stability of Dell's product line seems pretty appealing.

Integrating handhelds

This is a short presentation on integrating handhelds into the classroom intended for teachers who have some familiarity with handhelds and want to use them more effectively with their students. It also features a list of some of the best freeware available.

Integrating Handhelds into the Classroom

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: handhelds palm)

Online student writing club

I had an idea this weekend to put together some kind of online writing club for kids.

The idea would be that it function like other extracurricular clubs but would be online, possibly hosted in a wiki. The writing could take on different forms each week, including various collaborative writing projects. It could even be broader....perhaps a "communications club"....to include other kinds of activities like podcasting, movie making, etc.

I love writing myself, and I think this would be an engaging and valuable activity for students.

Anyone know any schools doing something like this? Any ideas or thoughts?

Hard policy questions about student blogging

A question for you: Should all student blogging be moderated?

I am really conflicted about this. I believe strongly in the benefits of student blogging. I think that if blogging is done in a closed (non-public) environment, it isn't really blogging and doesn't have the benefits of writing for an authentic audience.

In general, I think that teaching students to be responsible is a far better approach than trying to block or filter everything that might be dangerous. We should more time talking about 21st century skills and how to act prudently in the world that is out there.

On the other hand, I understand concerns about student online safety. There are many more subtle issues than just a concern that students might write something inappropriate.

Also when making a district-level decision about blogging policy, the feelings of the administration, board, and community need to be considered. Or do they? Is this a cop-out? This has been keeping me up nights.

I hope the edublogging community will write about these issues and post links to their thoughts. here. These are not easy issues, and I am looking for some thoughtful discussion on them.

Online graphic organizers

I recently evaluated some of the online graphic organizers available. The results are here. Different projects and student groups have different needs, so you'll want to evaluate them for your own purposes.

Please post a comment here or on the wiki if there are other online graphic organizers you've tried and liked.

End of Palm education purchase program

Palm has announced that their Education Purchase program will end Oct. 31.

If you have recently purchased a volume of Palm handhelds, make sure to get your claim form in asap.