This is a part of a series on mobile devices available for learning.

Category:

These are very small touch screen devices — smaller than a tablet but not a cell phone!
(These devices have the capability to install a variety of apps. There are many other devices that support audio and video playback, but not other interactive uses.)

Manufacturers and models:
These devices used to be more plentiful with Palm and Windows mobile handhelds, but now there are just a few.

• Apple (iPod touch)
• Samsung (Galaxy Player)

Pricing:

$200+

Strengths:

• Ultra mobile
• Low cost

Weaknesses:

• Limited uses
• No built-in keyboard
• Consumption-oriented

Killer applications:

• Multimedia viewing
• Ebooks

Things to consider and some opinions:

• Think about your curriculum goals before deciding on any devices.
• While these devices are no substitute for a laptop, there is still a lot you can do with them. (Remember all the great things teachers and students did with Palm handhelds?) Having a few of these low cost, highly mobile devices can be a boon for differentiation.
• These devices come with different operating systems (Android, iOS) and have different applications available. If you start by thinking about what you want to accomplish with the devices and then look for a device that has applications that support that purpose, you’ll be ahead of the game.

A lot of laptops these days only have one 3.5 mm headphone jack, instead of two — one for headphones and one for the mic. This makes it hard to use the 3.5 mm headsets many folks have.

Before you go out and buy a more expensive USB headset, you might consider getting a 3.5 mm headphone adapter:

If you’re interested, here are two models you can check out.

I noticed recently that when I updated my iTunes software, it reverted my import settings back to AAC. Not very nice of it.

(As background, AAC is the default audio setting on iTunes. It works great with iTunes or an iPod, but doesn’t work with other players like a Sandisk, Zune, Palm, etc. MP3 is a much more compatible format that is preferred. If you don’t change this setting, all the music you rip on iTunes will not be accessible on other players.)

To change this in iTunes:
- Go to the Edit menu (iTunes menu on Mac).
- Select Preferences.
- On the General tab, click Import Settings.
- For Import using, choose MP3 encoder.

Doing this will save you a lot of time if you ever want to listen to audio on some other device.

Podstock Southwest is being held on Aug. 6-7 in El Paso, Texas.

I’m presenting sessions on open content resources, Web 2.0 and mini-laptops, and Web 2.0 applications for personal and school use. If you’re attending, stop by and say hi.

And if you can’t make it, here’s a wiki with all the session materials.

Sandisk has been continuing to refine their MP3 players and come out with a few new models. I’ve been trying out the Sansa Clip and really like it.

It has all the features I look for in a good MP3 player for schools: rechargeable battery, built-in recorder, low cost, and a display. It also has a few new things (for Sandisk) such as a clip and a standard mini-USB connector. And it’s super small, and I like small!

Here’s a new way to think about explaining RSS — RSS is like setting up a season pass to something on TiVo.

It doesn’t cost anything.
It isn’t a commitment.
It’s easy to cancel.
It’s just an easy way to get stuff delivered to your hard drive automatically.

This weekend NCCE recorded a Skype interview with me about mobile technology and the upcoming conference in Seattle. NCCE is one of my favorite conferences. The conference has a great energy level, and the presenters and the attendees are a step ahead on the technology curve.

This year, I’ll be facilitating 3-hour workshops on audio and video podcasting. Participants will receive a recording headset and a podcasting CD as a part of the workshop.

I’ll also be doing a workshop called “Using Mobile Technology to Differentiate Instruction.” This is a new workshop that I’m really excited about. Bring your own laptop and mobile device to participate. It’s also available as a free open wiki if you’d like to do it on your own or with a group at your school or district.

I’m presenting several sessions in Seattle. The one I’m most excited about is called “Free Content + Open Tools + Massive Collaboration = Learning for All.” This session is about the big world of open source tools and content. Pretty cool stuff and I’ll share a lot of resources that you may not know about.

See you in Seattle!

My first mashup for the new year will feature podcasts by secondary students. If your middle school or high school students produce a podcast or if you have a favorite, post it here or drop me an email.

In 2008, NASA will celebrate its 50th anniversary. This year’s 21st Century Explorer Podcast Competition asks students to consider the question “What do you think is NASA’s greatest exploration achievement in the past 50 years and why?” and to create a podcast with their thoughts.

The contest is open to students ages 11-18, and entries are due January 4. Visit their web site for all the details.

For those who requested them, here are the presentation materials from my sessions NCETC. Just for fun, I’ve used a few different slide sharing programs here, so you can compare and contrast; see notes below.

Using Mobile Technology to Differentiate Instruction [Google Docs]
(See also the workshop wiki for this here.*)

Podcasting: What You Need to Get Started [Google Docs]

Using and Creating Mobile Video for the Classroom [SlideShare]

Free Content + Open Tools + Massive Collaboration = Learning for All* [in a wiki; no slide sharing needed ]

* Licensed under Creative Commons. Feel free to use any way you like.
Other materials are under all rights reserved copyright; email me if you’d like to use them in a way other than showing them online as they are here.