There has been a lot of press about the new “$50 handheld,” otherwise known as the Teachermate handheld computer from Chicago-based non-profit Innovations for Learning, and some people have asked me what I think.
First of all, I haven’t actually seen or used the device, but I have read the company’s information and reviews by several ed tech experts I respect.
Given this, here are my thoughts:
- This tool has a very specific use in mind (supplemental K-1 reading and math) and doesn’t appear have capabilities for use beyond that.
- This really isn’t a handheld computer as the term is commonly used. For educational purposes, I would say a handheld needs to have basic productivity functions (e.g. writing) and some kind of input mechanism (e.g. keyboard, handwriting). It also needs to be suitable for multiple purposes. The Teachermate doesn’t fit these criteria. It’s more inline with devices like Leapfrog’s educational toys than handhelds. Of course, you can call something whatever you want, I guess, but that doesn’t make it so.
- The hardware is $50, but that doesn’t include software, which you can only purchase from Innovations for Learning at additional cost.
- Most importantly, the Teachermate system appears to be a closed, proprietary system. In today’s world of open source, user-generated everything, read/write web, etc., I don’t think closed systems have much of a chance. (Even Apple may be waking up to this with the recent long-awaited release of their SDK.) Educators need to be able to choose from a large range of solutions and to be able to customize content to meet their students’ needs. The success of handheld computing to date has been the availability of a large selection of options (software, content, etc.) across all curriculum areas, skills focuses, and learning styles. One size does not fit all.
Now, if Innovations for Learning were to come out with an SDK and release their hardware spec for developers to come up with peripherals like keyboards, wireless cards, etc., that would be much more interesting.
In the meantime, it may be an effective early learning tool, but it’s not a handheld.
New "$50 handheld"