Learning with Tablet PCs

GBM reader Michael Pesare passed along this story written by Ken Collura for TechLearning.com. Ken is the Director of Communication and Instructional Technologies for the Diocese of Columbus. When Tablet PCs were first announced 3 years ago, Bishop Hartley, one of the high schools is his Diocese, was one of the first schools to implement the Tablet PC for all of their juniors, seniors, and teachers.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ken at CES several years ago; and through the past several years, he has come to mean a great deal to my family and I. Ken: Maggie is making wonderful progress on her book thanks to you :-)

From TechLearning.com – free registration required to view the entire article. I’d highly recommend doing so:

Bishop Hartley has long been a technically savvy learning institution where it is believed that a student’s opportunity to learn is enhanced by greater mobility and greater access to information.

Our students are used to a mobile environment. To utilize this mobility, students need to be able to easily take their technology tools with them as they move through their day. This means that the technology must fit into their daily routine. While there are some notebook PCs that meet our mobility and space requirements, the devices still have limitations for the classroom. For one, I do not like to see a teacher talking to the back of many laptop screens. There is a disconnect that is created when teachers cannot see their students’ faces or eyes. Other considerations include varying typing skills, distracting keyboard noise, and the need to use the computers at times when a flat surface isn’t available.