Tablet PCs in Schools: Toward A Review

It's almost grant proposal writing season again. Here's a starting collection of online sources about schools using Tablet PC. Some sources are newer than others.

Together, they indicate that thousands of students and teachers in 130 plus schools use mobile PCs.

Maybe these references will provide that extra margin of confidence your administrator needs to approve you submitting successful requests to use mobile PCs in your classroom.

About Tablet PCs and Education
Robert Williams of the Microsoft Tablet PC Team discusses on a Channel 9 podcast origins of tablets, including at the University of Illinois.

This white paper is based on information gathered at the Tablet PC and Computing Curriculum workshop (August 4, 2004). Microsoft Research sponsored the workshop, which was hosted by the University of Washington Computer Science and Engineering Department. The 32 invited attendees were faculty members from a variety of schools, including four-year colleges, research universities, and minority-serving institutions.

Tony Chen and others at MIT offer a case study about Positivo Informatica - The Tablet PC Textbook: The challenge of new markets and technology adoption.

In PreK12
Hinsdale Township High School District 86 in Hinsdale, Illinois, supplies more than 300 of its faculty with Toshiba Portege(R) M200 Tablet PCs as replacements for desktop computers, and provides 250 tablets for daily student use in selected courses.

New Trier High School, Winnetki, IL newsletter discusses using Tablet PCs with projectors to create ultimate whiteboards, grading papers with annotation features, and teachers moving around the room while computing.

Brookfield Zoo’s Every Student is a Scientist (ESS): Using Technology to Foster Inclusive Learning pilot program partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is on a list of the most innovative technology programs in the nation. ESS uses Tablet PCs with wireless connections to allow CPS students with visual, hearing, or physical impairments to explore conservation concepts and work alongside classmates who without disabilities.


In Higher Education

Microsoft Research announced the eleven recipients of the Tablet PC Technology, Curriculum, and Higher Education 2005 RFP awards, totaling $500,000 (USD) in funding. The objective of this RFP is to use it as a catalyst to encourage educators to apply resources toward the revising, updating, and validating curriculum and pedagogy in conjunction with tablet technology in higher education.

Northwestern University Information Technology offers a review of Tablet PCs.

University of Illinois recommends Tablet PCs to students. It is very useful to have a computer while you are at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We recommend that you purchase a Table PC. Check for a list of university negotiated tablet PCs from Fujitsu and HP.

Ed Garay, Assistant Director, Academic Computing and Communications Center, and Director of the UIC Instructional Technology Lab (ITL), University of Illinois at Chicago comments about the mature design of the Fujitsu Stylistic ST4000 Tablet PC.

Tony Hursh describes the Tablet PC, gives some technical details, compares the Tablet PC to other forms of computer, provides an example of actual classroom use at the University of Illinois, and suggests further research on, and potential applications of, this technology in classroom instruction.

The Department of Atmospheric Science (DAS)at University of Illinois introduced the use of a Tablet PC to present lecture material to the Introduction to Meteorology and Severe and Hazardous Weather classes.

Tablet PCs in the Classroom webcast by presenter: Mitch Theys, Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago.

Randal Jaffe offers online discussion about Teaching with the Tablet PC in Physiology and Biophysics.

Educational Technology, University of Illinois Springfield offers tablet PCs for faculty check-out.


Watch for updates to this reference list. And, please add your favorites.